The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) was another co-sponsor. The conference, titled “Forest and Water in a Changing Environment,” examined the effects of forestation on water resources with the goals of improving understanding of ecological restoration and developing sound forest management policies. The conference focused on four themes: 1) basic and integrated forest hydrologic processes; 2) global change impacts on eco-hydrology from the local to regional scale; 3) scaling eco-hydrology using remote sensing, GIS; and modeling; and 4) watershed restoration effects on water quality and quantity.

The conference was attended by more than 100 ecohydrologists from 22 countries, including six research scientists from the SRS. Forest Service scientists Steve McNuty, Ge Sun, and Jim Vose served on organizational and technical committees and gave keynote speeches. Field tours included forest hydrologic experimental stations in the Yellow and Yangtze River basins that provided participants unique opportunities to explore forest water issues in diverse geographic regions of China.

A special issue from an international journal was dedicated to publish presentations from the conference. Given the emerging water crises around the globe and great interest from the participants, the conference proposed to establish an ecohydrological research network to coordinate future international collaboration. A follow-up forest hydrology conference has been planned for 2009 in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, please contact Ge Sun (919) 515-9498 or gesun@fs.fed.us.