This project focused on monitoring the effect of different forest cultivation methods on hydrological responses in a hillfort catchment. The work was located in the upland sections of the Menstrie Burn catchment in Clackmannanshire (Scotland), where a large plantation was established in 2015.
The research established a monitoring network for weather parameters (precipitation, temperature etc.) surface water runoff processes and instream flows across different cultivation techniques. The river tributaries were monitored, and a set of seven research plots were established across three different cultivation types, plus an unplanted control. The seven plots were chosen to establish replicates, and explore the influence of aspect, underlying soil type and slope on response to vegetation change. Also, sediment runoff was recorded using a series of sediment traps at a research plot.