Research interests

• Forest hydrology
• Fluvial geomorphology
• Water quality and water yield impacts of forestry activities
• Stream and riparian zone management.

Background

Ashley Webb has been employed by Forests NSW since 2001 and has research interests in all facets of interactions between forests and water. His professional role at Forests NSW has evolved over time and currently his duties include undertaking applied research in forest hydrology, managing Forests NSW water monitoring program for regulatory compliance, and contributing to forest-water policy development and review within the NSW government. He is passionate about sustainable forest management practices, particularly as they relate to catchments, and has a keen interest in the use of market-based mechanisms to achieve positive environmental outcomes across all land tenures.

Ashley collaborates on research projects with five Australian universities, is the Secretary of Research Working Group 3 (Land and Water Resources), and to date has authored more than 20 refereed publications. In 2011 he was the recipient of a Gottstein Trust fellowship which enabled him to travel to the USA to investigate the operation of successful Payments for Watershed Services schemes.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Hons 1) – University of NSW, 1998
• Ph.D. – The University of Sydney, 2002

Current projects

• Native Forest Hydrology Research
• Impacts of Forestry Activities on Water Quality
• Hydrological function and sediment delivery from headwater drainage lines
• Forestry effects on headwater ecosystem health: a multi-catchment experiment
• Developing a decision support system for the management of road runoff for water quality improvement.

Recent Publications

Webb, A.A. (2011) Can timber and water resources be sustainably co-developed in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia? Environment, Development and Sustainability, in press. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-011-9319-3.

Webb, A.A. & Kathuria, A (2011) Response of streamflow to afforestation and thinning at Red Hill, Murray Darling Basin, Australia. Journal of Hydrology, in press. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.05.033.

Webb AA (2010) Potential response of Myrtle Creek streamflow to alternate coupe harvesting within Yurammie State forest. Forests NSW, Coffs Harbour Jetty, June 2010, 45pp. (independently reviewed) http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests/publications/hydrology-report-yurammie 

Webb AA (2009) Streamflow response to Pinus plantation harvesting: Canobolas State forest, southeastern Australia. Hydrological Processes, 23: 1679-1689.

Webb AA (2008) Impacts of native forest harvesting on in-channel erosion and sediment yields in unmapped headwater catchments. In: J. Schmidt, T. Cochrane, C. Phillips, S. Elliott, T. Davies & L. Basher (Eds), Sediment Dynamics in Changing Environments. International Association of Hydrological Sciences Publication No. 325: 567-575.

Webb AA, Jarrett BW and Turner LM (2007) Effects of plantation forest harvesting on water quality and quantity: Canobolas State forest, NSW. In: A.L. Wilson, R.L. Deehan, R.J. Watts, K.J. Page, K.H. Bowmer & A. Curtis (Eds), Proceedings of the 5th Australian Stream Management Conference. Australian rivers: making a difference. Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, NSW, pp 443-448.

Webb AA (2005) Riparian Geomorphology. In: S.W. Trimble (ed.) Encyclopedia of Water Science. Taylor Francis, New York, 1-5.

Webb AA and Haywood A (2005) Impact of mitigated forestry activities on turbidity: assessing the effect of improved harvesting practices. Water, 32 (8): 76-81.

Webb AA and Erskine WD (2005) Natural variability in the distribution, loading and induced scour of large wood in sand-bed forest streams. River Research & Applications, 21: 169-185.

Webb AA and Dragovich D (2004) Episodic sediment pulses generated by forested flood plain stripping: Bruces Creek, Nadgee State Forest, southeastern Australia. In: V. Golosov, V. Belyaev and D.E. Walling (Eds) Sediment Transfer Through the Fluvial System. International Association of Hydrological Sciences Publication No. 288: 13-20.

Webb AA (2004) Monitoring the potential impacts of forestry activities on water quality in NSW: preliminary results from the Middle Brother paired catchment program. In: J. Croke, I. Takken & S. Mockler (Eds), Erosion in Forests: Proceedings of the Forest Workshop – March 2004. Technical Report 04/10, Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology, Canberra, pp 149-152.

Webb AA and Erskine WD (2003) A practical scientific approach to riparian vegetation rehabilitation in Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 68: 329-341.

Webb AA and Erskine WD (2003) Distribution, recruitment, and geomorphic significance of large woody debris in an alluvial forest stream: Tonghi Creek, southeastern Australia. Geomorphology, 51: 109-126.

Erskine WD and Webb AA (2003) Desnagging to resnagging: new directions in river rehabilitation in southeastern Australia. River Research and Applications, 19:233-249.

Professional associations and activities

• International Association of Hydrological Sciences
• Institute of Australian Geographers
• Australia-New Zealand Geomorphology Research Group

Fields of Research

• 040608 Surfacewater Hydrology
• 050206 Environmental Monitoring
• 040607 Surface Processes
• 070504 Forestry Management and Environment

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Forest hydrology
• Water quality monitoring
• Soil and water management
• Forest streams