Impacts of Deforestation on Meteorology and Ecosystem Productivity in Appalachian Deciduous Forests

Deforestation has the potential to alter regional atmospheric dynamics, namely the motion of vapor, energy partitioning, and convective storm formation. Rates of photosynthesis are influenced by these factors, meaning nearby forest productivity can be influenced by the meteorological consequences of deforestation. This thesis uses process-based models to explore the implications of large, hypothetical deforestation events in Appalachia on the movement of water and primary productivity outside the deforested region. I found there was significant pixel-to-pixel and scenario-to-scenario variation in environmental conditions, forest productivity, and atmospheric feedbacks, despite environmental characteristics changing little on average. Additionally, the relative impact of changing environmental characteristics on changing primary production was dependent on the shape and extent of deforestation and background environmental conditions. These results suggest Appalachian forests are resilient to nearby deforestation, though there is heterogeneity in the environmental response, as deforestation influences environmental characteristics differently depending on its size, continuity, and orientation.