Download or read book How Will Hydrologic Change Alter Riparian Plant Communities of the Arid and Semi arid Southwest written by Andrea Florence Hazelton and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change has the potential to affect vegetation via changes in temperature and precipitation. In the semi-arid southwestern United States, heightened temperatures will likely lead to accelerated groundwater pumping to meet human needs, and altered storm patterns may lead to changes in flood regimes. All of these hydrologic changes have the potential to alter riparian vegetation. This research, consisting of two papers, examines relationships between hydrology and riparian vegetation along the Verde River in central Arizona, from applied and theoretical perspectives. One paper investigates how dominance of tree and shrub species and cover of certain functional groups change along hydrologic gradients. The other paper uses the Verde River flora along with that river's flood and moisture gradients to answer the question of whether functional groups can be defined universally. Drying of the Verde River would lead to a shift from cottonwood-willow streamside forest to more drought adapted desert willow or saltcedar, a decline in streamside marsh species, and decreased species richness. Effects drying will have on one dominant forest tree, velvet ash, is unclear. Increase in the frequency of large floods would potentially increase forest density and decrease average tree age and diameter. Correlations between functional traits of Verde River plants and hydrologic gradients are consistent with "leaf economics," or the axis of resource capture, use, and release, as the primary strategic trade-off for plants. This corresponds to the competitor-stress tolerator gradient in Grime's life history strategy theory. Plant height was also a strong indicator of hydrologic condition, though it is not clear from the literature if plant height is independent enough of leaf characteristics on a global scale to be considered a second axis. Though the ecohydrologic relationships are approached from different perspectives, the results of the two papers are consistent if interpreted together. The species that are currently dominant in the near-channel Verde River floodplain are tall, broad-leaf trees, and the species that are predicted to become more dominant in the case of the river drying are shorter trees or shrubs with smaller leaves. These results have implications for river and water management, as well as theoretical ecology.
Download or read book Riparian Areas of the Southwestern United States written by Peter F. Ffolliott and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2003-07-28 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Riparian Areas of the Southwestern United States: Hydrology, Ecology, and Management provides hydrologists, watershed managers, land-use planners, educators, policymakers, and non-governmental organizations with a comprehensive account of the multiple benefits and conflicts arising from the uniquely structured ecosystems of arid and semi-arid regions. The text describes the inhabitants of southwestern riparian ecosystems and addresses the research, planning, and management concerns for these fragile ecosystems in relation to the impacts of water and sediment flows, livestock grazing, and other human activities, and the maintenance of key wildlife and fish habitats.
Download or read book Climate Change and Wildfire Effecs in Aridland Riparian Ecosystems written by D. Max Smith and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aridland riparian ecosystems are limited, the climate is changing, and further hydrological change is likely in the American Southwest. To protect riparian ecosystems and organisms, we need to understand how they are affected by disturbance processes and stressors such as fire, drought, and non-native plant invasions. Riparian vegetation is critically important as foraging, resting, migrating, and breeding habitat to birds and other animal species in the southwestern United States. Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii), and other woody species provide birds with nesting sites and foraging opportunities, some of which are absent or rare in adjacent plant communities. The structurally diverse, species-rich vegetation along many southwestern streams supports high densities of territories and nest sites for a variety of birds including several species of high conservation priority. Survival and reproduction of woody riparian plants is largely determined by periodic floods and droughts. As in other regions, rivers and streams of the American Southwest have been heavily altered by human activity, resulting in significant changes to disturbance regimes. Hydrological models, incorporating greenhouse gas emission scenarios, project that these changes will be exacerbated by climate change. In this report, we review the ecohydrology of southwestern streams and share results from our study sites along the Middle Rio Grande to describe effects of hydrological changes, wildfire, and invasions on plant communities and riparian-nesting birds. We also examine climate change projections and output from population models to gauge the future of aridland riparian ecosystems in an increasingly arid Southwest.
Download or read book Impact of Water Level Changes on Woody Riparian and Wetland Communities written by M. Alice Walters and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Impact of Water Level Changes on Woody Riparian and Wetland Communities Mediterranean region Western arid and semiarid region written by Robert O. Teskey and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Climate Change and Wildfire Effecs in Aridland Riparian Ecosystems written by D. Max Smith and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aridland riparian ecosystems are limited, the climate is changing, and further hydrological change is likely in the American Southwest. To protect riparian ecosystems and organisms, we need to understand how they are affected by disturbance processes and stressors such as fire, drought, and non-native plant invasions. Riparian vegetation is critically important as foraging, resting, migrating, and breeding habitat to birds and other animal species in the southwestern United States. Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii), and other woody species provide birds with nesting sites and foraging opportunities, some of which are absent or rare in adjacent plant communities. The structurally diverse, species-rich vegetation along many southwestern streams supports high densities of territories and nest sites for a variety of birds including several species of high conservation priority. Survival and reproduction of woody riparian plants is largely determined by periodic floods and droughts. As in other regions, rivers and streams of the American Southwest have been heavily altered by human activity, resulting in significant changes to disturbance regimes. Hydrological models, incorporating greenhouse gas emission scenarios, project that these changes will be exacerbated by climate change. In this report, we review the ecohydrology of southwestern streams and share results from our study sites along the Middle Rio Grande to describe effects of hydrological changes, wildfire, and invasions on plant communities and riparian-nesting birds. We also examine climate change projections and output from population models to gauge the future of aridland riparian ecosystems in an increasingly arid Southwest.
Download or read book Riparian Areas written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-10-10 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that wetlands be protected from degradation because of their important ecological functions including maintenance of high water quality and provision of fish and wildlife habitat. However, this protection generally does not encompass riparian areasâ€"the lands bordering rivers and lakesâ€"even though they often provide the same functions as wetlands. Growing recognition of the similarities in wetland and riparian area functioning and the differences in their legal protection led the NRC in 1999 to undertake a study of riparian areas, which has culminated in Riparian Areas: Functioning and Strategies for Management. The report is intended to heighten awareness of riparian areas commensurate with their ecological and societal values. The primary conclusion is that, because riparian areas perform a disproportionate number of biological and physical functions on a unit area basis, restoration of riparian functions along America's waterbodies should be a national goal.
Download or read book Impact of water level changes on woody riparian and wetland communities written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Impact of Water Level Changes on Woody Riparian and Wetland Communities written by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Impact of Water Level Changes on Woody Riparian and Wetland Communities written by M. Alice Walters and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Riparian Vegetation Along Ephemeral Streams in Arid and Semi arid Environments and Implications for Clean Water Act Jurisdiction written by Aspen Manning and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Clean Water Act protects water quality, but its jurisdiction is limited to traditionally navigable waters and those tributaries that have relatively permanent flow (i.e., perennial flow) or a significant nexus (i.e., they significantly affect water quality in downstream waterways). In the arid southwestern United States, most streams are intermittent (flowing seasonally) or ephemeral (flowing only in response to precipitation), therefore they do not meet the relatively permanent standard. Determining whether a given ephemeral stream has a significant nexus to a downstream waterway is complicated, especially in arid regions where geomorphic evidence of flow events can persist for long periods of time. Riparian vegetation is used in field-based jurisdictional determinations, however the riparian vegetation of ephemeral streams in arid and semi-arid regions is understudied. This dissertation contributes to the existing empirical data on the riparian vegetation of ephemeral streams in the southwestern United States by examining the longitudinal spatial patterns of riparian communities along six ephemeral streams in New Mexico and Arizona using remote sensing. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to determine the size and cover of riparian vegetation, which was then correlated to topographic, climatic, geomorphic, and streamflow characteristics. Riparian vegetation responds much more strongly to topographic and climatic variables than to streamflow variables. These results indicate that the riparian vegetation of ephemeral streams responds to different environmental factors compared to riparian vegetation along intermittent or perennial rivers. The results presented here can inform Clean Water Act policies regarding ephemeral streams in the southwestern United States.
Download or read book The Ribbon of Green written by Robert H. Webb and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Woody wetlands constitute a relatively small but extremely important part of the landscape in the southwestern United States. These riparian habitats support more than one-third of the regionÕs vascular plant species, are home to a variety of wildlife, and provide essential havens for dozens of migratory animals. Because of their limited size and disproportionately high biological value, the goal of protecting wetland environments frequently takes priority over nearly all other habitat types. In The Ribbon of Green, hydrologists Robert H. Webb, and Stanley A. Leake and botanist Raymond M. Turner examine the factors that affect the stability of woody riparian vegetation, one of the largest components of riparian areas. Such factors include the diversion of surface water, flood control, and the excessive use of groundwater. Combining repeat photography with historical context and information on species composition, they document more than 140 years of change. Contrary to the common assumption of widespread losses of this type of ecosystem, the authors show that vegetation has increased on many river reaches as a result of flood control, favorable climatic conditions, and large winter floods that encourage ecosystem disturbance, germination, and the establishment of species in newly generated openings. Bringing well-documented and accessible insights to the ecological study of wetlands, this book will influence our perception of change in riparian ecosystems and how riparian restoration is practiced in the Southwest, and it will serve as an important reference in courses on plant ecology, riparian ecology, and ecosystem management.
Download or read book Riparian Ecosystems and Their Management written by and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Using Soil Amendments to Improve Riparian Plant Survival in Arid and Semi arid Landscapes written by Richard A. Fischer and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The widespread loss and degradation of riparian areas in the arid and semi-arid western United States has led to an increased interest in revegetation efforts aimed at restoring physical and ecological functions, such as streambank stabilization, wildlife habitat, and water quality protection (Briggs 1995) (Figure 1). However, successfully establishing riparian plant communities that can provide desired functions can be extremely challenging in arid areas that are remote from water supplies. In addition, plant establishment can be difficult in arid regions since many stream and riparian areas are characterized by infertile or highly saline soils, very low rainfall, narrow planting windows, dynamic/erosive hydrologic patterns that often scour soils holding planted vegetation, and prolific non-native plant species that tend to dominate the plant community.
Download or read book General Technical Report RM written by and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Riparian Research and Management Past Present Future Volume 1 written by U.S. Department of Agriculture and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2019-04-06 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty years ago, riparian habitats were not recognized for their extensive and critical contributions to wildlife and the ecosystem function of watersheds. This changed as riparian values were identified and documented, and the science of riparian ecology developed steadily. Papers in this volume range from the more mesic northwestern United States to the arid Southwest and Mexico. More than two dozen authors?most with decades of experience?review the origins of riparian science in the western United States, document what is currently known about riparian ecosystems, and project future needs. Topics are widespread and include: interactions with fire, climate change, and declining water; impacts from exotic species; unintended consequences of biological control; the role of small mammals; watershed response to beavers; watershed and riparian changes; changes below large dams; water birds of the Colorado River Delta; and terrestrial vertebrates of mesquite bosques.
Download or read book Ecohydrology Effects of an Invasive Grass Phalaris Arundinacea on Semi arid Riparian Zones written by Adam D. Gebauer and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Riparian areas (floodplains) provide key ecological functions that are linked to the ecohydrology however; they are particularly susceptible to invasion by alien species. In much of the western United States, riparian zones are shifting from native woody and herbaceous species to invasive grass dominated ecosystems that may alter hydrology, including changes to stream flow. Compared to the woody species they often replace, dense grass stands may have higher rates of growth (productivity) and water loss through leaves (transpiration), yet may access shallower water sources and thus reduce stream flow. In eastern Washington, many streams experience low flow that degrades water quality, concentrates pollutants, and reduces habitat. Most of these streams' riparian zones have extensive stands of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Reed canary grass was historically planted for erosion control and as a forage crop, but its ability to invade and create monotypic stands has allowed it to out compete native vegetation in riparian areas throughout much of the temperate United States. My goal is to determine the effect of reed canary grass on the ecohydrology of riparian zones along low order streams in a semi-arid region. I conducted vegetation, groundwater, and stream flow surveys at nine sites along four watersheds to determine community composition and hydrologic regime measured the length of the growing season for nine riparian species. I measured the amount of biomass and calculated the amount of photosynthetic surface for dense stands of nine riparian species. The amount of water used by different species was determined by measuring transpiration rates of reed canary grass and other riparian species throughout the growing season. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes from different water sources (stream water and deep groundwater) were used to determine the proportion of water sources use by different plants species. Reed canary grass was found with greater cover than other riparian species on low elevation geomorphic positions in the riparian zone. It had the longest growing season by two weeks. Although its transpiration rates per unit leaf area are not exceptional compared to other species, its high specific leaf area and ability to produce dense stands of photosynthetic biomass results in more photosynthetic surface through which to transpire water than any other riparian species. Reed canary grass was found to rely heavily on surface water sources along different elevations in the riparian zone. My results implicate reed canary grass as a major factor in the regional low stream flow during the growing season. Although the presence of reed canary grass can add some benefits to a riparia buffer, I present strong evidence that it is altering the ecohydrology of these ecosystems. The management of this grass, particularly in a semi-arid region, could improve water quality and quantity"--Document.
