Abstract
Study focus: The HydroThiem hydrological observatory is devoted to the study of the impact of invasive ungulate species and bushfires on water resources, erosion and water quality in a catchment used for drinking water. It includes (1) three 100 m2 plots located on characteristic land surfaces, i.e. a woody savanna submitted to bushfires every few years, a healthy forest and a forest strongly degraded by deer and wild pigs, (2) two watersheds covering areas of 25 200 m2 and 3.1 km2. The first watershed includes mostly savanna while the second one is mostlyconstituted of humid forest. Available data include rainfall, soil moisture, discharge, and suspendedmatter concentration.New hydrological insight: Discharge and erosion rates exhibit striking differences between the three plots: the healthy forest presents a 3 % runoff and almost no erosion, the degraded forest being characterized by a 90 % runoff and large erosion, the savanna presenting intermediate values of runoff and erosion. The largest watershed present a 64 % runoff and an erosion rate amounting to72 % of the one of the degraded plot. This emphasizes the role of subsurface flow and of gullyerosion, respectively. Results from the Hydrothiem observatory can be used for a comparison withsimilar watersheds and may suggest guidelines for restoration and conservation strategies.