can have a large range in drainage densities, from low to high. Drainage density is related to the ease at which channels can form. According to Montgomery and Dietrich’s equation, drainage density is a function of vertical hydraulic conductivity. Coarse-grained sediment like sand would have a higher hydraulic conductivity and are predicted by the equation to form a relatively higher drainage density system than a system formed by finer silt with a lower hydraulic conductivity. Forest fires play an indirect role in a basin’s drainage density. Forest fires, both natural and unnatural, destroy some or all of the existing vegetation, which removes the stability that the plants and their roots provide. Newly destabilized hillslope in the basin is then susceptible to channel formation processes, and drainage density of the basin may increase until the vegetation grows back to the previous state. The type of plants and the associated depth and density of the plant roots determine how strongly the soil is held in place as well as the intensity of the forest fire in killing and removing the vegetation. Computer simulation experiments have validated that drainage density will be higher in regions that have more frequent forest fires. Relation to flood hydrograph The discharge through the central stream draining a catchment reflects the drainage density, which makes it a useful diagnostic for predicting the flooding behavior of a catchment following a storm event due to being intimately tied to the hydrograph. The material that overland flow travels over is one factor that influences the speed that water can flow out of a catchment. Water flows significantly slower over hillslopes compared to channels that form to efficiently carry water and other flowing material. According to Horton’s interpretation of half of the inverse of drainage density as the average length of overland flow implies that overland flow in high-drainage environments will reach a fast-flowing channel faster over a shorter range. On the hydrograph, the peak is higher and occurs over a shorter range. This more compact and higher peak is often referred to as being “flashy”. The timing of the hydrograph in relation to the peak of the hyetograph is influenced by the drainage density. The water that enters a high-drainage watershed during a storm will reach a channel relatively fast and travel in the high-velocity channels to the outlet of the watershed in a relatively short time. Conversely, the water entering