Spatial characterization of riparian buffer effects on sediment loads from watershed systems.

PubMed

Momm, Henrique G; Bingner, Ronald L; Yuan, Yongping; Locke, Martin A; Wells, Robert R

2014-09-01

Understanding all watershed systems and their interactions is a complex, but critical, undertaking when developing practices designed to reduce topsoil loss and chemical/nutrient transport from agricultural fields. The presence of riparian buffer vegetation in agricultural landscapes can modify the characteristics of overland flow, promoting sediment deposition and nutrient filtering. Watershed simulation tools, such as the USDA-Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollution model, typically require detailed information for each riparian buffer zone throughout the watershed describing the location, width, vegetation type, topography, and possible presence of concentrated flow paths through the riparian buffer zone. Research was conducted to develop GIS-based technology designed to spatially characterize riparian buffers and to estimate buffer efficiency in reducing sediment loads in a semiautomated fashion at watershed scale. The methodology combines modeling technology at different scales, at individual concentrated flow paths passing through the riparian zone, and at watershed scales. At the concentrated flow path scale, vegetative filter strip models are applied to estimate the sediment-trapping efficiency for each individual flow path, which are aggregated based on the watershed subdivision and used in the determination of the overall impact of the riparian vegetation at the watershed scale. This GIS-based technology is combined with AnnAGNPS to demonstrate the effect of riparian vegetation on sediment loadings from sheet and rill and ephemeral gully sources. The effects of variability in basic input parameters used to characterize riparian buffers, onto generated outputs at field scale (sediment trapping efficiency) and at watershed scale (sediment loadings from different sources) were evaluated and quantified. The AnnAGNPS riparian buffer component represents an important step in understanding and accounting for the effect of riparian vegetation, existing and/or managed, in reducing sediment loads at the watershed scale. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Riparian ecosystems and buffers - multiscale structure, function, and management: introduction

Treesearch

Kathleen A. Dwire; Richard R. Lowrance

2006-01-01

Given the importance of issues related to improved understanding and management of riparian ecosystems and buffers, the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) sponsored a Summer Specialty Conference in June 2004 at Olympic Valley, California, entitled 'Riparian Ecosystems and Buffers: Multiscale Structure, Function, and Management.' The primary objective...

Nitrous oxide emission from cropland and adjacent riparian buffers in contrasting hydrogeomorphic settings.

PubMed

Fisher, K; Jacinthe, P A; Vidon, P; Liu, X; Baker, M E

2014-01-01

Riparian buffers are important nitrate (NO) sinks in agricultural watersheds, but limited information is available regarding the intensity and control of nitrous oxide (NO) emission from these buffers. This study monitored (December 2009-May 2011) NO fluxes at two agricultural riparian buffers in the White River watershed in Indiana to assess the impact of land use and hydrogeomorphologic (HGM) attributes on emission. The study sites included a riparian forest in a glacial outwash/alluvium setting (White River [WR]) and a grassed riparian buffer in tile-drained till plains (Leary Weber Ditch [LWD]). Adjacent corn ( L.) fields were monitored for land use assessment. Analysis of variance identified season, land use (riparian buffer vs. crop field), and site geomorphology as major drivers of NO fluxes. Strong relationships between N mineralization and NO fluxes were found at both sites, but relationships with other nutrient cycling indicators (C/N ratio, dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C) were detected only at LWD. Nitrous oxide emission showed strong seasonal variability; the largest NO peaks occurred in late spring/early summer as a result of flooding at the WR riparian buffer (up to 27.8 mg NO-N m d) and N fertilizer application to crop fields. Annual NO emission (kg NO-N ha) was higher in the crop fields (WR: 7.82; LWD: 6.37) than in the riparian areas. A significant difference ( < 0.02) in annual NO emission between the riparian buffers was detected (4.32 vs. 1.03 kg NO-N ha at WR and LWD, respectively), and this difference was attributed to site geomorphology and flooding (WR is flood prone; no flooding occurred at tile-drained LWD). The study results demonstrate the significance of landscape geomorphology and land-stream connection (i.e., flood potential) as drivers of NO emission in riparian buffers and therefore argue that an HGM-based approach should be especially suitable for determination of regional NO budget in riparian ecosystems. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Assessment of concentrated flow through riparian buffers

Treesearch

M.G. Dosskey; M.J. Helmers; D.E. Eisenhauer; T.G. Franti; K.D. Hoagland

2002-01-01

Concentrated flow of surface runoff from agricultural fields may limit the capability of riparian buffers to remove pollutants. This study was conducted on four farms in southeastern Nebraska to develop a method for assessing the extent of concentrated flow in riparian buffers and for evaluating the impact that it has on sediment-trapping efficiency. Field methods...

Where should buffers go? modeling riparian habitat connectivity in northeast Kansas

Treesearch

Gary Bentrup; Todd Kellerman

2004-01-01

Through many funding programs, riparian buffers are being created on agricultural lands to address significant water quality problems. Society and landowners are demanding many other environmental and social services (e.g., wildlife habitat and income diversification) from this practice. Resource planners therefore need to design riparian buffer systems in the right...

Assessing Anthropogenic Influence and Edge Effect Influence on Forested Riparian Buffer Spatial Configuration and Structure: An Example Using Lidar Remote Sensing Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasser, L. A.; Chasmer, L. E.

2012-12-01

Forested riparian buffers (FRB) perform numerous critical ecosystem services. However, globally, FRB spatial configuration and structure have been modified by anthropogenic development resulting in widespread ecological degradation as seen in the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay. Riparian corridors within developed areas are particularly vulnerable to disturbance given two edges - the naturally occurring stream edge and the matrix edge. Increased edge length predisposes riparian vegetation to "edge effects", characterized by modified physical and environmental conditions at the interface between the forested buffer and the adjacent landuse, or matrix and forest fragment degradation. The magnitude and distance of edge influence may be further influenced by adjacent landuse type and the width of the buffer corridor at any given location. There is a need to quantify riparian buffer spatial configuration and structure over broad geographic extents and within multiple riparian systems in support of ecologically sound management and landuse decisions. This study thus assesses the influence of varying landuse types (agriculture, suburban development and undeveloped) on forested riparian buffer 3-dimensional structure and spatial configuration using high resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data collected within a headwater watershed. Few studies have assessed riparian buffer structure and width contiguously for an entire watershed, an integral component of watershed planning and restoration efforts such as those conducted throughout the Chesapeake Bay. The objectives of the study are to 1) quantify differences in vegetation structure at the stream and matrix influenced riparian buffer edges, compared to the forested interior and 2) assess continuous patterns of changes in vegetation structure throughout the buffer corridor beginning at the matrix edge and ending at the stream within buffers a) of varying width and b) that are adjacent to varying landuse types. Results suggest that 1) the spatial configuration of riparian forests has a strong influence on forest structure compared to a weaker association with adjacent landuse type 2) developed landuse types are often associated with increased understory vegetation density 3) that riparian vegetation canopy cover is dense regardless of corridor width or adjacent landuse type and 4) the degree to which edge effects propagate into the buffer corridor is most influenced by corridor width. The study further demonstrates the utility of automated algorithms that sample lidar data in watershed-wide ecological analysis. Results suggest that landuse regulations should encourage wider buffers which will in turn support a greater range of ecosystem services including improved wildlife habitat, stream shading and detrital inputs.

Agricultural conservation planning framework: 2. Classification of riparian buffer design types with application to assess and map stream corridors.

PubMed

Tomer, M D; Boomer, K M B; Porter, S A; Gelder, B K; James, D E; McLellan, E

2015-05-01

A watershed's riparian corridor presents opportunities to stabilize streambanks, intercept runoff, and influence shallow groundwater with riparian buffers. This paper presents a system to classify these riparian opportunities and apply them toward riparian management planning in hydrologic unit code 12 watersheds. In two headwater watersheds from each of three landform regions found in Iowa and Illinois, high-resolution (3-m grid) digital elevation models were analyzed to identify spatial distributions of surface runoff contributions and zones with shallow water tables (SWTs) (within 1.5 m of the channel elevation) along the riparian corridors. Results were tabulated, and a cross classification was applied. Classes of buffers include those primarily placed to (i) trap runoff and sediment, (ii) influence shallow groundwater, (iii) address both runoff and shallow groundwater, and (iv) maintain/improve stream bank stability. Riparian buffers occupying about 2.5% of these six watersheds could effectively intercept runoff contributions from 81 to 94% of the watersheds' contributing areas. However, extents of riparian zones where a narrow buffer (<10 m wide) would adequately intercept runoff but where >25 m width of buffer vegetation could root to a SWT varied according to landform region ( < 0.10). Yet, these wide-SWT riparian zones were widespread and occupied 23 to 53% of the lengths of stream banks among the six watersheds. The wide-SWT setting provides opportunities to reduce dissolved nutrients (particularly NO-N) carried via groundwater. This riparian classification and mapping system is part of a ArcGIS toolbox and could provide a consistent basis to identify riparian management opportunities in Midwestern headwater catchments wherever high-resolution elevation data are available. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Using GIS Models to Identify Relative Nitrogen Attenuation by Riparian Buffers in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian areas have demonstrated the ability to attenuate nutrients and provide water quality services at the field scale, but services of riparian buffers for downstream users should be assessed at watershed scales. GIS-based riparian models have been developed to connect ripari...

Effects of riparian buffer width on wood loading in headwater streams after repeated forest thinning

Treesearch

Julia I. Burton; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2016-01-01

Forested riparian buffer zones are used in conjunction with upland forest management, in part, to provide for the recruitment for large wood to streams. Small headwater streams account for the majority of stream networks in many forested regions. Yet, our understanding of how riparian buffer width influences wood dynamics in headwater streams is relatively less...

Chesapeake Bay Riparian Handbook: A Guide for Establishing and Maintaining Riparian Forest Buffers

Treesearch

Roxane Palone; Albert Todd

1998-01-01

The Purpose of This Handbook Riparian forest buffers have been identified as avaluable nutrient reduction tool when used inconjunction with other conservation practices. For this reason, the Chesapeake Bay Programhas targeted riparian forests as a key habitat for restoration. The purpose of this handbook is toprovide professional land managers and plan-ners with the...

Quantifying Phosphorus Retnention in Soils of Riparian Buffers Influenced by Different Land Use Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancellotti, B.; Ross, D. S.; Adair, C.; Schroth, A. W.; Perdrial, J. N.

2017-12-01

Excess phosphorus (P) loading to freshwater systems can lead to eutrophication, resulting in algal blooms and subsequent fish kills. Lake Champlain, located between Vermont, New York, and Quebec, has historically exhibited negative effects of eutrophication due to P overloading from non-point sources. To reduce P inputs to the Lake, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources requires and provides guidelines for the management of riparian buffers, which help protect adjacent water bodies from nutrient and sediment runoff. To better understand how phosphorous retention in riparian buffers is influenced by soil wetness and adjacent land use, we explored differences in P content between riparian buffers located in forested and agricultural watersheds. Within each land use type, we focused on two paired riparian buffers with contrasting soil moisture levels (one wet transect and one dry transect). At each of the four sites, soil pits were dug along a transect perpendicular to the streambank and were placed strategically to capture convergent and divergent landscape positions. Soil samples were collected from each horizon within 0-30cm. In each of these samples, we measured orthophosphate, degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS), and trace elements. We investigated the relationship between DPS and aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) concentrations to determine how much of the variability in DPS was explained by Al and Fe concentrations, and compared these relationships between the four riparian buffer sites. We also assessed how these relationships varied with depth in the soil profile. The results of these analyses allow us to identify the characteristics of riparian buffers that promote the most effective P sequestration, which is beneficial to the effective management of riparian areas within the Lake Champlain basin.

Hydrogeological constraints on riparian buffers for reduction of diffuse pollution: examples from the Bear Creek watershed in Iowa, USA.

PubMed

Simpkins, W W; Wineland, T R; Andress, R J; Johnston, D A; Caron, G C; Isenhart, T M; Schultz, R C

2002-01-01

Riparian Management Systems (RiMS) have been proposed to minimize the impacts of agricultural production and improve water quality in Iowa in the Midwestern USA. As part of RiMS, multispecies riparian buffers have been shown to decrease nutrient, pesticide, and sediment concentrations in runoff from adjacent crop fields. However, their effect on nutrients and pesticides moving in groundwater beneath buffers has been discussed only in limited and idealized hydrogeologic settings. Studies in the Bear Creek watershed of central Iowa show the variability inherent in hydrogeologic systems at the watershed scale, some of which may be favorable or unfavorable to future implementation of buffers. Buffers may be optimized by choosing hydrogeologic systems where a shallow groundwater flow system channels water directly through the riparian buffer at velocities that allow for processes such as denitrification to occur.

Using soil surveys to target riparian buffers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Treesearch

Michael G. Dosskey

2008-01-01

The efficacy of vegetative buffers for improving water quality could be enhanced by distinguishing differences in buffer capability across watersheds and accounting for them in buffer planning. A soil survey-based method was applied to riparian areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The method is based on soil attributes that are important in determining buffer...

Regulating riparian forests for aquatic productivity in the Pacific Northwest, USA: addressing a paradox.

PubMed

Newton, Michael; Ice, George

2016-01-01

Forested riparian buffers isolate streams from the influence of harvesting operations that can lead to water temperature increases. Only forest cover between the sun and stream limits stream warming, but that cover also reduces in-stream photosynthesis, aquatic insect production, and fish productivity. Water temperature increases that occur as streams flow through canopy openings decrease rapidly downstream, in as little as 150 m. Limiting management options in riparian forests restricts maintenance and optimization of various buffer contributions to beneficial uses, including forest products, fish, and their food supply. Some riparian disturbance, especially along cold streams, appears to benefit fish productivity. Options for enhancing environmental investments in buffers should include flexibility in application of water quality standards to address the general biological needs of fish and temporary nature of clearing induced warming. Local prescriptions for optimizing riparian buffers and practices that address long-term habitat needs deserve attention. Options and incentives are needed to entice landowners to actively manage for desirable riparian forest conditions.

Microbial community structure across a wastewater-impacted riparian buffer zone in the southeastern coastal plain.

PubMed

Ducey, T F; Johnson, P R; Shriner, A D; Matheny, T A; Hunt, P G

2013-01-01

Riparian buffer zones are important for both natural and developed ecosystems throughout the world because of their ability to retain nutrients, prevent soil erosion, protect aquatic environments from excessive sedimentation, and filter pollutants. Despite their importance, the microbial community structures of riparian buffer zones remains poorly defined. Our objectives for this study were twofold: first, to characterize the microbial populations found in riparian buffer zone soils; and second, to determine if microbial community structure could be linked to denitrification enzyme activity (DEA). To achieve these objectives, we investigated the microbial populations of a riparian buffer zone located downslope of a pasture irrigated with swine lagoon effluent, utilizing DNA sequencing of the 16S rDNA, DEA, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of the denitrification genes nirK, nirS, and nosZ. Clone libraries of the 16S rDNA gene were generated from each of twelve sites across the riparian buffer with a total of 986 partial sequences grouped into 654 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The Proteobacteria were the dominant group (49.8% of all OTUs), with the Acidobacteria also well represented (19.57% of all OTUs). Analysis of qPCR results identified spatial relationships between soil series, site location, and gene abundance, which could be used to infer both incomplete and total DEA rates.

Multi-temporal monitoring of a regional riparian buffer network (>12,000 km) with LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds.

PubMed

Michez, Adrien; Piégay, Hervé; Lejeune, Philippe; Claessens, Hugues

2017-11-01

Riparian buffers are of major concern for land and water resource managers despite their relatively low spatial coverage. In Europe, this concern has been acknowledged by different environmental directives which recommend multi-scale monitoring (from local to regional scales). Remote sensing methods could be a cost-effective alternative to field-based monitoring, to build replicable "wall-to-wall" monitoring strategies of large river networks and associated riparian buffers. The main goal of our study is to extract and analyze various parameters of the riparian buffers of up to 12,000 km of river in southern Belgium (Wallonia) from three-dimensional (3D) point clouds based on LiDAR and photogrammetric surveys to i) map riparian buffers parameters on different scales, ii) interpret the regional patterns of the riparian buffers and iii) propose new riparian buffer management indicators. We propose different strategies to synthesize and visualize relevant information at different spatial scales ranging from local (<10 km) to regional scale (>12,000 km). Our results showed that the selected parameters had a clear regional pattern. The reaches of Ardenne ecoregion have channels with the highest flow widths and shallowest depths. In contrast, the reaches of the Loam ecoregion have the narrowest and deepest flow channels. Regional variability in channel width and depth is used to locate management units potentially affected by human impact. Riparian forest of the Loam ecoregion is characterized by the lowest longitudinal continuity and mean tree height, underlining significant human disturbance. As the availability of 3D point clouds at the regional scale is constantly growing, our study proposes reproducible methods which can be integrated into regional monitoring by land managers. With LiDAR still being relatively expensive to acquire, the use of photogrammetric point clouds combined with LiDAR data is a cost-effective means to update the characterization of the riparian forest conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reconnecting tile drainage to riparian buffer hydrology for enhanced nitrate removal.

PubMed

Jaynes, D B; Isenhart, T M

2014-03-01

Riparian buffers are a proven practice for removing NO from overland flow and shallow groundwater. However, in landscapes with artificial subsurface (tile) drainage, most of the subsurface flow leaving fields is passed through the buffers in drainage pipes, leaving little opportunity for NO removal. We investigated the feasibility of re-routing a fraction of field tile drainage as subsurface flow through a riparian buffer for increasing NO removal. We intercepted an existing field tile outlet draining a 10.1-ha area of a row-cropped field in central Iowa and re-routed a fraction of the discharge as subsurface flow along 335 m of an existing riparian buffer. Tile drainage from the field was infiltrated through a perforated pipe installed 75 cm below the surface by maintaining a constant head in the pipe at a control box installed in-line with the existing field outlet. During 2 yr, >18,000 m (55%) of the total flow from the tile outlet was redirected as infiltration within the riparian buffer. The redirected water seeped through the 60-m-wide buffer, raising the water table approximately 35 cm. The redirected tile flow contained 228 kg of NO. On the basis of the strong decrease in NO concentrations within the shallow groundwater across the buffer, we hypothesize that the NO did not enter the stream but was removed within the buffer by plant uptake, microbial immobilization, or denitrification. Redirecting tile drainage as subsurface flow through a riparian buffer increased its NO removal benefit and is a promising management practice to improve surface water quality within tile-drained landscapes. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Identifying Riparian Buffer Effects on Stream 1 Nitrogen in Southeastern Coastal Plain Watersheds

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian areas have long demonstrated their ability to attenuate nutrients and sediments from agricultural runoff at the field scale; however, to inform effective nutrient management choices, the impact of riparian buffers on water quality services must be assessed at watershed s...

Soil water nitrate concentrations in giant cane and forest riparian buffer zones

Treesearch

Jon E. Schoonover; Karl W. J. Williard; James J. Zaczek; Jean C. Mangun; Andrew D. Carver

2003-01-01

Soil water nitrate concentrations in giant cane and forest riparian buffer zones along Cypress Creek in southern Illinois were compared to determine if the riparian zones were sources or sinks for nitrogen in the rooting zone. Suction lysimeters were used to collect soil water samples from the lower rooting zone in each of the two vegetation types. The cane riparian...

A comparison of alternative strategies for cost-effective water quality management in lakes.

PubMed

Kramer, Daniel Boyd; Polasky, Stephen; Starfield, Anthony; Palik, Brian; Westphal, Lynne; Snyder, Stephanie; Jakes, Pamela; Hudson, Rachel; Gustafson, Eric

2006-09-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to determine whether septic upgrades or riparian buffers are a more cost-effective strategy to meet a phosphorus reduction target. We find that riparian buffers are the more cost-effective strategy in every case but one. Large transaction costs associated with the negotiation and monitoring of riparian buffers, however, may be prohibiting lake residents from implementing the most cost-effective strategy.

A Comparison of Alternative Strategies for Cost-Effective Water Quality Management in Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, Daniel Boyd; Polasky, Stephen; Starfield, Anthony; Palik, Brian; Westphal, Lynne; Snyder, Stephanie; Jakes, Pamela; Hudson, Rachel; Gustafson, Eric

2006-09-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to determine whether septic upgrades or riparian buffers are a more cost-effective strategy to meet a phosphorus reduction target. We find that riparian buffers are the more cost-effective strategy in every case but one. Large transaction costs associated with the negotiation and monitoring of riparian buffers, however, may be prohibiting lake residents from implementing the most cost-effective strategy.

Identifying riparian zones appropriate for installation of saturated buffers: A multi-watershed assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Saturated riparian buffers are a new type of conservation practice that divert a portion of subsurface tile drainage from discharge to surface water into distribution pipes that discharge tile water into riparian soils. This enables natural processes of biological uptake and denitrification to decre...

Riparian buffer strips as a multifunctional management tool in agricultural landscapes: introduction.

PubMed

Stutter, Marc I; Chardon, Wim J; Kronvang, Brian

2012-01-01

Catchment riparian areas are considered key zones to target mitigation measures aimed at interrupting the movement of diffuse substances from agricultural land to surface waters. Hence, unfertilized buffer strips have become a widely studied and implemented "edge of field" mitigation measure assumed to provide an effective physical barrier against nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sediment transfer. To ease the legislative process, these buffers are often narrow mandatory strips along streams and rivers, across different riparian soil water conditions, between bordering land uses of differing pollution burdens, and without prescribed buffer management. It would be easy to criticize such regulation for not providing the opportunity for riparian ecosystems to maximize their provision for a wider range of ecosystem goods and services. The scientific basis for judging the best course of action in designing and placing buffers to enhance their multifunctionality has slowly increased over the last five years. This collection of papers aims to add to this body of knowledge by giving examples of studies related to riparian buffer management and assessment throughout Europe. This introductory paper summarizes discussion sessions and 13 selected papers from a workshop held in Ballater, UK, highlighting research on riparian buffers brought together under the EU COST Action 869 knowledge exchange program. The themes addressed are (i) evidence of catchment- to national-scale effectiveness, (ii) ecological functioning linking terrestrial and aquatic habitats, (iii) modeling tools for assessment of effectiveness and costs, and (iv) process understanding enabling management and manipulation to enhance pollutant retention in buffers. The combined understanding led us to consider four principle key questions to challenge buffer strip research and policy. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Riparian buffer and density management influences on microclimate of young headwater forests of Western Oregon.

Treesearch

Paul D. Anderson; David J. Larson; Samuel S. Chan

2007-01-01

Thinning of 30- to 70-year-old Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) stands is a common silvicultural activity on federal forest lands of the Pacific Northwest, United States. Empirical relationships among riparian functions, silvicultural treatments, and different riparian buffer widths are not well documented for small headwater...

Variable Width Riparian Model Enhances Landscape and Watershed Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abood, S. A.; Spencer, L.

2017-12-01

Riparian areas are ecotones that represent about 1% of USFS administered landscape and contribute to numerous valuable ecosystem functions such as wildlife habitat, stream water quality and flows, bank stability and protection against erosion, and values related to diversity, aesthetics and recreation. Riparian zones capture the transitional area between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with specific vegetation and soil characteristics which provide critical values/functions and are very responsive to changes in land management activities and uses. Two staff areas at the US Forest Service have coordinated on a two phase project to support the National Forests in their planning revision efforts and to address rangeland riparian business needs at the Forest Plan and Allotment Management Plan levels. The first part of the project will include a national fine scale (USGS HUC-12 digits watersheds) inventory of riparian areas on National Forest Service lands in western United States with riparian land cover, utilizing GIS capabilities and open source geospatial data. The second part of the project will include the application of riparian land cover change and assessment based on selected indicators to assess and monitor riparian areas on annual/5-year cycle basis.This approach recognizes the dynamic and transitional nature of riparian areas by accounting for hydrologic, geomorphic and vegetation data as inputs into the delineation process. The results suggest that incorporating functional variable width riparian mapping within watershed management planning can improve riparian protection and restoration. The application of Riparian Buffer Delineation Model (RBDM) approach can provide the agency Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) with observed riparian area condition on an annual basis and on multiple scales. The use of this model to map moderate to low gradient systems of sufficient width in conjunction with an understanding of the influence of distinctive landscape settings (landtype associations as employed in the USFS Terrestrial Condition Assessment) on finer lower order stream characteristics and patterns presents much promise.

A Review of Effectiveness of Vegetative Buffers on Sediment Trapping in Agricultural Areas

EPA Science Inventory

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of riparian buffers between agricultural fields and waterbodies. Riparian buffers play an important role in mitigating the impacts of land use activities on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. However, eval...

Stream Community Structure: An Analysis of Riparian Forest Buffer Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orzetti, L. L.; Jones, R. C.

2005-05-01

Forested riparian buffer zones have been proposed as an important aid in curtailing upland sources of pollution before they reach stream surface waters, and enhancing habitat for stream organisms. Our objective was to test the efficacy of restored forest riparian buffers along streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by examining the stream macrobenthic community structure. To test our hypothesis, we collected riffle benthic and water samples, and performed habitat evaluations at 30 stream sites in the mid-Atlantic Piedmont, ranging in buffer age from 0 to greater than 50 years of age. Results showed that habitat, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrate metrics improved with age of restored buffer. Habitat scores were driven mostly by instream substrate availability and width and age of riparian buffer zones. Water quality parameters varied within buffer age groups depending age of surrounding forest vegetation. Benthic invertebrate taxa richness, % EPT, % Plecoptera, % Ephemeroptera, and the FBI all improved with age of buffer zone. Instream habitat quality was the greatest driver of benthic macroinvertebrate community diversity and health, and appeared to plateau within 10-15 years of restoration with noticeable improvements occurring within 5-10 years post restoration.

Comparison of riparian plant communities under four land management systems in southwestern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paine, L.K.; Ribic, C.A.

2002-01-01

Riparian plant community composition is influenced by moisture, erosion, original native plant communities, and current and past land use. This study compared riparian plant communities under four types of management: woody buffer strip, grassy buffer strip, rotational grazing, and continuous grazing. Study sites were located along spring-fed streams in the unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin, USA. At each site, plant community surveys were conducted using a point transect method. Among the treatments, woody buffer strips, rotationally grazed and continuously grazed riparian areas had greater plant species richness than grassy buffer strips, and woody buffer strips had the greatest native plant species richness. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was prevalent in grassy buffer strips (44% of all observations), common in woody buffer strips (15%), and rare in sites that were rotationally or continuously grazed (3 and 5%, respectively). Pasture sites had greater proportions of native grasses and grass relatives and moderate levels of overall native species richness. Considered a water quality best management practice, well-managed rotational grazing may be a reasonable alternative to buffer strips which can contribute to protection and enhancement of native vegetation biodiversity. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Placement of riparian forest buffers to improve water quality

Treesearch

Mark D. Tomer; Michael G. Dosskey; Michael R. Burkart; David E. James; Matthew J. Helmers; Dean E. Eisenhauer

2005-01-01

Riparian forest buffers can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, hydrology, and surficial geology detemine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping...

Introduction to the featured collection on riparian ecosystems and buffers

Treesearch

Paul M. Mayer; Albert H. Todd; Judith A. Okay; Kathleen A. Dwire

2010-01-01

Riparian ecosystems, located at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic systems, are often given special attention by scientists for their high biodiversity and biological activity (Naiman et al., 1993; Naiman and Decamps, 1997) and significant role in nutrient and energy flux (McClain et al., 2003). Riparian ecosystems are known to buffer environmental impacts and...

Wheeler County Riparian Buffers; 2003-2004 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Homer, Will

2006-01-01

Number of Contacts Made--I have contacted 35 landowners in Wheeler County. Of the 35 contacts 12 have resulted in meeting on their property to discuss available options. Included an article in the Annual Report and Wheeler SWCD newsletter mailed to 550 landowners. Contacts are primarily through networking with others here in the office as well as working closely with the NRCS office. Number of Contracts Negotiated--This Project has produced five riparian buffers within the past contract year. Each has greater meaning to the landowner than simply a buffer. In most cases the buffer is providing the landowner with improved grazingmore » management and/or more reliable water source for livestock. Landowners also feel the enhanced wildlife habitat is a bonus to the program. Other Accomplishments--I took part in the John Day Subbasin Planning process and was able to offer assistance into the inventory items related to Wheeler County. I was often the only local representative able to attend the meetings. I assisted the Wheeler SWCD in writing a successful OWEB grant to remove 110 acres of junipers for watershed restoration, range rehabilitation, and economic development. One partner in the project is a manufacturer that uses juniper as their primary construction material. The goal is to create a pilot project that may grow into a self sustaining industry within the county. I also assisted in writing a small grant to improve water usage in the Muddy Creek watershed. I assisted with the Pine Creek Conservation Area ''Twilight Tour'' as well as the Wheeler SWCD ''Annual Meeting and Dinner''. Both events were successful in getting information out about our riparian buffer program. Facilitate office training and utilization of advanced GIS technology and mapping. Problems Encountered During Contract Year--The NRCS Cultural Resources Review process has ground to a halt. It is takes 6 months to get initial results from the Portland offices. Nearly all requests require site surveys that delay the process even further. The Farm Services Agency is not user friendly when it comes to the CREP program. The program has not been designed to fit everyone along a steelhead stream. Crop/Field designations often negate or complicate CREP eligibility along qualifying streams. I spend a great deal of time mediating between FSA and the landowner. I have lost one interested landowner specifically to the fears related to the Oregon Department of State Lands ''Navigability'' study. Outlook for Contract Year 3--I am currently working on a project area that will encompass nearly six miles of steelhead habitat. It is located in the critical Bridge Creek watershed. Another is nearly three miles in the Mountain Creek Watershed. Both projects will take great steps in improving fish habitat. Both are on Steelhead streams. Further out I am working with two landowners for projects in the Butte Creek watershed that will be highly visible and will likely gain the attention of many more landowners. Like all previous projects, there is a great deal of work in future projects in massaging the landowner into feeling comfortable with the riparian buffer program. The potential to do great things with this program is huge in Wheeler County. Continuing outreach and education efforts will help the process.« less

Breeding Bird Community Continues to Colonize Riparian Buffers Ten Years after Harvest

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Riparian ecosystems integrate aquatic and terrestrial communities and often contain unique assemblages of flora and fauna. Retention of forested buffers along riparian habitats is a commonly employed practice to reduce potential negative effects of land use on aquatic systems. However, very few studies have examined long-term population and community responses to buffers, leading to considerable uncertainty about effectiveness of this practice for achieving conservation and management outcomes. We examined short- (1–2 years) and long-term (~10 years) avian community responses (occupancy and abundance) to riparian buffer prescriptions to clearcut logging silvicultural practices in the Pacific Northwest USA. We used a Before-After-Control-Impact experimental approach and temporally replicated point counts analyzed within a Bayesian framework. Our experimental design consisted of forested control sites with no harvest, sites with relatively narrow (~13m) forested buffers on each side of the stream, and sites with wider (~30m) and more variable width unharvested buffer. Buffer treatments exhibited a 31–44% increase in mean species richness in the post-harvest years, a pattern most evident 10 years post-harvest. Post-harvest, species turnover was much higher on both treatments (63–74%) relative to the controls (29%). We did not find evidence of local extinction for any species but found strong evidence (no overlap in 95% credible intervals) for an increase in site occupancy on both Narrow (short-term: 7%; long-term 29%) and Wide buffers (short-term: 21%; long-term 93%) relative to controls after harvest. We did not find a treatment effect on total avian abundance. When assessing relationships between buffer width and site level abundance of four riparian specialists, we did not find strong evidence of reduced abundance in Narrow or Wide buffers. Silviculture regulations in this region dictate average buffer widths on small and large permanent streams that range from ~22–25 m. Guidelines for this region are within the range of buffers included in our study, in which we observed no evidence for avian species loss or for a decline in species abundance (including riparian associated species). PMID:26637120

Methods to prioritize placement of riparian buffers for improved water quality

Treesearch

Mark D. Tomer; Michael G. Dosskey; Michael R. Burkart; David E. James; Matthew J. Helmers; Dean E. Eisenhauer

2008-01-01

Agroforestry buffers in riparian zones can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, surficial geology, and hydrology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes two landscape analysis techniques for identifying...

Effects of riparian buffers on hydrology of northern seasonal ponds

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; Brian J. Palik; Daniel P. Tersteeg; James C. Bell

2011-01-01

Although seasonal ponds are common in northern, glaciated, forested landscapes, forest management guidelines are generally lacking for these systems. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of riparian buffer type on seasonal pond hydrology following harvest of the adjacent upland forest. A replicated block design consisting of four buffer treatments...

Effectiveness of conservation reserve program buffers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: 2017 annual report

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Riparian buffers play an important role in watershed strategies to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, with over 20,000 riparian buffers implemented in the Chesapeake Bay watershed under USDA’S Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). This annual report documents an on-going, multi-agency effort to...

Thinning and riparian buffer configuration effects on down wood abundance in headwater streams in coniferous forests

Treesearch

Adrian Ares; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2013-01-01

Down wood is associated with the function, structure, and diversity of riparian systems. Considerable knowledge has been generated regarding down wood stocks and dynamics in temperate forests, but there are few studies on effects of silvicultural practices and riparian buffer design on down wood, particularly in headwater streams. We analyzed interactive eff ects of...

The transition from riparian to upland forest plant communities on headwater streams in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, United States

Treesearch

Christopher R. Dolanc; Carolyn T. Hunsaker

2017-01-01

Abstract. Fixed-width buffer zones on rivers and streams are designed to protect the diverse riparian community and its important function in the ecosystem. However, recent data suggest that riparian areas of some western forests have become more fire prone because of restrictions on fuel reduction treatments within buffer zones....

Using physical parameters and geographic information system analyses to predict potential riparian restoration sites for giant cane in southern Illinois

Treesearch

Amanda M. Nelson; Timothy J. Stoebner; Jon E. Schoonover; Karl W.J. Williard

2014-01-01

Riparian buffers have been widely advocated as a best management practice for improving stream and lake water quality. Giant cane (Arundinaria gigantean) is a good candidate to include in multispecies riparian buffers designs, as it promotes infiltration of surface runoff and deposition of sediment and associated nutrients. To examine the potential...

Responses to riparian restoration in the Spring Creek watershed, Central Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carline, R.F.; Walsh, M.C.

2007-01-01

Riparian treatments, consisting of 3- to 4-m buffer strips, stream bank stabilization, and rock-lined stream crossings, were installed in two streams with livestock grazing to reduce sediment loading and stream bank erosion. Cedar Run and Slab Cabin Run, the treatment streams, and Spring Creek, an adjacent reference stream without riparian grazing, were monitored prior to (1991-1992) and 3-5 years after (2001-2003) riparian buffer installation to assess channel morphology, stream substrate composition, suspended sediments, and macroinvertebrate communities. Few changes were found in channel widths and depths, but channel-structuring flow events were rare in the drought period after restoration. Stream bank vegetation increased from 50% or less to 100% in nearly all formerly grazed riparian buffers. The proportion of fine sediments in stream substrates decreased in Cedar Run but not in Slab Cabin Run. After riparian treatments, suspended sediments during base flow and storm flow decreased 47-87% in both streams. Macroinvertebrate diversity did not improve after restoration in either treated stream. Relative to Spring Creek, macroinvertebrate densities increased in both treated streams by the end of the posttreatment sampling period. Despite drought conditions that may have altered physical and biological effects of riparian treatments, goals of the riparian restoration to minimize erosion and sedimentation were met. A relatively narrow grass buffer along 2.4 km of each stream was effective in improving water quality, stream substrates, and some biological metrics. ?? 2007 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Do Riparian Buffers Protect Stream Invertebrate Communities in South American Atlantic Forest Agricultural Areas?

PubMed

Hunt, L; Marrochi, N; Bonetto, C; Liess, M; Buss, D F; Vieira da Silva, C; Chiu, M-C; Resh, V H

2017-12-01

We investigated the influence and relative importance of insecticides and other agricultural stressors in determining variability in invertebrate communities in small streams in intensive soy-production regions of Brazil and Paraguay. In Paraguay we sampled 17 sites on tributaries of the Pirapó River in the state of Itapúa and in Brazil we sampled 18 sites on tributaries of the San Francisco River in the state of Paraná. The riparian buffer zones generally contained native Atlantic forest remnants and/or introduced tree species at various stages of growth. In Brazil the stream buffer width was negatively correlated with sediment insecticide concentrations and buffer width was found to have moderate importance in mitigating effects on some sensitive taxa such as mayflies. However, in both regions insecticides had low relative importance in explaining variability in invertebrate communities, while various habitat parameters were more important. In Brazil, the percent coverage of soft depositional sediment in streams was the most important agriculture-related explanatory variable, and the overall stream-habitat score was the most important variable in Paraguay streams. Paraguay and Brazil both have laws requiring forested riparian buffers. The ample forested riparian buffer zones typical of streams in these regions are likely to have mitigated the effects of pesticides on stream invertebrate communities. This study provides evidence that riparian buffer regulations in the Atlantic Forest region are protecting stream ecosystems from pesticides and other agricultural stressors. Further studies are needed to determine the minimum buffer widths necessary to achieve optimal protection.

RESEARCH SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF RIPARIAN BUFFERS FOR AQUATIC HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

Issue: Excess nitrogen from fertilizer, septic tanks, animal feedlots, and runoff from pavement can threaten aquatic ecosystem health. Riparian buffers -- the vegetated region adjacent to streams and wetlands -- are thought to be effective at intercepting and controlling excess ...

Enhanced transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection in a humid temperate agricultural landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hernandez-Santana, V.; Asbjornsen, H.; Sauer, T.; Isenhart, T.; Schilling, K.; Schultz, Ronald

2011-01-01

Riparian buffers are designed as management practices to increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff and transport of sediment and nonpoint source pollutants from crop fields to adjacent streams. Achieving these ecosystem service goals depends, in part, on their ability to remove water from the soil via transpiration. In these systems, edges between crop fields and trees of the buffer systems can create advection processes, which could influence water use by trees. We conducted a field study in a riparian buffer system established in 1994 under a humid temperate climate, located in the Corn Belt region of the Midwestern U.S. (Iowa). The goals were to estimate stand level transpiration by the riparian buffer, quantify the controls on water use by the buffer system, and determine to what extent advective energy and tree position within the buffer system influence individual tree transpiration rates. We primarily focused on the water use response (determined with the Heat Ratio Method) of one of the dominant species (Acer saccharinum) and a subdominant (Juglans nigra). A few individuals of three additional species (Quercus bicolor, Betula nigra, Platanus occidentalis) were monitored over a shorter time period to assess the generality of responses. Meteorological stations were installed along a transect across the riparian buffer to determine the microclimate conditions. The differences found among individuals were attributed to differences in species sap velocities and sapwood depths, location relative to the forest edge and prevailing winds and canopy exposure and dominance. Sapflow rates for A. saccharinum trees growing at the SE edge (prevailing winds) were 39% greater than SE interior trees and 30% and 69% greater than NW interior and edge trees, respectively. No transpiration enhancement due to edge effect was detected in the subdominant J. nigra. The results were interpreted as indicative of advection effects from the surrounding crops. Further, significant differences were document in sapflow rates between the five study species, suggesting that selection of species is important for enhancing specific riparian buffer functions. However, more information is needed on water use patterns among diverse species growing under different climatic and biophysical conditions to assist policy and management decisions regarding effective buffer design. ?? 2011.

Spatial Characterization of Riparian Buffer Effects on Sediment Loads from Watershed Systems

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding all watershed systems and their interactions is a complex, but critical, undertaking when developing practices designed to reduce topsoil loss and chemical/nutrient transport from agricultural fields. The presence of riparian buffer vegetation in agricultural lands...

EnviroAtlas - Paterson, NJ - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. EnviroAtlas defines tree buffer for this community as only trees and forest. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Paterson, NJ - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. EnviroAtlas defines vegetated buffer for this community as trees and forest and grass and herbaceous. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Riparian buffer design guidelines for water quality and wildlife habitat functions on agricultural landscapes in the Intermountain West: Appendix C

Treesearch

Susan Buffler

2008-01-01

Currently, there is no scientific literature examining appropriate riparian buffer widths for water quality for streams on private agriculturally dominated lands in arid regions of the Intermountain West. The initial step in this research effort was a review of buffer research as documented in the literature in other physiographic regions of the United States. Research...

Abundance of western red-backed salamanders (Plethodon vehiculum) in the Washington Coast Range after headwater stream-buffer manipulation

Treesearch

Randall J. Wilk; Jeffrey D. Ricklefs; Martin G. Raphael

2014-01-01

We evaluated the effect of forest riparian alternative tree buffer designs on Western Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon vehiculum) along headwater stream banks in managed forests of the Washington Coast Range. We used pit trap live removals in early autumn to estimate relative abundances of surface-active salamanders before and after 3 levels of riparian buffer...

Landowner interest in multifunctional agroforestry riparian buffers.

Treesearch

Katie Trozzo; John Munsell; James Chamberlain

2014-01-01

Adoption of temperate agroforestry practices generally remains limited despite considerable advances in basic science. This study builds on temperate agroforestry adoption research by empirically testing a statistical model of interest in native fruit and nut tree riparian buffers using technology and agroforestry adoption theory. Data...

EnviroAtlas - Tampa, FL - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Portland, OR - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area.This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (http:/www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Woodbine, Iowa - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area.This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Milwaukee, WI - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Fresno, CA - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Pittsburgh, PA - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Portland, OR - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (http:/www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Tampa, FL - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - New Bedford, MA - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Green Bay, WI - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

EnviroAtlas - Durham, NC - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

EnviroAtlas - Phoenix, AZ - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Green Bay, WI - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area.This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

EnviroAtlas - New Bedford, MA - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Woodbine, IA - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Fresno, CA - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area.This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Phoenix, AZ - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Portland, ME - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Portland, Maine - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Pittsburgh, PA - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Durham, NC - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

EnviroAtlas - Milwaukee, WI - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

A Combined Modeling Approach to Evaluate Water Quality Benefits of Riparian Buffers in the Jobos Bay Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Jobos Bay Watershed, located in south-central Puerto Rico, is a tropical Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Special Emphasis Watershed. The purpose of CEAP is to quantify environmental benefits of conservation practices and includes field and watershed modeling. In Jobos Bay, the goa...

RIPARIAN BUFFER WIDTH, VEGETATIVE COVER, AND NITROGEN REMOVAL EFFECTIVENESS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT SCIENCE AND REGULATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian zones, the vegetated region adjacent to streams and wetlands, are thought to be effective at intercepting and controlling nitrogen loads entering water bodies. Buffer width may be positively related to nitrogen removal efficiency by influencing nitrogen retention throug...

Connecting Seasonal Riparian Buffer Metrics and Nitrogen Concentrations in a Pulse-Driven Agricultural System

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian buffers have been well studied as best management practices for nutrient reduction at field scales yet their effectiveness for bettering water quality at watershed scales has been difficult to determine. Seasonal dynamics of the stream network are often overlooked when ...

Rapid Simultaneous Assessment of Riparian Shade and Buffer Width Using LiDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seixas, G.; Beechie, T. J.; Kiffney, P.

2016-12-01

Riparian buffers perform a number of functions including provision of shade and wood recruitment to forested streams. Shade is a primary control on stream water temperature and recruitment of large wood is essential for the maintenance of key biological functions such as salmon and invertebrate habitat. Because temperature is a limiting factor for riverine primary production, many aquatic invertebrates, and endangered salmonid species, and because riparian forest structure has been modified by management practices for decades in many of the world's watersheds, rapid assessment of riparian shade and wood recruitment potential is critical for restoration decision-making. We introduce a new automated LiDAR-based method that simultaneously measures two key metrics of riparian vegetation condition—`view-to-sky' openness of the canopy and buffer width. If the height of historical mature trees in the area of interest is known or can be assumed, a change in view-to-sky angle due to land uses may be calculated. We apply the method to portions of the Chehalis River basin in southwestern Washington State, USA, an area of extensive logging and agriculture. We find a high level of modification to view-to-sky angle has occurred in urban and agricultural areas of the basin, whereas riparian shade is maintained by buffers in some regions of active logging. Buffers composed of trees large enough for wood recruitment have all but been eradicated from the basin. Due to the method's simplicity, ease of application and focus on deviation from natural conditions, it has the potential to be used effectively for river restoration planning at the watershed scale.

The influence of partial timber harvesting in riparian buffers on macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams in Minnesota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chizinski, Christopher J.; Vondracek, Bruce C.; Blinn, Charles R.; Newman, Raymond M.; Atuke, Dickson M.; Fredricks, Keith; Hemstad, Nathaniel A.; Merten, Eric C.; Schlesser, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Relatively few evaluations of aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities have been published in peer-reviewed literature detailing the effect of varying residual basal area (RBA) after timber harvesting in riparian buffers. Our analysis investigated the effects of partial harvesting within riparian buffers on aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams from two experiments in northern Minnesota northern hardwood-aspen forests. Each experiment evaluated partial harvesting within riparian buffers. In both experiments, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected 1 year prior to harvest and in each of 3 years after harvest. We observed interannual variation for the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and taxon richness in the single-basin study and abundance and diversity in the multiple-basin study, but few effects related to harvest treatments in either study. However, interannual variation was not evident in the fish communities and we detected no significant changes in the stream fish communities associated with partially harvested riparian buffers in either study. This would suggest that timber harvesting in riparian management zones along reaches ≤200 m in length on both sides of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 12.4 ± 1.3 m2 ha−1 or on a single side of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 8.7 ± 1.6 m2 ha−1 may be adequate to protect macroinvertebrate and fish communities in our Minnesota study systems given these specific timber harvesting techniques.

How did fixed-width buffers become standard practice for protecting freshwaters and their riparian areas from forest harvest practices?

Treesearch

John S. Richardson; Robert J. Naiman; Peter A. Bisson

2012-01-01

Riparian buffers provide improved protection for water quality and biota, and narrow, fixed-width buffers of native vegetation along streams have been used to mitigate the effects of forest harvest at least since the 1960s. The practice of leaving unmanaged strips of vegetation along water courses in agricultural lands had been used before the 1960s in southern Europe...

Cost-benefit analysis of riparian protection in an eastern Canadian watershed.

PubMed

Trenholm, Ryan; Lantz, Van; Martínez-Espiñeira, Roberto; Little, Shawn

2013-02-15

Forested riparian buffers have proved to be an effective management practice that helps maintain ecological goods and services in watersheds. In this study, we assessed the non-market benefits and opportunity costs associated with implementing these buffers in an eastern Canadian watershed using contingent valuation and wood supply modeling methods, respectively. A number of buffer scenarios were considered, including 30 and 60 m buffers on woodlots and on all land (including woodlots, agricultural, and residential lands) in the watershed. Household annual WTP estimates ranged from -$6.80 to $42.85, and total present value benefits ranged from -$11.7 to $121.7 million (CDN 2007), depending on the buffer scenario, affected population, time horizon, and econometric modeling assumptions considered. Opportunity cost estimates range from $1.3 to $10.4 million in present value terms, depending on silvicultural and agriculture land rental rate assumptions. Overall, we found that the net present value of riparian buffers was positive for the majority of scenarios and assumptions. Some exceptions were found under more conservative benefit, and higher unit cost, assumptions. These results provide decision makers with data on stated benefits and opportunity costs of riparian buffers, as well as insight into the importance of modeling assumptions when using this framework of analysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of thinning on transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection and solar radiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advective energy occurring in edge environments may increase tree water use. In humid agricultural landscapes, advection-enhanced transpiration in riparian buffers may provide hydrologic regulation; however, research in humid environments is lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine ho...

Effects of thinning on transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection and solar radiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advective energy occurring in edge environments may increase tree water use (e.g., latent heat loss, LE > net radiation, Rn). In humid agricultural landscapes, advection-enhanced transpiration in riparian buffers may provide hydrologic regulation and flood control benefits; however, research in humi...

Defining Steamside Management Zones or Riparian Buffers

Treesearch

Thomas M. Williams; Donald J. Lipscomb; Christopher J. Post

2004-01-01

Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been highly successful in protecting water quality throughout the Southeast. Numerous studies have found them to be effective in protecting water quality. Despite being mostly voluntary, compliance is generally about 90 percent across the region. Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) or riparian buffers are specified for...

RIPARIAN BUFFER WIDTH, VEGETATIVE COVER, AND NITROGEN REMOVAL EFFECTIVENESS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT SCIENCE AND REGULATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian zones, the vegetated region adjacent to streams and wetlands, are thought to be effective at intercepting and controlling nitrogen loads entering water bodies. Buffer width may be related to nitrogen removal efficiency by influencing nitrogen retention through plant seq...

Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Riparian Forest Buffers, Warm-Season and Cool-Season Grass Filters, and Crop Fields

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing denitrification rates in riparian buffers may be trading the problem of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of surface waters for atmospheric deterioration and increased global warming potential because denitrification produces nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas also involved in stratosphe...

National Forest Health Monitoring Program Maryland and Massachusetts Street Tree Monitoring Pilot Projects

Treesearch

Buckelew Cumming Anne; Daniel Twardus; William Smith

2006-01-01

Urban forests have many components: park trees, small woodlands, riparian buffers, street trees, and others. While some communities conduct city-wide inventories of street tree populations, there has been no comprehensive, statewide sampling to characterize the structure, health, and function of street tree populations. A statewide Street Tree Monitoring pilot study...

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - 15m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 15-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. Vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest and Grass & Herbaceous. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - 15m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 15-m riparian buffer that is forested. Forest is defined as Trees & Forest. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Des Moines, IA - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. Vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest and Grass & Herbaceous. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://enviroatlas.epa.gov/EnviroAtlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

EnviroAtlas - New York, NY - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. In this community, vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest and Grass & Herbaceous. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. Vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest and Grass & Herbaceous. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. In this community, forest is defined as Trees and Forest and Woody Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Cleveland, OH - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. In this community, forest is defined as Trees & Forest and Woody Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

EnviroAtlas - New York, NY - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. In this community, forest is defined as Trees & Forest. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

EnviroAtlas - Memphis, TN - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. Vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest, Grass & Herbaceous, Woody Wetlands, and Emergent Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Cleveland, OH - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. In this community, vegetated cover is defined as Trees & Forest, Grass & Herbaceous, Woody Wetlands, and Emergent Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. Forest is defined as Trees & Forest. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Memphis, TN - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. Forest is defined as Trees & Forest and Woody Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

EnviroAtlas - Des Moines, IA - 51m Riparian Buffer Forest Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is forested. Forest is defined as Trees & Forest. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less forested. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://enviroatlas.epa.gov/EnviroAtlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets)

Effects of riparian timber harvesting on instream habitat and fish assemblages in northern Minnesota streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chizinski, Christopher J.; Vondracek, Bruce C.; Blinn, Charles R.; Newman, Raymond M.; Atuke, Dickson M.; Fredricks, Keith; Hemstad, Nathaniel A.; Merten, Eric; Schlesser, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Relatively few evaluations of aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities have been published in peer-reviewed literature detailing the effect of varying residual basal area (RBA) after timber harvesting in riparian buffers. Our analysis investigated the effects of partial harvesting within riparian buffers on aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams from two experiments in northern Minnesota northern hardwood-aspen forests. Each experiment evaluated partial harvesting within riparian buffers. In both experiments, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected 1 year prior to harvest and in each of 3 years after harvest. We observed interannual variation for the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and taxon richness in the single-basin study and abundance and diversity in the multiple-basin study, but few effects related to harvest treatments in either study. However, interannual variation was not evident in the fish communities and we detected no significant changes in the stream fish communities associated with partially harvested riparian buffers in either study. This would suggest that timber harvesting in riparian management zones along reaches ≤200 m in length on both sides of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 12.4 ± 1.3 m2 ha−1 or on a single side of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 8.7 ± 1.6 m2 ha−1 may be adequate to protect macroinvertebrate and fish communities in our Minnesota study systems given these specific timber harvesting techniques.

Hiawatha National Forest Riparian Inventory: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abood, S. A.

2014-12-01

Riparian areas are dynamic, transitional ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with well-defined vegetation and soil characteristics. Riparian areas offers wildlife habitat and stream water quality, offers bank stability and protects against erosions, provides aesthetics and recreational value, and other numerous valuable ecosystem functions. Quantifying and delineating riparian areas is an essential step in riparian monitoring, riparian management/planning and policy decisions, and in preserving its valuable ecological functions. Previous approaches to riparian areas mapping have primarily utilized fixed width buffers. However, these methodologies only take the watercourse into consideration and ignore critical geomorphology, associated vegetation and soil characteristics. Other approaches utilize remote sensing technologies such as aerial photos interpretation or satellite imagery riparian vegetation classification. Such techniques requires expert knowledge, high spatial resolution data, and expensive when mapping riparian areas on a landscape scale. The goal of this study is to develop a cost effective robust workflow to consistently map the geographic extent and composition of riparian areas within the Hiawatha National Forest boundary utilizing the Riparian Buffer Delineation Model (RBDM) v3.0 and open source geospatial data. This approach recognizes the dynamic and transitional natures of riparian areas by accounting for hydrologic, geomorphic and vegetation data as inputs into the delineation process and the results would suggests incorporating functional variable width riparian mapping within watershed management planning to improve protection and restoration of valuable riparian functionality and biodiversity.

Using Aerial Photography to Estimate Riparian Zone Impacts in a Rapidly Developing River Corridor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owers, Katharine A.; Albanese, Brett; Litts, Thomas

2012-03-01

Riparian zones are critical for protecting water quality and wildlife, but are often impacted by human activities. Ongoing threats and uncertainty about the effectiveness of buffer regulations emphasize the importance of monitoring riparian buffers through time. We developed a method to rapidly categorize buffer width and landuse attributes using 2007 leaf-on aerial photography and applied it to a 65 km section of the Toccoa River in north Georgia. We repeated our protocol using 1999 leaf-off aerial photographs to assess the utility of our approach for monitoring. Almost half (45%) of the length of the Toccoa River was bordered by buffers less than 50 ft wide in 2007, with agricultural and built-up lands having the smallest buffers. The percentage of river length in each buffer width category changed little between 1999 and 2007, but we did detect a 5% decrease in agricultural land use, a corresponding increase in built-up land use, and an additional 149 buildings within 100 ft of the river. Field verification indicated that our method overestimated buffer widths and forested land use and underestimated built-up land use and the number of buildings within 100 ft of the river. Our methodology can be used to rapidly assess the status of riparian buffers. Including supplemental data (e.g., leaf-off imagery, road layers) will allow detection of the fine-scale impacts underestimated in our study. Our results on the Toccoa River reflect historic impacts, exemptions and variances to regulations, and the ongoing threat of vacation home development. We recommend additional monitoring, improvements in policy, and efforts to increase voluntary protection and restoration of stream buffers.

Using aerial photography to estimate riparian zone impacts in a rapidly developing river corridor.

PubMed

Owers, Katharine A; Albanese, Brett; Litts, Thomas

2012-03-01

Riparian zones are critical for protecting water quality and wildlife, but are often impacted by human activities. Ongoing threats and uncertainty about the effectiveness of buffer regulations emphasize the importance of monitoring riparian buffers through time. We developed a method to rapidly categorize buffer width and landuse attributes using 2007 leaf-on aerial photography and applied it to a 65 km section of the Toccoa River in north Georgia. We repeated our protocol using 1999 leaf-off aerial photographs to assess the utility of our approach for monitoring. Almost half (45%) of the length of the Toccoa River was bordered by buffers less than 50 ft wide in 2007, with agricultural and built-up lands having the smallest buffers. The percentage of river length in each buffer width category changed little between 1999 and 2007, but we did detect a 5% decrease in agricultural land use, a corresponding increase in built-up land use, and an additional 149 buildings within 100 ft of the river. Field verification indicated that our method overestimated buffer widths and forested land use and underestimated built-up land use and the number of buildings within 100 ft of the river. Our methodology can be used to rapidly assess the status of riparian buffers. Including supplemental data (e.g., leaf-off imagery, road layers) will allow detection of the fine-scale impacts underestimated in our study. Our results on the Toccoa River reflect historic impacts, exemptions and variances to regulations, and the ongoing threat of vacation home development. We recommend additional monitoring, improvements in policy, and efforts to increase voluntary protection and restoration of stream buffers.

The Role of Legacy Effects and Reactive Amendments on Phosphorus Retention Within Riparian Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surridge, B.; Habibiandehkordi, R.; Quinton, J.

2014-12-01

Undisturbed riparian zones, including river floodplains and field buffer strips, can significantly reduce phosphorus (P) export associated with agricultural production. However, riparian zones are frequently disturbed, including through conversion to agricultural land. Restoring disturbed riparian zones is promoted widely within agri-environment schemes. However, restoration presents significant challenges, two of which are considered in this paper: understanding the impacts of restoration on legacy P within riparian zone soils; and maximising the efficacy of riparian zones for removal of all P fractions, including the more immediately bioavailable soluble P fractions. Firstly, we examine changes in porewater soluble P concentration following re-wetting of a river floodplain in Norfolk, UK, using laboratory mesocosms and in-situ field monitoring. Substantial release of P from sediment to porewater was observed following re-wetting (porewater soluble P concentration exceeded 6.5 mg P L-1), probably associated with reductive-dissolution of iron-bound P within floodplain sediments. Export of soluble P from porewater into adjacent receiving waters was observed following both natural hydrological events and management of the hydrological regime within the floodplain. Secondly, we examine how retention of soluble P with grass buffer strips can be enhanced through application of reactive industrial by-products, focussing on ochre and aluminium-based water treatment residuals. Application of these by-products to buffer strips increased removal of soluble P from surface runoff by over 50% compared to non-amended buffer strips. The long-term effectiveness of reactive amendments is also considered, using repeated runoff events under field conditions. Taken together, the research offers new insights into riparian zone P biogeochemistry within agricultural landscapes.

Width of riparian buffer and structure of adjacent plantations influence occupancy of conservation priority birds

Treesearch

Roger W. Perry; T. Bently Wigley; M. Anthony Melchiors; Ronald E. Thill; Philip A. Tappe; Darren A. Miller

2011-01-01

Conservation of biodiversity on forest landscapes dominated by plantations has become an increasingly important topic, and opportunities to maintain or enhance biodiversity within these forests need to be recognized and applied. Riparian buffers of mature forest retained along streams in managed forest landscapes offer an opportunity to enhance biodiversity across...

Riparian-associated gastropods in western Washington: community composition and the effects of forest management

Treesearch

Alex D. Foster; Joan Ziegltrum

2013-01-01

We evaluated the abundance of riparian gastropod communities along headwater streams and their response to logging in southwestern Washington State. Terrestrial mollusks near logged streams with ~15 m fixed-width buffers were compared to logged streams with no buffers and to unlogged controls. Mollusk communities varied among sites relative to vegetative composition,...

Density management and riparian buffer study in Western Oregon: Phase 1 results, launch of phase 2 [brochure

Treesearch

Rhonda Mazza

2009-01-01

Can we expedite the development of late-successional forest conditions by applying thinning treatments to young forest stands? What effect will these thinning treatments have on headwater ecosystems? These broad questions lie at the foundation of the Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study (DMS) of western Oregon.

Assessing critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer planning and riparian restoration.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2009-11-01

A science-based geographic information system (GIS) approach is presented to target critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer placement. Critical source areas are the intersection of hydrologically sensitive areas and pollutant source areas in watersheds. Hydrologically sensitive areas are areas that actively generate runoff in the watershed and are derived using a modified topographic index approach based on variable source area hydrology. Pollutant source areas are the areas in watersheds that are actively and intensively used for such activities as agricultural production. The method is applied to the Neshanic River watershed in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The capacity of the topographic index in predicting the spatial pattern of runoff generation and the runoff contribution to stream flow in the watershed is evaluated. A simple cost-effectiveness assessment is conducted to compare the conservation buffer placement scenario based on this GIS method to conventional riparian buffer scenarios for placing conservation buffers in agricultural lands in the watershed. The results show that the topographic index reasonably predicts the runoff generation in the watershed. The GIS-based conservation buffer scenario appears to be more cost-effective than the conventional riparian buffer scenarios.

Development and Application of Flow Duration Curves for Stream Restoration

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

hydrograph (TNC 2009). Colorado State University’s GeoTools offers an FDC computation focusing on the geomorphic implications of hydrology (Bledsoe...processes • Assessment of changes in stream metabolism using temperature duration curves • Evaluation of pollutant or contaminant transport using...major concern associated with stream restoration projects, due to the many chemical, ecological, and geomorphic advantages a robust riparian buffer

The influence of partial timber harvest in riparian management zones on macroinvertebrate and fish communities on first- and second-order streams in northern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chizinski, Christopher J.; Vondracek, Bruce C.; Blinn, Charles R.; Newman, Raymond M.; Atuke, Dickson M.; Fredricks, Keith; Hemstad, Nathaniel A.; Merten, Eric; Schlesser, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Relatively few evaluations of aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities have been published in peer-reviewed literature detailing the effect of varying residual basal area (RBA) after timber harvesting in riparian buffers. Our analysis investigated the effects of partial harvesting within riparian buffers on aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams from two experiments in northern Minnesota northern hardwood-aspen forests. Each experiment evaluated partial harvesting within riparian buffers. In both experiments, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected 1 year prior to harvest and in each of 3 years after harvest. We observed interannual variation for the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and taxon richness in the single-basin study and abundance and diversity in the multiple-basin study, but few effects related to harvest treatments in either study. However, interannual variation was not evident in the fish communities and we detected no significant changes in the stream fish communities associated with partially harvested riparian buffers in either study. This would suggest that timber harvesting in riparian management zones along reaches ≤200 m in length on both sides of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 12.4 ± 1.3 m2 ha−1 or on a single side of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 8.7 ± 1.6 m2 ha−1 may be adequate to protect macroinvertebrate and fish communities in our Minnesota study systems given these specific timber harvesting techniques.

Simulating and evaluating best management practices for integrated landscape management scenarios in biofuel feedstock production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ha, Miae; Wu, May

Sound crop and land management strategies can maintain land productivity and improve the environmental sustainability of agricultural crop and feedstock production. With this study, it evaluates a strategy of incorporating landscape design and management concepts into bioenergy feedstock production. It examines the effect of land conversion and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on water quality (nutrients and suspended sediments) and hydrology. The strategy was applied to the watershed of the South Fork Iowa River in Iowa, where the focus was on converting low-productivity land to provide cellulosic biomass and implementing riparian buffers. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) wasmore » employed to simulate the impact at watershed and sub-basin scales. The study compared the representation of buffers by using trapping efficiency and area ratio methods in SWAT. Landscape design and management scenarios were developed to quantify water quality under (i) current land use, (ii) partial land conversion to switchgrass, and (iii) riparian buffer implementation. Results show that implementation of vegetative barriers and riparian buffer can trap the loss of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment significantly. The effect increases with the increase of buffer area coverage. Implementing riparian buffer at 30 m width is able to produce 4 million liters of biofuels. When low-productivity land (15.2% of total watershed land area) is converted to grow switchgrass, suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrate loadings are reduced by 69.3%, 55.5%, 46.1%, and 13.4%, respectively. The results highlight the significant role of lower-productivity land and buffers in cellulosic biomass and provide insights into the design of an integrated landscape with a conservation buffer for future bioenergy feedstock production.« less

Simulating and evaluating best management practices for integrated landscape management scenarios in biofuel feedstock production

DOE PAGES

Ha, Miae; Wu, May

2015-09-08

Sound crop and land management strategies can maintain land productivity and improve the environmental sustainability of agricultural crop and feedstock production. With this study, it evaluates a strategy of incorporating landscape design and management concepts into bioenergy feedstock production. It examines the effect of land conversion and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on water quality (nutrients and suspended sediments) and hydrology. The strategy was applied to the watershed of the South Fork Iowa River in Iowa, where the focus was on converting low-productivity land to provide cellulosic biomass and implementing riparian buffers. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) wasmore » employed to simulate the impact at watershed and sub-basin scales. The study compared the representation of buffers by using trapping efficiency and area ratio methods in SWAT. Landscape design and management scenarios were developed to quantify water quality under (i) current land use, (ii) partial land conversion to switchgrass, and (iii) riparian buffer implementation. Results show that implementation of vegetative barriers and riparian buffer can trap the loss of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment significantly. The effect increases with the increase of buffer area coverage. Implementing riparian buffer at 30 m width is able to produce 4 million liters of biofuels. When low-productivity land (15.2% of total watershed land area) is converted to grow switchgrass, suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrate loadings are reduced by 69.3%, 55.5%, 46.1%, and 13.4%, respectively. The results highlight the significant role of lower-productivity land and buffers in cellulosic biomass and provide insights into the design of an integrated landscape with a conservation buffer for future bioenergy feedstock production.« less

Influence of headwater site conditions and riparian buffers on terrestrial salamander response to forest thinning.

Treesearch

D.E. Rundio; D.H. Olson

2007-01-01

We examined the effect of forest thinning and riparian buffers along headwater streams on terrestrial salamanders at two sites in western Oregon. Salamander numbers were reduced postthinning at one site with lower down-wood volume. Terrestrial salamander distributions along stream-to-upslope transects suggest benefits of one and two site-potential tree-height stream...

EnviroAtlas - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - 51m Riparian Buffer Vegetated Cover

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of a 51-m riparian buffer that is vegetated. In this community, vegetated cover is defined as Trees and Forest, Grass and Herbaceous, Woody Wetlands, and Emergent Wetlands. There is a potential for decreased water quality in areas where the riparian buffer is less vegetated. The displayed line represents the center of the analyzed riparian buffer. The water bodies analyzed include hydrologically connected streams, rivers, connectors, reservoirs, lakes/ponds, ice masses, washes, locks, and rapids within the EnviroAtlas community area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

BLM Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study: Establishment Report and Study Plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cissel, John H.; Anderson, P.D.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus; Berryman, Shanti; Chan, Samuel; Thompson, Charley

2006-01-01

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Oregon State University (OSU) established the BLM Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study (DMS) in 1994 to demonstrate and test options for young stand management to meet Northwest Forest Plan objectives in western Oregon. The primary objectives of the DMS are to evaluate the effects of alternative forest density management treatments in young stands on the development of important late-successional forest habitat attributes and to assess the combined effects of density management and alternative riparian buffer widths on aquatic and riparian ecosystems. The DMS consists of three integrated studies: initial thinning, rethinning, and riparian buffer widths. The initial thinning study was installed in 50- to 80-year-old stands that had never been commercially thinned. Four stand treatments of 30-60 acres each were established at each of seven study sites: (1) unthinned control, (2) high density retention [120 trees per acre (TPA)], (3) moderate density retention (80 TPA), and (4) variable density retention (40-120 TPA). Small (1/4 to 1 acre in size) leave islands were included in all treatments except the control, and small patch cuts (1/4 to 1 acre in size) were included in the moderate and variable density treatments. An eighth site, Callahan Creek, contains a partial implementation of the study design. The rethinning study was installed in four 70- to 90-year-old stands that previously had been commercially thinned. Each study stand was split into two parts: one part as an untreated control and the other part as a rethinning (30-60 TPA). The riparian buffer study was nested within the moderate density retention treatment at each of the eight initial thinning study sites and two rethinning sites. Alternative riparian buffer widths included: (1) streamside retention (one tree canopy width, or 20-25 feet), (2) variable width (follows topographic and vegetative breaks, 50 feet slope distance minimum), (3) one full site-potential tree height (approximately 220 feet), and (4) two full tree heights (approximately 440 feet). A second round of density management manipulations are now being planned for implementation beginning in 2009. Stem density will be reduced in the high, moderate, and variable density treatments and most existing riparian buffers, leave islands, and patch cuts will remain in place. Remeasurement, data management, and analysis are ongoing for three long-term, core components of the DMS: vegetation, microclimate, and aquatic vertebrates. In addition, several short-term collaborative studies have been completed on these sites, including leave island effectiveness as refugia, treatment response of terrestrial and aquatic arthropods, and smaller-scale studies of fungal, lichen, and bryophyte community response. Additional collaborative studies are encouraged on DMS sites.

Buffer strip design for protecting water quality and fish habitat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belt, G.H.; O'Laughlin, J.

1994-04-01

Buffer strips are protective areas adjacent to streams or lakes. Among other functions, they protect water quality and fish habitat. A typical buffer strip is found in western Oregon, where they are called Riparian Management Areas (RMAs). The authors use the term buffer strip to include functional descriptions such as filter, stabilization, or leave strips, and administrative designations such as Idaho's Stream Protection Zone (SPZ), Washington's Riparian Management Zone (RMZ), and the USDA Forest Service's Streamside Management Zone (SMZ). They address water quality and fishery protective functions of buffer strips on forestlands, pointing out improvements in buffer strip design possiblemore » through research or administrative changes. Buffer strip design requirements found in some western Forest Practices Act (FPA) regulations are also compared and related to findings in the scientific literature.« less

Effects of riparian zone buffer widths on vegetation diversity in southern Appalachian headwater catchments

Treesearch

Katherine J. Elliott; James M. Vose

2016-01-01

In mountainous areas such as the southern Appalachians USA, riparian zones are difficult to define. Vegetation is a commonly used riparian indicator and plays a key role in protecting water resources, but adequate knowledge of floristic responses to riparian disturbances is lacking. Our objective was to quantify changes in stand-level floristic diversity of...

Riparian buffers and forest thinning: Effects on headwater vertebrates 10 years after thinning

Treesearch

Deanna H. Olson; Jeffery B. Leirness; Patrick G. Cunningham; E. Ashley Steel

2014-01-01

We monitored instream vertebrate and stream-bank-dwelling amphibian counts during a stand-scale experiment of the effect of riparian buffer width with upland forest thinning in western Oregon, USA using a before/after/control methodology. We analyzed animal counts along 45 streams at 8 study sites, distributed from the foothills of Mount Hood to Coos Bay, Oregon using...

Changes in riparian vegetation buffers in response to development in three Oregon cities

Treesearch

J. A. Yeakley; C. P. Ozawa; A. M. Hook

2006-01-01

Riparian vegetation buffer loss was investigated for three cities with contrasting local regulatory controls in urbanizing northwest Oregon. The cities examined were Hillsboro, Oregon City and Portland, all having experienced high rates of population increase in the 1990s. All cities are covered under Oregon’s land use law that provides goals for the protection of open...

Near-term effects of repeated-thinning with riparian buffers on headwater stream vertebrates and habitats in Oregon, USA

Treesearch

Deanna H. Olson; Julia I. Burton

2014-01-01

We examined the effects of a second-thinning harvest with alternative riparian buffer management approaches on headwater stream habitats and associated vertebrates in western Oregon, USA. Our analyses showed that stream reaches were generally distinguished primarily by average width and depth, along with the percentage of the dry reach length, and secondarily, by the...

Influence of vegetation structure on lidar-derived canopy height and fractional cover in forested riparian buffers during leaf-off and leaf-on conditions.

PubMed

Wasser, Leah; Day, Rick; Chasmer, Laura; Taylor, Alan

2013-01-01

Estimates of canopy height (H) and fractional canopy cover (FC) derived from lidar data collected during leaf-on and leaf-off conditions are compared with field measurements from 80 forested riparian buffer plots. The purpose is to determine if existing lidar data flown in leaf-off conditions for applications such as terrain mapping can effectively estimate forested riparian buffer H and FC within a range of riparian vegetation types. Results illustrate that: 1) leaf-off and leaf-on lidar percentile estimates are similar to measured heights in all plots except those dominated by deciduous compound-leaved trees where lidar underestimates H during leaf off periods; 2) canopy height models (CHMs) underestimate H by a larger margin compared to percentile methods and are influenced by vegetation type (conifer needle, deciduous simple leaf or deciduous compound leaf) and canopy height variability, 3) lidar estimates of FC are within 10% of plot measurements during leaf-on periods, but are underestimated during leaf-off periods except in mixed and conifer plots; and 4) depth of laser pulse penetration lower in the canopy is more variable compared to top of the canopy penetration which may influence within canopy vegetation structure estimates. This study demonstrates that leaf-off lidar data can be used to estimate forested riparian buffer canopy height within diverse vegetation conditions and fractional canopy cover within mixed and conifer forests when leaf-on lidar data are not available.

Influence of Vegetation Structure on Lidar-derived Canopy Height and Fractional Cover in Forested Riparian Buffers During Leaf-Off and Leaf-On Conditions

PubMed Central

Wasser, Leah; Day, Rick; Chasmer, Laura; Taylor, Alan

2013-01-01

Estimates of canopy height (H) and fractional canopy cover (FC) derived from lidar data collected during leaf-on and leaf-off conditions are compared with field measurements from 80 forested riparian buffer plots. The purpose is to determine if existing lidar data flown in leaf-off conditions for applications such as terrain mapping can effectively estimate forested riparian buffer H and FC within a range of riparian vegetation types. Results illustrate that: 1) leaf-off and leaf-on lidar percentile estimates are similar to measured heights in all plots except those dominated by deciduous compound-leaved trees where lidar underestimates H during leaf off periods; 2) canopy height models (CHMs) underestimate H by a larger margin compared to percentile methods and are influenced by vegetation type (conifer needle, deciduous simple leaf or deciduous compound leaf) and canopy height variability, 3) lidar estimates of FC are within 10% of plot measurements during leaf-on periods, but are underestimated during leaf-off periods except in mixed and conifer plots; and 4) depth of laser pulse penetration lower in the canopy is more variable compared to top of the canopy penetration which may influence within canopy vegetation structure estimates. This study demonstrates that leaf-off lidar data can be used to estimate forested riparian buffer canopy height within diverse vegetation conditions and fractional canopy cover within mixed and conifer forests when leaf-on lidar data are not available. PMID:23382966

NITRATE REMOVAL EFFECTIVENESS OF A RIPARIAN BUFFER ALONG A SMALL AGRICULTURAL STREAM IN WESTERN OREGON

EPA Science Inventory

We established two study sites with similar soils and hydrology but contrasting riparian vegetation along Lake Creek, an intermittent stream that drains perennial ryegrass fields in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. One site had a non-cultivated riparian zone with a plant...

Management of riparian and aquatic ecosystems using variable-width buffers

Treesearch

Brian Pickard; Gordon H. Reeves

2016-01-01

Management of aquatic and riparian ecosystems is constrained because of the reliance on “off-the-shelf” and one-size-fits-all concepts and designs, rather than considering specific features and capabilities of the location of interest. As a result, use of fixed- width buffers that generally depend on stream size is the most common approach.

Surface Water and Groundwater Nitrogen Dynamics in a Well Drained Riparian Forest within a Poorly Drained Agricultural Landscape

EPA Science Inventory

The effectiveness of riparian zones in mitigating nutrients in ground and surface water depends on the climate, management and hydrogeomorphology of a site. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a well-drained, mixed-deciduous riparian forest to buffer a ri...

Featured collection introduction: Riparian ecosystems and buffers II

Treesearch

Paul M. Mayer; Kathleen A. Dwire; Judith A. Okay; Philipe G. Vidon

2014-01-01

Riparian ecosystems, the interface of terrestrial and aquatic systems, are zones of high biodiversity (Naiman et al., 1993), rapid biogeochemical activity (Vidon et al., 2010), complex hydrologic activity (Mayer et al., 2010a), and offer solace that can bestow significant mental health benefits (Alcock et al., 2014). Yet, many riparian zones also represent...

Riparian buffer zones on selected rivers in Lower Silesia - an important conservation practice and the management strategy in urban planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamska, Maryna

2013-09-01

Buffer zones are narrow strips of land lying along the surface water, covered with appropriately selected vegetation. They separate aquatic ecosystems from the direct impact of agricultural land and reduce the movement of nutrients in the environment. In 2008 the European Commission established requirements for the implementation of buffer strips along water courses. Poland committed to the enforcement of these requirements until 1 January 2012. This was one of the reasons of this study. The subject of the analysis included the following rivers in Lower Silesia: Smortawa, Krynka, Czarna Woda and the selected transects of Ślęza and Nysa Łużycka. Detailed studies were designed to estimate the buffer zones occurring on these watercourses and assess these zones’ structure. This will be used to develop clear criteria for the selection of the width of these zones based on land use land management. It can be used in the implementation of executive acts at different levels of space management. Field research consisted of inventory the extent of riparian buffer strips on selected water courses and photographic documentation. Species composition of the vegetation forming a buffer zone was identified by using Braun-Blanquet method. There was lack of continuity of the riparian buffer zones on investigated rivers. Buffer zones should have carefully formulated definition and width because they are element of the significant ecological value, they perform important environmental protective functions and they are also the subject of Community law.

Buffering the buffer

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid; Sue Hilton

1998-01-01

Riparian buffer strips are a widely accepted tool for helping to sustain aquatic ecosystems and to protect downstream resources and values in forested areas, but controversy persists over how wide a buffer strip is necessary. The physical integrity of stream channels is expected to be sustained if the characteristics and rates of tree fall along buffered reaches are...

Establishing conservation buffers using precision information

Treesearch

Mike G. Dosskey; Dean E. Eisenhauer; Matthew J. Helmers

2005-01-01

Conservation buffers, such as filter strips and riparian forest buffers, are widely prescribed to improve and protect water quality in agricultural landscapes. These buffers intercept field runoff and retain some of its pollutant load before it reaches a waterway. A buffer typically is designed to have uniform width along a field margin and to intercept runoff that...

Initial riparian down wood dynamics in relation to thinning and buffer width

Treesearch

Paul D. Anderson; Deanna H. Olson; Adrian Ares

2013-01-01

Down wood plays many functional roles in aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Simplifi cation of forest structure and low abundance of down wood in stream channels and riparian areas is a common legacy of historical management in headwater forests west of the Cascade Range in the US northwest. Contemporary management practices emphasize the implementation of vegetation...

Headwater stream flow, climate variation, and riparian buffers with thinning in western Oregon

Treesearch

Julia I. Burton; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2013-01-01

Headwater streams and adjacent riparian areas provide reproductive, foraging, and dispersal habitat for many forest-dependent species, especially amphibians. Although previous studies have shown that the composition of aquatic and riparian animal communities is associated with spatial and temporal patterns of stream fl ow, the relationships among stream fl ow, climate...

Water quality impact assessment of agricultural Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) simulated for a regional catchment in Quebec, Eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousseau, Alain N.; Hallema, Dennis W.; Gumiere, Silvio J.; Savary, Stéphane; Hould Gosselin, Gabriel

2014-05-01

Water quality has become a matter of increasing concern over the past four decades as a result of the intensification of agriculture, and more particularly so in Canada where agriculture has evolved into the largest non-point source of surface water pollution. The Canadian WEBs project (Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices, BMPs) was initiated in order to determine the efficiency of BMPs in improving the surface water quality of rural catchments, and the economic aspects related to their implementation on the same scale. In this contribution we use the integrated watershed modelling platform GIBSI (Gestion Intégrée des Bassins versants à l'aide d'un Système Informatisé) to evaluate the effects of various BMPs on sediment and nutrient yields and, in close relation to this, the surface water quality for the Beaurivage River catchment (718 km2) in Quebec, eastern Canada. A base scenario of the catchment is developed by calibrating the different models of the GIBSI platform, namely HYDROTEL for hydrology, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) for soil erosion, the Erosion-Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for contaminant transport and fate, and QUAL2E for stream water quality. Four BMPs were analysed: (1) vegetated riparian buffer strips, (2) precision slurry application, (3) transition of all cereal and corn fields to grassland (grassland conversion), and (4) no-tillage on corn fields. Simulations suggest that riparian buffer strips and grassland conversion are more effective in terms of phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment load reduction than precision slurry application and no-tillage on corn fields. The results furthermore indicate the need for a more profound understanding of sediment dynamics in streams and on riparian buffer strips.

Impact of buffer type on streamside nutrient concentrations in Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The identification and assessment of conservation practices continues to be important for the protection of natural resources. Buffers, also referred to as filter strips, buffer strips, riparian buffers, or vegetative filters are one of the most common types of conservation practice installed in the...

Conservation value of remnant riparian forest corridors of varying quality for amazonian birds and mammals.

PubMed

Lees, Alexander C; Peres, Carlos A

2008-04-01

Forest corridors are often considered the main instrument with which to offset the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Brazilian forestry legislation requires that all riparian zones on private landholdings be maintained as permanent reserves and sets fixed minimum widths of riparian forest buffers to be retained alongside rivers and perennial streams. We investigated the effects of corridor width and degradation status of 37 riparian forest sites (including 24 corridors connected to large source-forest patches, 8 unconnected forest corridors, and 5 control riparian zones embedded within continuous forest patches) on bird and mammal species richness in a hyper-fragmented forest landscape surrounding Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. We used point-count and track-sampling methodology, coupled with an intensive forest-quality assessment that combined satellite imagery and ground truthed data. Vertebrate use of corridors was highly species-specific, but broad trends emerged depending on species life histories and their sensitivity to disturbance. Narrow and/or highly disturbed riparian corridors retained only a depauperate vertebrate assemblage that was typical of deforested habitats, whereas wide, well-preserved corridors retained a nearly complete species assemblage. Restriction of livestock movement along riparian buffers and their exclusion from key areas alongside deforested streams would permit corridor regeneration and facilitate restoration of connectivity.

Water body and riparian buffer strip characteristics in a vineyard area to support aquatic pesticide exposure assessment.

PubMed

Ohliger, Renja; Schulz, Ralf

2010-10-15

The implementation of a geodata-based probabilistic pesticide exposure assessment for surface waters in Germany offers the opportunity to base the exposure estimation on more differentiated assumptions including detailed landscape characteristics. Since these characteristics can only be estimated using field surveys, water body width and depth, hydrology, riparian buffer strip width, ground vegetation cover, existence of concentrated flow paths, and riparian vegetation were characterised at 104 water body segments in the vineyard region Palatinate (south-west Germany). Water body segments classified as permanent (n=43) had median values of water body width and depth of 0.9m and 0.06m, respectively, and the determined median width:depth ratio was 15. Thus, the deterministic water body model (width=1m; depth=0.3m) assumed in regulatory exposure assessment seems unsuitable for small water bodies in the study area. Only 25% of investigated buffer strips had a dense vegetation cover (>70%) and allow a laminar sheet flow as required to include them as an effective pesticide runoff reduction landscape characteristic. At 77 buffer strips, bordering field paths and erosion rills leading into the water body were present, concentrating pesticide runoff and consequently decreasing buffer strip efficiency. The vegetation type shrubbery (height>1.5m) was present at 57 (29%) investigated riparian buffer strips. According to their median optical vegetation density of 75%, shrubberies may provide a spray drift reduction of 72±29%. Implementing detailed knowledge in an overall assessment revealed that exposure via drift might be 2.4 and via runoff up to 1.6 fold higher than assumed by the deterministic approach. Furthermore, considering vegetated buffer strips only by their width leads to an underestimation of exposure by a factor of as much as four. Our data highlight that the deterministic model assumptions neither represent worst-case nor median values and therefore cannot simply be adopted in a probabilistic approach. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hillslope hydrologic connectivity controls riparian groundwater turnover: Implications of catchment structure for riparian buffering and stream water sources

Treesearch

Kelsey G. Jencso; Brian L. McGlynn; Michael N. Gooseff; Kenneth E. Bencala; Steven M. Wondzell

2010-01-01

Hydrologic connectivity between catchment upland and near stream areas is essential for the transmission of water, solutes, and nutrients to streams. However, our current understanding of the role of riparian zones in mediating landscape hydrologic connectivity and the catchment scale export of water and solutes is limited. We tested the relationship between the...

Variable density management in riparian reserves: lessons learned from an operational study in managed forests of western Oregon, USA.

Treesearch

Samuel Chan; Paul Anderson; John Cissel; Larry Lateen; Charley Thompson

2004-01-01

A large-scale operational study has been undertaken to investigate variable density management in conjunction with riparian buffers as a means to accelerate development of late-seral habitat, facilitate rare species management, and maintain riparian functions in 40-70 year-old headwater forests in western Oregon, USA. Upland variable retention treatments include...

Factors affecting songbird nest survival in riparian forests in a Midwestern agricultural landscape

Treesearch

Rebecca G. Peak; Frank R. Thompson; Terry L. Shaffer

2004-01-01

We investigated factors affecting nest success of songbirds in riparian forest and buffers in northeastern Missouri. We used an information-theoretic approach to determine support for hypotheses concerning effects of nest-site, habitat-patch, edge, and temporal factors on nest success of songbirds in three narrow (55-95 m) and three wide (400-530 m) riparian forests...

Recovery of Nitrogen Pools and Processes in Degraded Riparian Zones in the Southern Appalachians

Treesearch

John T. Walker; James M. Vose; Jennifer Knoepp; Christopher D. Geron

2009-01-01

Establishment of riparian buffers is an effective method for reducing nutrient input to streams. However, the underlying biogeochemical processes are not fully understood. The objective of this 4-yr study was to examine the effects of riparian zone restoration on soil N cycling mechanisms in a mountain pasture previously degraded by cattle. Soil inorganic N pools,...

Watershed scale assessment of the impact of forested riparian zones on stream water quality

Treesearch

J. A. Webber; K. W. J. Williard; M. R. Whiles; M. L. Stone; J. J. Zaczek; D. K. Davie

2003-01-01

Federal and state land management agencies have been promoting forest and grass riparian zones to combat non-point source nutrient and sediment pollution of our nations' waters. The majority of research examining the effectiveness of riparian buffers at reducing nutrient and sediment inputs to streams has been conducted at the field scale. This study took a...

Simulating and evaluating best management practices for integrated landscape management scenarios in biofuel feedstock production: Evaluating Best Management Practices for Biofuel Feedstock Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ha, Miae; Wu, May

Sound crop and land management strategies can maintain land productivity and improve the environmental sustainability of agricultural crop and feedstock production. This study evaluates the improvement of water sustainability through an integrated landscaping management strategy, where landscaping design, land management operations, crop systems, and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) play equal roles. The strategy was applied to the watershed of the South Fork Iowa River in Iowa, with a focus on implementing riparian buffers and converting low productivity land to provide cellulosic biomass while benefiting soil and water quality. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was employed to simulatemore » the impact of integrated landscape design on nutrients, suspended sediments, and flow on the watershed and subbasin scales. First, the study evaluated the representation of buffer strip as a vegetative barrier and as a riparian buffer using trapping efficiency and area ratio methods in SWAT. For the riparian buffer, the area ratio method tends to be more conservative, especially in nitrate loadings, while the trapping efficiency method generates more optimistic results. The differences between the two methods increase with buffer width. The two methods may not be comparable for the field-scale vegetative barrier simulation because of limitations in model spatial resolution. Landscape scenarios were developed to quantify water quality under (1) current land use, (2) partial land conversion to switchgrass, and (3) riparian buffer implementation. Results show that when low productivity land (15.2% of total watershed land area) is converted to grow switchgrass, suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrate loadings are reduced by 69.3%, 55.5%, 46.1%, and 13.4%, respectively, in the watershed surface streams. The reduction was less extensive when riparian buffer strips (30 m or 50 m) were applied to the stream network at 1.4% of total land area in the watershed. At the subbasin level, the degree of nutrient and suspended sediment reduction varies extensively, ranging from a few percent up to 55%. Results indicate that effective landscape design on current agricultural land can potentially bring marked improvements in water quality and soil erosion control while producing food and fuel feedstock in the South Fork Iowa River watershed. The concept can be integrated with other watershed management programs to improve sustainability of land, water, and the ecosystem.« less

Featured collection introduction: riparian ecosystems and buffers II

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian ecosystems, the interface of terrestrial and aquatic systems, are zones of high biodiversity (Naiman et al., 1993), rapid biogeochemical activity (Vidon et al., 2010), complex hydrologic activity (Mayer et al., 2010a), and offer solace that can bestow significant mental ...

A STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATED ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF RIPARIAN BUFFERS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

Increased sediments, nutrients, and other contaminants in the Mid-Atlantic region contribute to environmental problems ranging from stream degradation to possibly Pfiesteria attacks in Chesapeake Bay. Restoring riparian areas - the filters between terrestrial watersheds and aquat...

Introduction to the Featured Collection on Riparian Ecosystems & Buffers

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian ecosystems, located at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic systems, are often given special attention by scientists for their high biodiversity and biological activity (Naiman et al. 1993, Naiman and Decamps 1997) and significant role in nutrient and energy flux (Mc...

Model analysis of riparian buffer effectiveness for reducing nutrient inputs to streams in agricultural landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKane, R. B.; M, S.; F, P.; Kwiatkowski, B. L.; Rastetter, E. B.

2006-12-01

Federal and state agencies responsible for protecting water quality rely mainly on statistically-based methods to assess and manage risks to the nation's streams, lakes and estuaries. Although statistical approaches provide valuable information on current trends in water quality, process-based simulation models are essential for understanding and forecasting how changes in human activities across complex landscapes impact the transport of nutrients and contaminants to surface waters. To address this need, we developed a broadly applicable, process-based watershed simulator that links a spatially-explicit hydrologic model and a terrestrial biogeochemistry model (MEL). See Stieglitz et al. and Pan et al., this meeting, for details on the design and verification of this simulator. Here we apply the watershed simulator to a generalized agricultural setting to demonstrate its potential for informing policy and management decisions concerning water quality. This demonstration specifically explores the effectiveness of riparian buffers for reducing the transport of nitrogenous fertilizers from agricultural fields to streams. The interaction of hydrologic and biogeochemical processes represented in our simulator allows several important questions to be addressed. (1) For a range of upland fertilization rates, to what extent do riparian buffers reduce nitrogen inputs to streams? (2) How does buffer effectiveness change over time as the plant-soil system approaches N-saturation? (3) How can buffers be managed to increase their effectiveness, e.g., through periodic harvest and replanting? The model results illustrate that, while the answers to these questions depend to some extent on site factors (climatic regime, soil properties and vegetation type), in all cases riparian buffers have a limited capacity to reduce nitrogen inputs to streams where fertilization rates approach those typically used for intensive agriculture (e.g., 200 kg N per ha per year for corn in the U.S.A. Midwestern states). We also discuss how the insights gained from our approach cannot be achieved with modeling tools that are not both spatially explicit and process-based.

Headwater riparian forest-floor invertebrate communities associated with alternative forest management practices.

Treesearch

J.J. Rykken; A.R. Moldenke; D.H. Olson

2007-01-01

Invertebrate communities were characterized in unmanaged headwaters, and the effects of clearcutting without buffers and with buffers of approximately 30 m was examined. A near-stream community was distinct and largely retained by the buffers. Elevation, location, and microclimate were predictors of community structure.

Effects of groundwater-flow paths on nitrate concentrations across two riparian forest corridors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Speiran, Gary K.

2010-01-01

Groundwater levels, apparent age, and chemistry from field sites and groundwater-flow modeling of hypothetical aquifers collectively indicate that groundwater-flow paths contribute to differences in nitrate concentrations across riparian corridors. At sites in Virginia (one coastal and one Piedmont), lowland forested wetlands separate upland fields from nearby surface waters (an estuary and a stream). At the coastal site, nitrate concentrations near the water table decreased from more than 10 mg/L beneath fields to 2 mg/L beneath a riparian forest buffer because recharge through the buffer forced water with concentrations greater than 5 mg/L to flow deeper beneath the buffer. Diurnal changes in groundwater levels up to 0.25 meters at the coastal site reflect flow from the water table into unsaturated soil where roots remove water and nitrate dissolved in it. Decreases in aquifer thickness caused by declines in the water table and decreases in horizontal hydraulic gradients from the uplands to the wetlands indicate that more than 95% of the groundwater discharged to the wetlands. Such discharge through organic soil can reduce nitrate concentrations by denitrification. Model simulations are consistent with field results, showing downward flow approaching toe slopes and surface waters to which groundwater discharges. These effects show the importance of buffer placement over use of fixed-width, streamside buffers to control nitrate concentrations.

Riparian Sediment Delivery Ratio: Stiff Diagrams and Artifical Neural Networks

EPA Science Inventory

Various methods are used to estimate sediment transport through riparian buffers and grass jilters with the sediment delivery ratio having been the most widely applied. The U.S. Forest Service developed a sediment delivery ratio using the stiff diagram and a logistic curve to int...

Fit-for-purpose phosphorus management: do riparian buffers qualify in catchments with sandy soils?

PubMed

Weaver, David; Summers, Robert

2014-05-01

Hillslope runoff and leaching studies, catchment-scale water quality measurements and P retention and release characteristics of stream bank and catchment soils were used to better understand reasons behind the reported ineffectiveness of riparian buffers for phosphorus (P) management in catchments with sandy soils from south-west Western Australia (WA). Catchment-scale water quality measurements of 60 % particulate P (PP) suggest that riparian buffers should improve water quality; however, runoff and leaching studies show 20 times more water and 2 to 3 orders of magnitude more P are transported through leaching than runoff processes. The ratio of filterable reactive P (FRP) to total P (TP) in surface runoff from the plots was 60 %, and when combined with leachate, 96 to 99 % of P lost from hillslopes was FRP, in contrast with 40 % measured as FRP at the large catchment scale. Measurements of the P retention and release characteristics of catchment soils (<2 mm) compared with stream bank soil (<2 mm) and the <75-μm fraction of stream bank soils suggest that catchment soils contain more P, are more P saturated and are significantly more likely to deliver FRP and TP in excess of water quality targets than stream bank soils. Stream bank soils are much more likely to retain P than contribute P to streams, and the in-stream mixing of FRP from the landscape with particulates from stream banks or stream beds is a potential mechanism to explain the change in P form from hillslopes (96 to 99 % FRP) to large catchments (40 % FRP). When considered in the context of previous work reporting that riparian buffers were ineffective for P management in this environment, these studies reinforce the notion that (1) riparian buffers are unlikely to provide fit-for-purpose P management in catchments with sandy soils, (2) most P delivered to streams in sandy soil catchments is FRP and travels via subsurface and leaching pathways and (3) large catchment-scale water quality measurements are not good indicators of hillslope P mobilisation and transport processes.

Development and Evaluation of a Riparian Buffer Mapping Tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milheim, Lesley E.; Claggett, Peter

2008-01-01

Land use and land cover within riparian areas greatly affect the conditions of adjacent water features. In particular, riparian forests provide many environmental benefits, including nutrient uptake, bank stabilization, steam shading, sediment trapping, aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and stream organic matter. In contrast, residential and commercial development and associated transportation infrastructure increase pollutant and nutrient loading and change the hydrologic characteristics of the landscape, thereby affecting both water quality and habitat. Restoring riparian areas is a popular and cost effective restoration technique to improve and protect water quality. Recognizing this, the Chesapeake Executive Council committed to restoring 10,000 miles of riparian forest buffers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed by the year 2010. In 2006, the Chesapeake Executive Council further committed to 'using the best available...tools to identify areas where retention and expansion of forests is most needed to protect water quality'. The Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 64,000 square miles, including portions of six States and Washington, D.C. Therefore, the interpretation of remotely sensed imagery provides the only effective technique for comprehensively evaluating riparian forest protection and restoration opportunities throughout the watershed. Although 30-meter-resolution land use and land cover data have proved useful on a regional scale, they have not been equally successful at providing the detail required for local-scale assessment of riparian area characteristics. Use of high-resolution imagery (HRI) provides sufficient detail for local-scale assessments, although at greater cost owing to the cost of the imagery and the skill and time required to process the data. To facilitate the use of HRI for monitoring the extent of riparian forest buffers, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Geographic Science Center funded the development of a prototype semiautomated image classification tool, RBMapper, that is designed for use by technicians with limited image processing training. This document provides an overview of the RBMapper tool, includes instructions on how to obtain the RBMapper tool and tutorial datasets, and contains a summary evaluation of the tool

Determining effective riparian buffer width for nonnative plant exclusion and habitat enhancement

Treesearch

Gavin Ferris; Vincent D' Amico; Christopher K. Williams

2012-01-01

Nonnative plants threaten native biodiversity in landscapes where habitats are fragmented. Unfortunately, in developed areas, much of the remaining forested habitat occurs in fragmented riparian corridors. Because forested corridors of sufficient width may allow forest interior specializing native species to retain competitive advantage over edge specialist and...

Plant Growth and Phosphorus Uptake of Three Riparian Grass Species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Riparian buffers can significantly reduce sediment-bound phosphorus (P) entering surface water, but control of dissolved P inputs is more challenging. Because plant roots remove P from soil solution, it follows that plant uptake will reduce dissolved P losses. We evaluated P uptake of smooth bromegr...

The chemical composition and source identification of soil dissolved organic matter in riparian buffer zones from Chongming Island, China.

PubMed

Wang, Yulai; Yang, Changming; Li, Jianhua; Shen, Shuo

2014-09-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) that is derived from the soil of riparian buffer zones has a complex chemical composition, and it plays an important role in the transport and transformation of pollutants. To identify the source of DOM and to better understand its chemical and structural properties, we collected 33 soil samples from zones with fluctuating water levels along the major rivers on Chongming Island, evaluated the DOM contents in riparian soil, analyzed the chemical composition and functional groups and traced DOM origins by using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with clustering analysis. All sampling sites were divided into four groups by principal component analysis (PCA) on the basis of the DOM molecules. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the DOM contents between every two groups; however, the DOM fractions differed significantly among the different site groups in the following order: Σ lipids and Σ proteins>Σ sugars and Σ fatty acids>Σ amino acids, Σ indoles and Σ alkaloids. DOM in the riparian buffer zones originated from riparian plants, domestic sewage and agricultural activities, and the hydrophobic and amphiphilic fractions accounting for over 60% of the identified molecules were the dominant fractions. Our study has confirmed the heterogeneous properties of DOM, and it is of vital importance to isolate and characterize the various DOM fractions at the molecular level for a better understanding of the behavior and roles of DOM in the natural environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating economic and biophysical data in assessing cost-effectiveness of buffer strip placement.

PubMed

Balana, Bedru Babulo; Lago, Manuel; Baggaley, Nikki; Castellazzi, Marie; Sample, James; Stutter, Marc; Slee, Bill; Vinten, Andy

2012-01-01

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires Member States to set water quality objectives and identify cost-effective mitigation measures to achieve "good status" in all waters. However, costs and effectiveness of measures vary both within and between catchments, depending on factors such as land use and topography. The aim of this study was to develop a cost-effectiveness analysis framework for integrating estimates of phosphorus (P) losses from land-based sources, potential abatement using riparian buffers, and the economic implications of buffers. Estimates of field-by-field P exports and routing were based on crop risk and field slope classes. Buffer P trapping efficiencies were based on literature metadata analysis. Costs of placing buffers were based on foregone farm gross margins. An integrated optimization model of cost minimization was developed and solved for different P reduction targets to the Rescobie Loch catchment in eastern Scotland. A target mean annual P load reduction of 376 kg to the loch to achieve good status was identified. Assuming all the riparian fields initially have the 2-m buffer strip required by the General Binding Rules (part of the WFD in Scotland), the model gave good predictions of P loads (345-481 kg P). The modeling results show that riparian buffers alone cannot achieve the required P load reduction (up to 54% P can be removed). In the medium P input scenario, average costs vary from £38 to £176 kg P at 10% and 54% P reduction, respectively. The framework demonstrates a useful tool for exploring cost-effective targeting of environmental measures. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Linked in: connecting riparian areas to support forest biodiversity

Treesearch

Marie Oliver; Kelly Burnett; Deanna Olson

2010-01-01

Many forest-dwelling species rely on both terrestrial and aquatic habitat for their survival. These species, including rare and little-understood amphibians and arthropods, live in and around headwater streams and disperse overland to neighboring headwater streams. Forest management policies that rely on riparian buffer strips and structurebased management—practices...

Effects of multi-scale environmental characteristics on agricultural stream biota in eastern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Scudder, B.C.; Lenz, B.N.; Sullivan, D.J.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey examined 25 agricultural streams in eastern Wisconsin to determine relations between fish, invertebrate, and algal metrics and multiple spatial scales of land cover, geologic setting, hydrologic, aquatic habitat, and water chemistry data. Spearman correlation and redundancy analyses were used to examine relations among biotic metrics and environmental characteristics. Riparian vegetation, geologic, and hydrologic conditions affected the response of biotic metrics to watershed agricultural land cover but the relations were aquatic assemblage dependent. It was difficult to separate the interrelated effects of geologic setting, watershed and buffer land cover, and base flow. Watershed and buffer land cover, geologic setting, reach riparian vegetation width, and stream size affected the fish IBI, invertebrate diversity, diatom IBI, and number of algal taxa; however, the invertebrate FBI, percentage of EPT, and the diatom pollution index were more influenced by nutrient concentrations and flow variability. Fish IBI scores seemed most sensitive to land cover in the entire stream network buffer, more so than watershed-scale land cover and segment or reach riparian vegetation width. All but one stream with more than approximately 10 percent buffer agriculture had fish IBI scores of fair or poor. In general, the invertebrate and algal metrics used in this study were not as sensitive to land cover effects as fish metrics. Some of the reach-scale characteristics, such as width/depth ratios, velocity, and bank stability, could be related to watershed influences of both land cover and geologic setting. The Wisconsin habitat index was related to watershed geologic setting, watershed and buffer land cover, riparian vegetation width, and base flow, and appeared to be a good indicator of stream quality. Results from this study emphasize the value of using more than one or two biotic metrics to assess water quality and the importance of environmental characteristics at multiple scales.

Monitoring Liverworts to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Hydroriparian Buffers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, Kellina L.; Yasué, Maï

2014-01-01

In the coastal temperate rainforest of British Columbia (BC) in western Canada, government policies stipulate that foresters leave unlogged hydroriparian buffer strips up to 25 m on each side of streams to protect wildlife habitat. At present, studies on the effectiveness of these buffers focus on mammals, birds, and amphibians while there is comparably little information on smaller organisms such as liverworts in these hydroriparian buffers. To address this gap of knowledge, we conducted field surveys of liverworts comparing the percent cover and community composition in hydroriparian forested areas ( n = 4 sites, n = 32 plots with nested design) to hydroriparian buffer zones ( n = 4 sites, n = 32 plots). We also examined how substrate type affected the cover of liverworts. Liverwort communities in buffers were similar to those in riparian forest areas and most liverworts were found on downed wood. Thus, hydroriparian buffers of 25-35 m on each side in a coastal temperate rainforest effectively provide habitat for liverworts as long as downed wood is left intact in the landscape. Because liverworts are particularly sensitive to changes in humidity, these results may indicate that hydroriparian buffers are an effective management strategy for bryophytes and possibly for a range of other riparian species that are particularly sensitive to forestry-related changes in microclimate.

Neotropical migratory breeding bird communities in riparian forests of different widths along the Altamaha River, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodges, M.F.; Krementz, D.G.

1996-01-01

-We surveyed riparian forest corridors of different widths along the lower Altamaha River in Georgia in 1993 and 1994 to investigate the relationship between forest corridor width and Neotropical breeding bird community diversity and abundance. Species richness and abundance of three of six focal species increased with increasing forest corridor width. We suggest if Neotropical breeding bird communities are a target group, that land managers should consider leaving a 100 m buffer strip along riparian zones.

Does tree harvesting in riparian areas increase stream sedimentation and turbidity - world-wide experience relative to Australia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neary, D.; Smethurst, P.; Petrone, K.

2009-04-01

A typical improved-pasture property in the high-rainfall zone of Australia contains 0.5-2.0 km of waterways per 100 ha. Nationwide, some 25-30 million ha of improved pasture contains about 100,000 km of streams, of which about 75% are currently un-buffered and contributing to soil and water degradation. Farmers and natural resource managers are considering ways to enhance environmental outcomes at farm and catchment scales using stream-side buffers of trees and other perennial vegetation. Benefits of buffers include improved water quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and aesthetics. Lack of sound information and funding for establishing and managing buffer zones is hindering wide-scale adoption of this practice. Stream-side areas of farms are generally highly productive (wet and nutrient-rich) and contain a high biodiversity, but they are also high-risk zones for soil and water values and stock safety. Development of options based on a balance between environmental and economic outcomes would potentially promote wider adoption. Australian codes of forest practice currently discourage or prevent harvesting of trees in streamside buffers. These codes were developed exclusively for large-scale native forests and industrial-scale plantations, and were applicable to farm forestry as now required. In countries including USA and Germany trees in stream-side buffers are harvested using Best Management Practices. Trees may grow at a faster rate in riparian zones and provide a commercial return, but the impacts of tree establishment and harvesting on water yield and quality must be evaluated. However, there have been few designed experiments investigating this problem. Australia has recently initiated studies to explore the use of high-value timber species and associated vegetation in riparian zones to improve water quality, particularly suspended sediment. Preliminary information from the Yan Yan Gurt Catchment in Victoria indicate that forested riparian strips can retain 98% of the sediment entrained in runoff from agricultural sections of the catchment. This paper examines the science background from North American and European experiences relative to Australia, with particular emphasis on sediment relationships after tree harvesting using Best Management Practices.

Landscape planning for agricultural nonpoint source pollution reduction III: Assessing phosphorus and sediment reduction potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diebel, M.W.; Maxted, J.T.; Robertson, Dale M.; Han, S.; Vander Zanden, M. J.

2009-01-01

Riparian buffers have the potential to improve stream water quality in agricultural landscapes. This potential may vary in response to landscape characteristics such as soils, topography, land use, and human activities, including legacies of historical land management. We built a predictive model to estimate the sediment and phosphorus load reduction that should be achievable following the implementation of riparian buffers; then we estimated load reduction potential for a set of 1598 watersheds (average 54 km2) in Wisconsin. Our results indicate that land cover is generally the most important driver of constituent loads in Wisconsin streams, but its influence varies among pollutants and according to the scale at which it is measured. Physiographic (drainage density) variation also influenced sediment and phosphorus loads. The effect of historical land use on present-day channel erosion and variation in soil texture are the most important sources of phosphorus and sediment that riparian buffers cannot attenuate. However, in most watersheds, a large proportion (approximately 70%) of these pollutants can be eliminated from streams with buffers. Cumulative frequency distributions of load reduction potential indicate that targeting pollution reduction in the highest 10% of Wisconsin watersheds would reduce total phosphorus and sediment loads in the entire state by approximately 20%. These results support our approach of geographically targeting nonpoint source pollution reduction at multiple scales, including the watershed scale. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Delineation of preventative landslide buffers along steep streamside slopes in northern California

Treesearch

Jason S. Woodward; David W. Lamphear; Matthew R. House

2012-01-01

Green Diamond Resource Co (GDRCo) applies tree retention buffers to steep slopes along fish bearing (Class I) and non-fish bearing (Class II) streams that are in addition to the standard riparian management zones associated with timber harvest plans. These Steep Streamside Slope (SSS) buffers were designed to reduce the amount of sediment delivering to watercourses as...

Combining SAR with LANDSAT for Change Detection of Riparian Buffer Zone in a Semi-arid River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, N.

2006-12-01

A combination of RADARSAT-1 and Landsat 5 TM satellite images linking the soil moisture variation with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measurements were used to accomplish remotely sensed change detection of riparian buffer zone in the Choke Canyon Reservoir Watershed (CCRW), South Texas. The CCRW was selected as the study area contributing to the reservoir, which is mostly agricultural and range land in a semi-arid coastal environment. This makes the study significant due to the interception capability of non-point source impact within the riparian buffer zone and the maintenance of ecosystem integrity region wide. First of all, an estimation of soil moisture using RADARSAT-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery was conducted. With its all-weather capability, the RADARSAT-1 is a promising tool for measuring the surface soil moisture over seasons. The time constraint is almost negligible since the RADARSAT-1 is able to capture surface soil moisture over a large area in a matter of seconds, if the area is within its swath. RADARSAT-1 images presented at here were captured in two acquisitions, including April and September 2004. With the aid of five corner reflectors deployed by Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), essential radiometric and geometric calibrations were performed to improve the accuracy of the SAR imagery. The horizontal errors were reduced from initially 560 meter down to less than 5 meter at the best try. Then two Landsat 5 TM satellite images were summarized based on its NDVI. The combination of and NDVI and SAR data obviously show that soil moisture and vegetation biomass wholly varies in space and time in the CCRW leading to identify the riparian buffer zone evolution over seasons. It is found that the seasonal soil moisture variation is highly tied with the NDVI values and the change detection of buffer zone is technically feasible. It will contribute to develop more effective management strategies for non-point source pollution control, bird habitat monitoring, and grazing and live stock handlings in the future. Future research focuses on comparison of soil moisture variability within RADARSAT-1 footprints and NDVI variations against interferometric SAR for studying riparian ecosystem functioning on a seasonal basis.

Calculating terrain indices along streams: A new method for separating stream sides

Treesearch

T. J. Grabs; K. G. Jencso; B. L. McGlynn; J. Seibert

2010-01-01

There is increasing interest in assessing riparian zones and their hydrological and biogeochemical buffering capacity with indices derived from hydrologic landscape analysis of digital elevation data. Upslope contributing area is a common surrogate for lateral water flows and can be used to assess the variability of local water inflows to riparian zones and streams....

DEM-based analysis of landscape organization: 2) Application to catchment comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seibert, J.; McGlynn, B.

2003-04-01

The delineation of homogeneous landscape elements (or "hydrologic response units") is often a prerequisite in field investigations and the application of semi-distributed hydrologic (or coupled hydrologic and biogeochemical) models. Delineation and quantification of dominant landscape elements requires methods to extract the features from digital elevation data or other readily available information. It is often assumed that hillslope and riparian areas constitute the two most important and identifiable landscape units contributing to catchment runoff in upland humid catchments. In addition, we have found that that the degree of hillslope water expression in stormflow is partially a function of riparian to hillslope reservoir ratios and landscape organization. Therefore, we developed a simple approach for quantifying landscape organization and distributed riparian to hillslope area ratios (riparian buffer ratios), as described in the accompanying contribution. Here we use this method as a framework for comparing and classifying diverse catchments located in Europe, the U.S., and New Zealand. Based on the three catchments Maimai (New Zealand), Panola (Georgia) and Sleepers (Vermont) we obtained the following preliminary results: (1) Local area entering the stream channels was most variable at Maimai and consistently diffuse at Sleepers and Panola. Also the median local area entering the channel network was largest at Maimai and smallest at Sleepers and Panola. This demonstrates the degree of landscape dissection (highest for Maimai) and the concentration of hillslope inputs along the stream network. (2) Riparian areas were smallest at Maimai, larger at Sleepers, and largest at Panola. The combination of riparian zone extent and focused (Maimai) versus diffuse (Sleepers and Panola) hillslope inputs to riparian zones controls local riparian to hillslope area ratios (riparian buffer capacities). (3) Area was accumulated to a large extend in the channel heads in all catchments. At Sleepers about 75 percent of all area originated from sub-catchments of less than 5 ha, whereas this proportion was 50 and 40 percent at Panola and Maimai respectively.

Introduction of biological agents into vegetative buffer to enhance rhizodegradation of atrazine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introducing atrazine (ATR) degraders into riparian vegetative buffer strips (VBS) can be a promising bioremediation approach to accelerate the degradation of ATR and its degradation products deposited into VBS by surface runoff. A growth chamber study was conducted to investigated the synergistic ef...

Management of riparian buffers: upslope thinning with downslope impacts

Treesearch

Kenneth J. Ruzicka; Klaus J. Puettmann; Deanna H. Olson

2014-01-01

We examined the potential of using upslope density management to influence growth and drought tolerance of trees in untreated downslope riparian forests. Increment cores from Douglas-fir trees in three mature stands in western Oregon, USA, were collected and measured. Trees responded to an apparent edge effect up to 15 m downslope of thinned areas but not downslope of...

Riparian and upland small mammals on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington

Treesearch

John F. Lehmkuhl; Roger D. Peffer; Margaret A. O' Connell

2008-01-01

Differences in small mammal diversity and abundance between riparian and upland areas have not been consistently shown in the Pacific Northwest, and the issue is expected to be complex along the east slope of the Cascade Range with its complex biogeography and forest landscape structure. The information is important for evaluating buffer zone management and the...

The riparian ecosystem management study: response of small mammals to streamside buffers in western Washington

Treesearch

Martin G. Raphael; Randall J. Wilk

2013-01-01

One of the fundamental concepts behind the conservation strategy in the U.S. federal Northwest Forest Plan is the importance of habitat buff ers in providing functional stream and streamside ecosystems. To better understand the importance of riparian buff ers in providing habitat for associated organisms, we investigated responses of small mammals to various streamside...

A method for quantifying and comparing the costs and benefits of alternative riparian zone buffer widths

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Ethel Wilkerson

2008-01-01

We developed a method that can be used to quantify the opportunity costs and ecological benefits of implementing alternative streamside management zones/buffer zone widths. The opportunity costs are computed based on the net value of the timber left behind in the buffer zone, the stump-to-mill logging costs for the logging technology that would have been used to...

Deforestation and benthic indicators: how much vegetation cover is needed to sustain healthy Andean streams?

PubMed

Iñiguez-Armijos, Carlos; Leiva, Adrián; Frede, Hans-Georg; Hampel, Henrietta; Breuer, Lutz

2014-01-01

Deforestation in the tropical Andes is affecting ecological conditions of streams, and determination of how much forest should be retained is a pressing task for conservation, restoration and management strategies. We calculated and analyzed eight benthic metrics (structural, compositional and water quality indices) and a physical-chemical composite index with gradients of vegetation cover to assess the effects of deforestation on macroinvertebrate communities and water quality of 23 streams in southern Ecuadorian Andes. Using a geographical information system (GIS), we quantified vegetation cover at three spatial scales: the entire catchment, the riparian buffer of 30 m width extending the entire stream length, and the local scale defined for a stream reach of 100 m in length and similar buffer width. Macroinvertebrate and water quality metrics had the strongest relationships with vegetation cover at catchment and riparian scales, while vegetation cover did not show any association with the macroinvertebrate metrics at local scale. At catchment scale, the water quality metrics indicate that ecological condition of Andean streams is good when vegetation cover is over 70%. Further, macroinvertebrate community assemblages were more diverse and related in catchments largely covered by native vegetation (>70%). Our results suggest that retaining an important quantity of native vegetation cover within the catchments and a linkage between headwater and riparian forests help to maintain and improve stream biodiversity and water quality in Andean streams affected by deforestation. This research proposes that a strong regulation focused to the management of riparian buffers can be successful when decision making is addressed to conservation/restoration of Andean catchments.

Deforestation and Benthic Indicators: How Much Vegetation Cover Is Needed to Sustain Healthy Andean Streams?

PubMed Central

Iñiguez–Armijos, Carlos; Leiva, Adrián; Frede, Hans–Georg; Hampel, Henrietta; Breuer, Lutz

2014-01-01

Deforestation in the tropical Andes is affecting ecological conditions of streams, and determination of how much forest should be retained is a pressing task for conservation, restoration and management strategies. We calculated and analyzed eight benthic metrics (structural, compositional and water quality indices) and a physical-chemical composite index with gradients of vegetation cover to assess the effects of deforestation on macroinvertebrate communities and water quality of 23 streams in southern Ecuadorian Andes. Using a geographical information system (GIS), we quantified vegetation cover at three spatial scales: the entire catchment, the riparian buffer of 30 m width extending the entire stream length, and the local scale defined for a stream reach of 100 m in length and similar buffer width. Macroinvertebrate and water quality metrics had the strongest relationships with vegetation cover at catchment and riparian scales, while vegetation cover did not show any association with the macroinvertebrate metrics at local scale. At catchment scale, the water quality metrics indicate that ecological condition of Andean streams is good when vegetation cover is over 70%. Further, macroinvertebrate community assemblages were more diverse and related in catchments largely covered by native vegetation (>70%). Our results suggest that retaining an important quantity of native vegetation cover within the catchments and a linkage between headwater and riparian forests help to maintain and improve stream biodiversity and water quality in Andean streams affected by deforestation. This research proposes that a strong regulation focused to the management of riparian buffers can be successful when decision making is addressed to conservation/restoration of Andean catchments. PMID:25147941

Preliminary study of the effects of headwater riparian reserves with upslope thinning on stream habitats and amphibians in western Oregon.

Treesearch

D.H. Olson; C. Rugger

2007-01-01

We conducted a preliminary examination of the responses of stream amphibians and instream habitat conditions to alternative riparian buffer zones with forest thinning upslope. Pre- and posttreatment surveys were carried out on 68 headwater stream reaches (including 23 unthinned reference reaches) at 11 sites in western Oregon. Streams were in managed conifer stands 40...

Legal ecotones: A comparative analysis of riparian policy protection in the Oregon Coast Range, USA.

PubMed

Boisjolie, Brett A; Santelmann, Mary V; Flitcroft, Rebecca L; Duncan, Sally L

2017-07-15

Waterways of the USA are protected under the public trust doctrine, placing responsibility on the state to safeguard public resources for the benefit of current and future generations. This responsibility has led to the development of management standards for lands adjacent to streams. In the state of Oregon, policy protection for riparian areas varies by ownership (e.g., federal, state, or private), land use (e.g., forest, agriculture, rural residential, or urban) and stream attributes, creating varying standards for riparian land-management practices along the stream corridor. Here, we compare state and federal riparian land-management standards in four major policies that apply to private and public lands in the Oregon Coast Range. We use a standard template to categorize elements of policy protection: (1) the regulatory approach, (2) policy goals, (3) stream attributes, and (4) management standards. All four policies have similar goals for achieving water-quality standards, but differ in their regulatory approach. Plans for agricultural lands rely on outcome-based standards to treat pollution, in contrast with the prescriptive policy approaches for federal, state, and private forest lands, which set specific standards with the intent of preventing pollution. Policies also differ regarding the stream attributes considered when specifying management standards. Across all policies, 25 categories of unique standards are identified. Buffer widths vary from 0 to ∼152 m, with no buffer requirements for streams in agricultural areas or small, non-fish-bearing, seasonal streams on private forest land; narrow buffer requirements for small, non-fish-bearing perennial streams on private forest land (3 m); and the widest buffer requirements for fish-bearing streams on federal land (two site-potential tree-heights, up to an estimated 152 m). Results provide insight into how ecosystem concerns are addressed by variable policy approaches in multi-ownership landscapes, an important consideration to recovery-planning efforts for threatened species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling phosphorus capture by plants growing in a multi-species riparian buffer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The NST 3.0 mechanistic nutrient uptake model was used to explore phosphorus (P) uptake to a depth of 120 cm over a 126-d growing season in simulated buffer communities composed of mixtures of cottonwood (Populus deltoids Bartr.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and smooth brome (Bromis inermis L...

Riparian and Related Values Associated with Flood Control Project Alternatives at Wildcat and San Pablo Creeks

Treesearch

Philip A. Meyer

1989-01-01

This analysis will consider Riparian benefits from alternative project designs at Wildcat and San Pablo Creeks. Particular emphasis will be placed on quantification of riparian values and on the relationship of projects benefits for each project alternative to estimated costs of implementation.

Imidacloprid sorption and transport in cropland, grass buffer and riparian buffer soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Satkowski, Laura E.; Goyne, Keith W.; Anderson, Stephen H.; Lerch, Robert N.; Allen, Craig R.; Snow, Daniel D.

2018-01-01

An understanding of neonicotinoid sorption and transport in soil is critical for determining and mitigating environmental risk associated with the most widely used class of insecticides. The objective of this study was to evaluate mobility and transport of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid (ICD) in soils collected from cropland, grass vegetative buffer strip (VBS), and riparian VBS soils. Soils were collected at six randomly chosen sites within grids that encompassed all three land uses. Single-point equilibrium batch sorption experiments were conducted using radio-labeled (14C) ICD to determine solid–solution partition coefficients (Kd). Column experiments were conducted using soils collected from the three vegetation treatments at one site by packing soil into glass columns. Water flow was characterized by applying Br− as a nonreactive tracer. A single pulse of 14C-ICD was then applied, and ICD leaching was monitored for up to 45 d. Bromide and ICD breakthrough curves for each column were simulated using CXTFIT and HYDRUS-1D models. Sorption results indicated that ICD sorbs more strongly to riparian VBS (Kd = 22.6 L kg−1) than crop (Kd = 11.3 L kg−1) soils. Soil organic C was the strongest predictor of ICD sorption (p < 0.0001). The column transport study found mean peak concentrations of ICD at 5.83, 10.84, and 23.8 pore volumes for crop, grass VBS, and riparian VBS soils, respectively. HYDRUS-1D results indicated that the two-site, one-rate linear reversible model best described results of the breakthrough curves, indicating the complexity of ICD sorption and demonstrating its mobility in soil. Greater sorption and longer retention by the grass and riparian VBS soils than the cropland soil suggests that VBS may be a viable means to mitigate ICD loss from agroecosystems, thereby preventing ICD transport into surface water, groundwater, or drinking water resources.

Burn Severity Based Stream Buffers for Post Wildfire Salvage Logging Erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bone, E. D.; Robichaud, P. R.; Brooks, E. S.; Brown, R. E.

2017-12-01

Riparian buffers may be managed for timber harvest disturbances to decrease the risk of hillslope erosion entering stream channels during runoff events. After a wildfire, burned riparian buffers may become less efficient at infiltrating runoff and reducing sedimentation, requiring wider dimensions. Testing riparian buffers under post-wildfire conditions may provide managers guidance on how to manage post-fire salvage logging operations on hillslopes and protect water quality in adjacent streams. We tested burned, unlogged hillslopes at the 2015 North Star Fire and 2016 Cayuse Mountain Fire locations in Washington, USA for their ability to reduce runoff flows and sedimentation. Our objectives were to: 1) measure the travel distances of concentrated flows using three sediment-laden flow rates, 2) measure the change in sediment concentration as each flow moves downslope, 3) test hillslopes under high burn-severity, low burn-severity and unburned conditions, and 4) conduct experiments at 0, 1 and 2 years since the fire events. Mean total flow length at the North Star Fire in year 1 was 211% greater at low burn-severity sites than unburned sites, and 467% greater at high burn-severity sites than unburned sites. Results decreased for all burned sites in year 2; by 40% at the high burn-severity sites, and by 30% at the low burn-severity sites, with no significant changes at the unburned sites. We tested only high burn-severity sites at the Cayuse Mountain Fire in year 0 and 1 where the mean total flow length between year 0 and year 1 decreased by 65%. The results of sediment concentration changes tracked closely with the magnitude of changes in flow travel lengths between treatments. Results indicate that managers may need to increase the widths of burned stream buffers during post-wildfire salvage logging for water quality protection, but stream buffer widths may decrease with less severe burn severity and increasing elapsed time (years) since fire.

Using American elm in mixed-species plantings to restore above- and below-ground function to degraded riparian buffers

Treesearch

C.C. Pinchot; D.J. Lodge; R. Minocha; T.W. Noon; V. D’Amico; C. Flower; K.M. Knight; J. Slavicek

2017-01-01

We recently established a study to evaluate the effects of several riparian restoration treatments on degraded streambanks located on the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) in western New York. A legacy of cattle grazing has led to soil compaction, invasion by non-native invasive plant species (NNIP), as well as heavy nitrogen loading and increased bacterial levels in...

The density management and riparian buffer study: a large-scale silviculture experiment informing riparian management in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Treesearch

Paul D. Anderson; Nathan J. Poage

2014-01-01

The advent of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in the early 1990s signaled a new paradigm for management of 9.9 million ha of federal forest lands in western Washington and Oregon, USA. The emphasis shifted from commodity timber production to ensuring sustained ecological functioning to meet a broad array of ecosystem services including economic benefits. Under interim...

The intertwining paths of the density managment and riparian buffer study and the Northwest Forest Plan

Treesearch

Kenneth J. Ruzicka; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2013-01-01

Initiated simultaneously, the Density Management and Riparian Buff er Study of western Oregon and the Northwest Forest Plan have had intertwining paths related to federal forest management and policy changes in the Pacifi c Northwest over the last 15 to 20 years. We briefl y discuss the development of the Northwest Forest Plan and how it changed the way forest policy...

The effects of catchment and riparian forest quality on stream environmental conditions across a tropical rainforest and oil palm landscape in Malaysian Borneo.

PubMed

Luke, Sarah H; Barclay, Holly; Bidin, Kawi; Chey, Vun Khen; Ewers, Robert M; Foster, William A; Nainar, Anand; Pfeifer, Marion; Reynolds, Glen; Turner, Edgar C; Walsh, Rory P D; Aldridge, David C

2017-06-01

Freshwaters provide valuable habitat and important ecosystem services but are threatened worldwide by habitat loss and degradation. In Southeast Asia, rainforest streams are particularly threatened by logging and conversion to oil palm, but we lack information on the impacts of this on freshwater environmental conditions, and the relative importance of catchment versus riparian-scale disturbance. We studied 16 streams in Sabah, Borneo, including old-growth forest, logged forest, and oil palm sites. We assessed forest quality in riparian zones and across the whole catchment and compared it with stream environmental conditions including water quality, structural complexity, and organic inputs. We found that streams with the highest riparian forest quality were nearly 4 °C cooler, over 20 cm deeper, had over 40% less sand, greater canopy cover, more stored leaf litter, and wider channels than oil palm streams with the lowest riparian forest quality. Other variables were significantly related to catchment-scale forest quality, with streams in the highest quality forest catchments having 40% more bedrock and 20 times more dead wood, along with higher phosphorus, and lower nitrate-N levels compared to streams with the lowest catchment-scale forest quality. Although riparian buffer strips went some way to protecting waterways, they did not maintain fully forest-like stream conditions. In addition, logged forest streams still showed signs of disturbance 10-15 years after selective logging. Our results suggest that maintenance and restoration of buffer strips can help to protect healthy freshwater ecosystems but logging practices and catchment-scale forest management also need to be considered.

Analysis of metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid (MESA) chirality in groundwater: A tool for dating groundwater movement in agricultural settings.

PubMed

Rice, Clifford P; McCarty, Gregory W; Bialek-Kalinski, Krystyna; Zabetakis, Kara; Torrents, Alba; Hapeman, Cathleen J

2016-08-01

To better address how much groundwater contributes to the loadings of pollutants from agriculture we developed a specific dating tool for groundwater residence times. This tool is based on metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid, which is a major soil metabolite of metolachlor. The chiral forms of metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid (MESA) and the chiral forms of metolachlor were examined over a 6-year period in samples of groundwater and water from a groundwater-fed stream in a riparian buffer zone. This buffer zone bordered cropland receiving annual treatments with metolachlor. Racemic (rac) metolachlor was applied for two years in the neighboring field, and subsequently S-metolachlor was used which is enriched by 88% with the S-enantiomer. Chiral analyses of the samples showed an exponential increase in abundance of the S-enantiomeric forms for MESA as a function of time for both the first order riparian buffer stream (R(2)=0.80) and for groundwater within the riparian buffer (R(2)=0.96). However, the S-enrichment values for metolachlor were consistently high indicating different delivery mechanisms for MESA and metolachlor. A mean residence time of 3.8years was determined for depletion of the initially-applied rac-metolachlor. This approach could be useful in dating groundwater and determining the effectiveness of conservation measures. A mean residence time of 3.8years was calculated for groundwater feeding a first-order stream by plotting the timed-decay for the R-enantiomer of metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Denitrification and N2O emissions in annual croplands, perennial grass buffers, and restored perennial grasslands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Inclusion of perennial vegetation filter strips (PFS) in the toeslope of annual cropland watersheds can decrease nitrate (NO3) losses to ground and surface waters. Although PFS are similar to riparian buffers, PFS are a relatively new conservation tool and the processes responsible for NO3 removal f...

Streambank Erosion from Grazed Pastures, Grass Filters and Forest Buffers Over a Six-Year Period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In agricultural landscapes, streambank erosion, as a source of non-point water pollution, is one of the major contributors to stream habitat degradation. Streambank erosion rates from riparian forest buffers, grass filters and grazed pastures (stocking rates ranged from 0.23 to 1.15 cow-days ha-1 m-...

Riparian zone hydrology and biogeochemistry as a function of stream evolution stage in glaciated landscapes of the US Northeast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rook, S. P.; Vidon, P.; Walter, M. T.

2011-12-01

The management of riparian buffer strips is often regarded as one of the most economical and sustainable methods of managing non-point source pollution and water quality. However, current riparian management often follows a 'one size fits all' design, which fails to recognize the complexity of the many biogeochemical processes that regulate pollutant transformation and retention in these systems. This study addresses two critical gaps in knowledge: (1) How carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and iron cycles interact with one another (rather than individually). (2) How stream channel geometry and evolution regulate these nutrient cycles and greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics in the near stream zone. This project specifically explores the hydrological and biogeochemical functioning of riparian zones across a gradient of stream meander evolution stages, with the primary goal of understanding and predicting potential interactions between nutrient dynamics in these systems. Key research questions include: (1) How does stream meander curvature affect riparian zone hydrology? (2) How does stream meander curvature influence riparian zone biogeochemistry? (3) What relationships exist among N, P, Fe, and GHG dynamics? We instrumented three riparian sites near Ithaca, NY, with a dense network of wells, piezometers, and static chambers. These sites represent three riparian zones along three evolution stages of stream meanders: an inner meander, a straight stream section, and an outer bend of the stream with an oxbow lake formation. In spring through fall 2011, water samples and gas samples were collected at a tri-weekly bases at each of the three sites. Water samples were analyzed for oxidation-reduction potential, dissolved oxygen, temperature, FeII/FeIII, nutrients (NO3-, NH4+, PO43-) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). GHG fluxes at the soil-atmosphere interface were measured for N2O, CO2, and CH4 gases. We predict that stream curvature will significantly affect groundwater flow direction in the riparian zones. Owing to more prolonged saturation, we expect that the oxbow setting will exhibit anoxic conditions, and associated biogeochemistry. Finally, we hypothesize clear relationships among N, P, Fe, and GHG dynamics. In areas of significant denitrification, we expect to see an increase in Fe reduction, PO43- release, N2O emission, and CH4 emission, and a decrease in CO2 emission. Quantifying these interactions will enhance our ability to model riparian biogeochemical processes, promote water quality, and comprehend to what extent the promotion of riparian zones for nitrate removal is done at the expense of air quality (with respect to GHG emissions) and/or water quality (with respect to P).

Low thermal tolerances of stream amphibians in the Pacific Northwest: Implications for riparian and forest management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bury, R.B.

2008-01-01

Temperature has a profound effect on survival and ecology of amphibians. In the Pacific Northwest, timber harvest is known to increase peak stream temperatures to 24??C or higher, which has potential to negatively impact cold-water stream amphibians. I determined the Critical Thermal Maxima (CT max) for two salamanders that are endemic to the Pacific Northwest. Rhyacotriton variegatus larvae acclimated at 10??C had mean CTmax of 26.7 ?? 0.7 SD??C and adults acclimated at 11??C had mean CT max of 27.9 ?? 1.1??C. These were among the lowest known values for any amphibian. Values were significantly higher for larval Dicamptodon tenebrosus acclimated at 14??C (x = 29.1 ?? 0.2??C). Although the smallest R. variegatus had some of the lowest values, size of larvae and adults did not influence CTmax in this species. Current forest practices retain riparian buffers along larger fish-bearing streams; however, such buffers along smaller headwaters and non-fish bearing streams may provide favorable habitat conditions for coldwater-associated species in the Pacific Northwest. The current study lends further evidence to the need for protection of Northwest stream amphibians from environmental perturbations. Forest guidelines that include riparian buffer zones and configurations of upland stands should be developed, while monitoring amphibian responses to determine their success. ?? 2008 Brill Academic Publishers.

Biomass production in the Lower Mississippi River Basin: Mitigating associated nutrient and sediment discharge to the Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Ha, Miae; Zhang, Zhonglong; Wu, May

2018-04-24

A watershed model was developed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) that simulates nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loadings in the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB). The LMRB SWAT model was calibrated and validated using 21 years of observed flow, sediment, and water-quality data. The baseline model results indicate that agricultural lands within the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB) are the dominant sources of nitrogen and phosphorus discharging into the Gulf of Mexico. The model was further used to evaluate the impact of biomass production, in the presence of riparian buffers in the LMRB, on suspended-sediment and nutrient loading discharge from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. The interplay among land use, riparian buffers, crop type, land slope, water quality, and hydrology were anlyzed at various scales. Implementing a riparian buffer in the dominant agricultural region within the LMRB could reduce suspended sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loadings at the regional scale by up to 65%, 38%, and 39%, respectively. Implementation of this land management practice can reduce the suspended-sediment content and improve the water quality of the discharge from the LMRB into the Gulf of Mexico and support the potential production of bioenergy and bio-products within the Mississippi River Basin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of buffer strips and stream-side grazing on small mammals in southwestern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Erik W.; Ribic, C.A.

2002-01-01

The practice of continuously grazing cattle along streams has caused extensive degradation of riparian habitats. Buffer strips and managed intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) have been proposed to protect and restore stream ecosystems in Wisconsin. However, the ecological implications of a switch from traditional livestock management to MIRG or buffer strip establishment have not been investigated. Differences in small mammal communities associated with riparian areas on continuously grazed and MIRG pastures, as well as vegetative buffer strips adjacent to row crops, were investigated in southwestern Wisconsin during May-September 1997 and 1998. More species (mean of 6-7) were found on the buffer sites than on the pasture sites (mean of 2-5). Total small mammal abundance on buffer sites was greater than on the pastures as well: there were 3-5 times as many animals on the buffer sites compared to the pasture sites, depending on year. There were no differences in species richness or total abundance between MIRG and continuously grazed pastures in either year. Total small mammal abundance was greater near the stream than away from the stream, regardless of farm management practice but there were no differences in species richness. Buffer strips appear to support a particularly rich and abundant small mammal community. Although results did not detect a difference in small mammal use between pasture types, farm-wide implications of a conversion from continuous to MIRG styles of grazing may benefit small mammals indirectly by causing an increase in the prevalence of pasture in the agricultural landscape.

Costs of Producing Biomass from Riparian Buffer Strips

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turhollow, A.

2000-09-01

Nutrient runoff from poultry litter applied to agricultural fields in the Delmarva Peninsula contributes to high nutrient loadings in Chesapeake Bay. One potential means of ameliorating this problem is the use of riparian buffer strips. Riparian buffer strips intercept overland flows of water, sediments, nutrients, and pollutants; and ground water flows of nutrients and pollutants. Costs are estimated for three biomass systems grown on buffer strips: willow planted at a density of 15,300 trees/ha (6200 trees/acre); poplar planted at a density of 1345 trees/ha (545 trees/acre); and switchgrass. These costs are estimated for five different scenarios: (1) total economic costs,more » where everything is costed [cash costs, noncash costs (e.g., depreciation), land rent, labor]; (2) costs with Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) payments (which pays 50% of establishment costs and an annual land rent); (3) costs with enhanced CRP payments (which pays 95% of establishment costs and an annual payment of approximately 170% of land rent for trees and 150% of land rent for grasses); (4) costs when buffer strips are required, but harvest of biomass is not required [costs borne by biomass are for yield enhancing activities (e.g., fertilization), harvest, and transport]; and (5) costs when buffer strips are required. and harvest of biomass is required to remove nutrients (costs borne by biomass are for yield enhancing activities and transport). CRP regulations would have to change to allow harvest. Delivered costs of willow, poplar, and switchgrass [including transportation costs of $0.38/GJ ($0.40/million Btu) for switchgrass and $0.57/GJ ($0.60/million Btu) for willow and poplar] at 11.2 dry Mg/ha-year (5 dry tons/acre-year) for the five cost scenarios listed above are [$/GJ ($million BIN)]: (1) 3.30-5.45 (3.45-5.75); (2) 2.30-3.80 (2.45-4.00); (3) 1.70-2.45 (1.80-2.60); (4) l-85-3.80 (1.95-4.05); and (5) 0.80-1.50 (0.85-1.60). At yields of 15.7 to 17.9 GJ/ha-year (7 to 8 dry tons/acre-year), lower willow and poplar establishment costs, transportation costs of $0.30 to $0.45/GJ ($0.30-$0.50/million Btu), and lower willow and poplar harvest costs, total economic costs for willow (19-year stand life), poplar, and switchgrass are $2.35 to $2.6O/GJ ($2.50 to $2.75/million Btu). The potential production of biomass from riparian buffer strips in the Delmarva Peninsula ranges from 190,000 to 380,000 Mg (2 10,000 to 420,000 dry tons) per year.« less

Validating LiDAR Derived Estimates of Canopy Height, Structure and Fractional Cover in Riparian Areas: A Comparison of Leaf-on and Leaf-off LiDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasser, L. A.; Chasmer, L. E.; Taylor, A.; Day, R.

2010-12-01

Characterization of riparian buffers is integral to understanding the landscape scale impacts of disturbance on wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. Riparian buffers may be characterized using in situ plot sampling or via high resolution remote sensing. Field measurements are time-consuming and may not cover a broad range of ecosystem types. Further, spectral remote sensing methods introduce a compromise between spatial resolution (grain) and area extent. Airborne LiDAR can be used to continuously map and characterize riparian vegetation structure and composition due to the three-dimensional reflectance of laser pulses within and below the canopy, understory and at the ground surface. The distance between reflections (or ‘returns’) allows for detection of narrow buffer corridors at the landscape scale. There is a need to compare leaf-off and leaf-on surveyed LiDAR data with in situ measurements to assess accuracy in landscape scale analysis. These comparisons are particularly important considering increased availability of leaf-off surveyed LiDAR datasets. And given this increased availability, differences between leaf-on and leaf-off derived LiDAR metrics are largely unknown for riparian vegetation of varying composition and structure. This study compares the effectiveness of leaf-on and leaf-off LiDAR in characterizing riparian buffers of varying structure and composition as compared to field measurements. Field measurements were used to validate LiDAR derived metrics. Vegetation height, canopy cover, density and overstory and understory species composition were recorded in 80 random plots of varying vegetation type, density and structure within a Pennsylvania watershed (-77.841, 40.818). Plot data were compared with LiDAR data collected during leaf on and leaf off conditions to determine 1) accuracy of LiDAR derived metrics compared to field measures and 2) differences between leaf-on and leaf-off LiDAR metrics. Results illustrate that differences exist between metrics derived from leaf on and leaf-off surveyed LiDAR. There is greater variability between the two datasets within taller deciduous and mixed (conifer and deciduous) vegetation compared to shorter deciduous and mixed vegetation. Differences decrease as stand density increases for both mixed and deciduous forests. LiDAR derived canopy height is more sensitive to understory vegetation as stand density decreases making measurement of understory vegetation in the field important in the validation process. Finally, while leaf-on LiDAR is often preferred for vegetation analysis, results suggest that leaf-off LiDAR may be sufficient to categorize vegetation into height classes to be used for landscape scale habitat models.

Measuring and Monitoring HydroBiogeochemical Flux in a Forested Riparian Floodplain of the Missouri Ozarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinnasamy, P.; Hubbart, J. A.

2009-12-01

Forested riparian buffers play a vital role in protecting riparian ecosystems from natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Quantifying effective reach and catchment scale buffer designs is critical to achieve economic and riparian wetland natural resource sustainability. Advances in management of riparian wetlands require innovative reach-scale experimental studies and subsequent improvements in riparian modeling. Riparian recommended best management practices (BMPs) in Missouri (MO) have not been validated. Studies are therefore warranted to describe subsurface interactions between the stream, hyporheic zone (HZ), and adjoining riparian wetland/floodplain. Within the HZ groundwater discharge through highly permeable Karst geology can dramatically affect water quality. The following research is on-going in the Baskett Research and Education Area (BREA), a 9.17 km2 preserved wildland watershed located 8 km east of Ashland, in the Ozark border region of south-central MO. The climate at BREA is generally described as warm, humid, and continental, with mean January and August temperatures of -2.4 °C and 24.5 °C, respectively, and 1,022 mm mean annual precipitation. Limestone geology of Ordovician and Mississippian age underlies the BREA with dominant soils of Weller silt loam and Clinkenbeard clay loam. Vegetation at the BREA consists of northern and southern division oak dominated hickory forests. BREA offers a distinct opportunity to study wildland watershed processes to validate contemporary best management practices (BMP) in MO. To quantify hydrobiogeochemical flux, spatial and temporal (3 water years) variability in stream water temperatures, key nutrients (NO3, P, K, NH3) and hyporheic exchange are being monitored. Key hydrologic variables approaching a mass balance, plus groundwater monitoring (via piezometric arrays) are being studied. Results (beginning summer and fall 2009) will provide the necessary information to quantify the relationships between riparian buffer density and floodplain efficacy in ameliorating hydrologic and biogeochemical processes. Previous studies show that highest nutrient concentrations tend to occur in the smallest streams. In Iowa, watershed study results (areas 47 to 2774 km2) showed that NO3 concentrations in surface water ranged from 0.4-10.8 mg/L in larger watersheds while in smaller watersheds it ranged from 3.1-10 mg/L. Nitrate was shown to travel 5-10 times as farther than other constituents of concern including ammonia (NH3), which can travel tens to hundreds of meters. Given results from previous studies, it is expected that headwater streams of the BREA will supply nutrients at higher concentrations. It is further expected that nutrient flux will originate from surrounding hillslopes through the floodplain to streams (spatially and temporally variable). Riparian floodplains of the BREA will be characterized with respect to the pools and fluxes of water and nutrients, from which BMP efficacy can be assessed. This work will provide regionally specific and scientifically validated information that will justify the use of current or modified BMPs. Published results will better equip agencies and citizens to better protect these complex and critically important fresh water ecosystems.

7 CFR 1410.30 - Signup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... highly under § 1410.31(b) and may include high priority practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and living snow fences, grass waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, salt...

7 CFR 1410.30 - Signup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... highly under § 1410.31(b) and may include high priority practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and living snow fences, grass waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, salt...

7 CFR 1410.30 - Signup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... highly under § 1410.31(b) and may include high priority practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and living snow fences, grass waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, salt...

7 CFR 1410.30 - Signup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... highly under § 1410.31(b) and may include high priority practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and living snow fences, grass waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, salt...

7 CFR 1410.30 - Signup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... highly under § 1410.31(b) and may include high priority practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and living snow fences, grass waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, salt...

Discerning responses of down wood and understory vegetation abundance to riparian buffer width and thinning treatments: an equivalence-inequivalence approach

Treesearch

Paul D. Anderson; Mark A. Meleason

2009-01-01

We investigated buffer width and thinning effects on the abundance of down wood and understory vegetation in headwater stream catchments of 40- to 65-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests in western Oregon, USA. Small-wood cover became more homogeneous among stream reaches within 5 years following thinning, primarily...

Removal of Woody Riparian Vegetation Substantially Altered a Stream Ecosystem in an Otherwise Undisturbed Grassland Watershed

DOE PAGES

Larson, Danelle M.; Dodds, Walter K.; Veach, Allison M.

2018-04-23

Riparian zones are key interfaces between stream and terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, we know of no whole-watershed experiments that cut only woody vegetation in the riparian zone in an otherwise intact watershed to isolate the role of riparian zones on stream ecology. We removed all of the woody riparian vegetation (from 10- and 30-m-wide buffers in headwaters and main channels, respectively) for 5 km of stream in a single watershed while leaving the remainder of the grassland watershed un-impacted. We assessed water chemistry changes 3 years before and 3 years after riparian wood removal and in two neighboring control watersheds withmore » a before–after, control-impact design and analysis. Riparian woody removal caused 10–100-fold increases in mean stream water nitrate concentrations and pulses of high nitrate for 3 years thereafter. Other nutrients and total suspended solids increased 2–25 times for the 3 years of post-removal. In-stream rates of gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem production had large treatment effect sizes but also high variance among samples. Past studies of whole-watershed deforestations showed similar water quality responses to our riparian deforestation. Riparian zones of grassland streams are sensitive to disturbance and likely impart relatively greater influence on stream structure and function than the upslope of the watershed. Finally, our results further emphasize the role of riparian zones in biogeochemically linking aquatic and terrestrial habitats.« less

Removal of Woody Riparian Vegetation Substantially Altered a Stream Ecosystem in an Otherwise Undisturbed Grassland Watershed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larson, Danelle M.; Dodds, Walter K.; Veach, Allison M.

Riparian zones are key interfaces between stream and terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, we know of no whole-watershed experiments that cut only woody vegetation in the riparian zone in an otherwise intact watershed to isolate the role of riparian zones on stream ecology. We removed all of the woody riparian vegetation (from 10- and 30-m-wide buffers in headwaters and main channels, respectively) for 5 km of stream in a single watershed while leaving the remainder of the grassland watershed un-impacted. We assessed water chemistry changes 3 years before and 3 years after riparian wood removal and in two neighboring control watersheds withmore » a before–after, control-impact design and analysis. Riparian woody removal caused 10–100-fold increases in mean stream water nitrate concentrations and pulses of high nitrate for 3 years thereafter. Other nutrients and total suspended solids increased 2–25 times for the 3 years of post-removal. In-stream rates of gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem production had large treatment effect sizes but also high variance among samples. Past studies of whole-watershed deforestations showed similar water quality responses to our riparian deforestation. Riparian zones of grassland streams are sensitive to disturbance and likely impart relatively greater influence on stream structure and function than the upslope of the watershed. Finally, our results further emphasize the role of riparian zones in biogeochemically linking aquatic and terrestrial habitats.« less

Current-use pesticides in stream water and suspended particles following runoff: exposure, effects, and mitigation requirements.

PubMed

Bereswill, Renja; Streloke, Martin; Schulz, Ralf

2013-06-01

The European Union's directive for sustainable use of pesticides requires implementing risk mitigation measures at streams threatened by pesticide entries. The need for mitigation measures was investigated at 10 stream sites within an intensively used arable region in central Germany by characterizing pesticide exposure following edge-of-field runoff and effects on the aquatic macroinvertebrates. Moreover, the influence of riparian buffer strip width (as a mitigation measure) at the sampling sites was considered. Generally, invertebrate fauna was dominated by pesticide-tolerant species, suggesting a high pesticide exposure at almost all sites. This result is also reflected by the elevated levels of suspended particle contamination in terms of toxic units (logTUMax  > -2), corresponding to one-hundredth of the median lethal concentration (LC50) to Daphnia magna. At two sites that received high aqueous-phase entries of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin (logTUMax  > -0.6), the abundance and number of sensitive species in terms of the species at risk index decreased during the pesticide application period. In contrast, no acute significant negative effects on macroinvertebrates were observed at sites characterised by low water-phase toxicity (logTUMax  < -3.5). An influence of riparian buffer strip width on pesticide exposure was not observed, supposedly because of the presence of erosion rills and ephemeral ditches. In conclusion, results show that mitigation measures (such as the improvement of currently present riparian buffer strips) are needed in the study area. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

The effects of catchment and riparian forest quality on stream environmental conditions across a tropical rainforest and oil palm landscape in Malaysian Borneo

PubMed Central

Barclay, Holly; Bidin, Kawi; Chey, Vun Khen; Ewers, Robert M.; Foster, William A.; Nainar, Anand; Pfeifer, Marion; Reynolds, Glen; Turner, Edgar C.; Walsh, Rory P. D.; Aldridge, David C.

2017-01-01

Abstract Freshwaters provide valuable habitat and important ecosystem services but are threatened worldwide by habitat loss and degradation. In Southeast Asia, rainforest streams are particularly threatened by logging and conversion to oil palm, but we lack information on the impacts of this on freshwater environmental conditions, and the relative importance of catchment versus riparian‐scale disturbance. We studied 16 streams in Sabah, Borneo, including old‐growth forest, logged forest, and oil palm sites. We assessed forest quality in riparian zones and across the whole catchment and compared it with stream environmental conditions including water quality, structural complexity, and organic inputs. We found that streams with the highest riparian forest quality were nearly 4 °C cooler, over 20 cm deeper, had over 40% less sand, greater canopy cover, more stored leaf litter, and wider channels than oil palm streams with the lowest riparian forest quality. Other variables were significantly related to catchment‐scale forest quality, with streams in the highest quality forest catchments having 40% more bedrock and 20 times more dead wood, along with higher phosphorus, and lower nitrate‐N levels compared to streams with the lowest catchment‐scale forest quality. Although riparian buffer strips went some way to protecting waterways, they did not maintain fully forest‐like stream conditions. In addition, logged forest streams still showed signs of disturbance 10–15 years after selective logging. Our results suggest that maintenance and restoration of buffer strips can help to protect healthy freshwater ecosystems but logging practices and catchment‐scale forest management also need to be considered. PMID:28706573

High-resolution monitoring across the soil-groundwater interface - Revealing small-scale hydrochemical patterns with a novel multi-level well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gassen, Niklas; Griebler, Christian; Stumpp, Christine

2016-04-01

Biogeochemical turnover processes in the subsurface are highly variable both in time and space. In order to capture this variability, high resolution monitoring systems are required. Particular in riparian zones the understanding of small-scale biogeochemical processes is of interest, as they are regarded as important buffer zones for nutrients and contaminants with high turnover rates. To date, riparian research has focused on influences of groundwater-surface water interactions on element cycling, but little is known about processes occurring at the interface between the saturated and the unsaturated zone during dynamic flow conditions. Therefore, we developed a new type of high resolution multi-level well (HR-MLW) that has been installed in the riparian zone of the Selke river. This HR-MLW for the first time enables to derive water samples both from the unsaturated and the saturated zone across one vertical profile with a spatial vertical resolution of 0.05 to 0.5 m to a depth of 4 m b.l.s. Water samples from the unsaturated zone are extracted via suction cup sampling. Samples from the saturated zone are withdrawn through glass filters and steel capillaries. Both, ceramic cups and glass filters, are installed along a 1" HDPE piezometer tube. First high resolution hydrochemical profiles revealed a distinct depth-zonation in the riparian alluvial aquifer. A shallow zone beneath the water table carried a signature isotopically and hydrochemically similar to the nearby river, while layers below 1.5 m were influenced by regional groundwater. This zonation showed temporal dynamics related to groundwater table fluctuations and microbial turnover processes. The HR-MLW delivered new insight into mixing and turnover processes between riverwater and groundwater in riparian zones, both in a temporal and spatial dimension. With these new insights, we are able to improve our understanding of dynamic turnover processes at the soil - groundwater interface and of surface -groundwater interactions in riparian zones. In the future, a better prediction and targeted management of buffer mechanisms in riparian zones will be possible.

Classification and spatial mapping of riparian habitat with applications toward management of streams impacted by nonpoint source pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delong, Michael D.; Brusven, Merlyn A.

1991-07-01

Management of riparian habitats has been recognized for its importance in reducing instream effects of agricultural nonpoint source pollution. By serving as a buffer, well structured riparian habitats can reduce nonpoint source impacts by filtering surface runoff from field to stream. A system has been developed where key characteristics of riparian habitat, vegetation type, height, width, riparian and shoreline bank slope, and land use are classified as discrete categorical units. This classification system recognizes seven riparian vegetation types, which are determined by dominant plant type. Riparian and shoreline bank slope, in addition to riparian width and height, each consist of five categories. Classification by discrete units allows for ready digitizing of information for production of spatial maps using a geographic information system (GIS). The classification system was tested for field efficiency on Tom Beall Creek watershed, an agriculturally impacted third-order stream in the Clearwater River drainage, Nez Perce County, Idaho, USA. The classification system was simple to use during field applications and provided a good inventory of riparian habitat. After successful field tests, spatial maps were produced for each component using the Professional Map Analysis Package (pMAP), a GIS program. With pMAP, a map describing general riparian habitat condition was produced by combining the maps of components of riparian habitat, and the condition map was integrated with a map of soil erosion potential in order to determine areas along the stream that are susceptible to nonpoint source pollution inputs. Integration of spatial maps of riparian classification and watershed characteristics has great potential as a tool for aiding in making management decisions for mitigating off-site impacts of agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

Riparian vegetation structure under desertification scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosário Fernandes, M.; Segurado, Pedro; Jauch, Eduardo; Ferreira, M. Teresa

2015-04-01

Riparian areas are responsible for many ecological and ecosystems services, including the filtering function, that are considered crucial to the preservation of water quality and social benefits. The main goal of this study is to quantify and understand the riparian variability under desertification scenario(s) and identify the optimal riparian indicators for water scarcity and droughts (WS&D), henceforth improving river basin management. This study was performed in the Iberian Tâmega basin, using riparian woody patches, mapped by visual interpretation on Google Earth imagery, along 130 Sampling Units of 250 m long river stretches. Eight riparian structural indicators, related with lateral dimension, weighted area and shape complexity of riparian patches were calculated using Patch Analyst extension for ArcGis 10. A set of 29 hydrological, climatic, and hydrogeomorphological variables were computed, by a water modelling system (MOHID), using monthly meteorological data between 2008 and 2014. Land-use classes were also calculated, in a 250m-buffer surrounding each sampling unit, using a classification based system on Corine Land Cover. Boosted Regression Trees identified Mean-width (MW) as the optimal riparian indicator for water scarcity and drought, followed by the Weighted Class Area (WCA) (classification accuracy =0.79 and 0.69 respectively). Average Flow and Strahler number were consistently selected, by all boosted models, as the most important explanatory variables. However, a combined effect of hidrogeomorphology and land-use can explain the high variability found in the riparian width mainly in Tâmega tributaries. Riparian patches are larger towards Tâmega river mouth although with lower shape complexity, probably related with more continuous and almost monospecific stands. Climatic, hydrological and land use scenarios, singly and combined, were used to quantify the riparian variability responding to these changes, and to assess the loss of riparian functions such as nutrient incorporation and sediment flux alterations.

The influence of large wood accumulations on riparian seed bank diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osei, N. A.

2012-04-01

Little is known about the structure and complexity of seed bank within the riparian corridor and the how large wood accumulations contribute to riparian seed bank diversity. This study aimed to examine and quantify seed bank assemblage and diversity along the undisturbed riparian corridor of the Highland Water, a second order lowland stream draining the New Forest. Seed bank samples were collected from five riparian corridor microhabitats namely mid-channel bars, floodplains, bare banks, banks adjacent large wood accumulations and within large wood accumulations that differed in their hydrologic connectivity with the river. Descriptive statistics and ordination methods applied to the floristic and sediment data sets indicates that sediment organic matter content, species richness and proportions of functional types distinctly differed among the riparian microhabitats types but there was no difference in viable seed densities. Banks adjacent large wood accumulations were the most floristically diverse and rich in organic matter with mid-channel bars exhibiting the reverse. This was due to the ability of large wood accumulations to buffer varying magnitudes of physical gradients and sort seeds and sediments, therefore altering the character of bare banks. This study not only strengthen the evidence that riparian corridors exhibit elevated spatial sediment and vegetation heterogeneity but also demonstrates the importance of large wood accumulation as habitat modifiers, ecosystem engineers and conservation sink for moisture, organic matter and seeds, resources essential for riparian vegetation conservation, recovery and restoration efforts.

Effects of Grazing Management and Buffer Strips on Metal Runoff from Pastures Fertilized with Poultry Litter.

PubMed

Pilon, C; Moore, P A; Pote, D H; Martin, J W; DeLaune, P B

2017-03-01

Metal runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter may pose a threat to aquatic systems. Buffer strips located adjacent to fields may reduce nutrients and solids in runoff. However, scant information exists on the long-term effects of buffer strips combined with grazing management on metal runoff from pastures. The objective of this study was to assess the 12-yr impact of grazing management and buffer strips on metal runoff from pastures receiving poultry litter. The research was conducted using 15 watersheds (25 m wide and 57 m long) with five treatments: hayed (H), continuously grazed (CG), rotationally grazed (R), rotationally grazed with a buffer strip (RB), and rotationally grazed with a fenced riparian buffer strip (RBR). Poultry litter was applied annually in spring at 5.6 Mg ha. Runoff samples were collected after every rainfall event. Aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) concentrations were strongly and positively correlated with total suspended solids, indicating soil erosion was the primary source. Soluble Al and Fe were not related to total Al and Fe. However, there was a strong positive correlation between soluble and total copper (Cu) concentrations. The majority of total Cu and zinc was in water-soluble form. The CG treatment had the highest metal concentrations and loads of all treatments. The RBR and H treatments resulted in lower concentrations of total Al, Cu, Fe, potassium, manganese, and total organic carbon in the runoff. Rotational grazing with a fenced riparian buffer and converting pastures to hayfields appear to be effective management systems for decreasing concentrations and loads of metals in surface runoff from pastures fertilized with poultry litter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Stream channel designs for riparian and wet meadow rangelands in the southwestern United States

Treesearch

Roy Jemison; Daniel G. Neary

2000-01-01

Inappropriate land uses have degraded wetland and riparian ecosystems throughout the Southwestern United States. In 1996, the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico implemented a channel relocation project, as part of a road improvement project, to determine the feasibility of restoring wet meadow and riparian ecosystems degraded by inappropriately located roads and...

Evaluating the ecological economic success of riparian restoration projects in Arizona (Abstract)

Treesearch

Gary B. Snider

2000-01-01

The past 4 years the Arizona Water Protection Fund provided more than $25 million to individuals and organizations for stream and riparian restoration projects in Arizona. Information which increases the awareness of the value of Arizona's riparian systems is crucial to the incorporation of ecosystem services into decision-making frameworks, which are largely...

Incorporating climate change projections into riparian restoration planning and design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Laura G.; Reynolds, Lindsay V.; Beechie, Timothy J.; Collins, Mathias J.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2015-01-01

Climate change and associated changes in streamflow may alter riparian habitats substantially in coming decades. Riparian restoration provides opportunities to respond proactively to projected climate change effects, increase riparian ecosystem resilience to climate change, and simultaneously address effects of both climate change and other human disturbances. However, climate change may alter which restoration methods are most effective and which restoration goals can be achieved. Incorporating climate change into riparian restoration planning and design is critical to long-term restoration of desired community composition and ecosystem services. In this review, we discuss and provide examples of how climate change might be incorporated into restoration planning at the key stages of assessing the project context, establishing restoration goals and design criteria, evaluating design alternatives, and monitoring restoration outcomes. Restoration planners have access to numerous tools to predict future climate, streamflow, and riparian ecology at restoration sites. Planners can use those predictions to assess which species or ecosystem services will be most vulnerable under future conditions, and which sites will be most suitable for restoration. To accommodate future climate and streamflow change, planners may need to adjust methods for planting, invasive species control, channel and floodplain reconstruction, and water management. Given the considerable uncertainty in future climate and streamflow projections, riparian ecological responses, and effects on restoration outcomes, planners will need to consider multiple potential future scenarios, implement a variety of restoration methods, design projects with flexibility to adjust to future conditions, and plan to respond adaptively to unexpected change.

Climate regulation, energy provisioning and water purification: Quantifying ecosystem service delivery of bioenergy willow grown on riparian buffer zones using life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Styles, David; Börjesson, Pål; D'Hertefeldt, Tina; Birkhofer, Klaus; Dauber, Jens; Adams, Paul; Patil, Sopan; Pagella, Tim; Pettersson, Lars B; Peck, Philip; Vaneeckhaute, Céline; Rosenqvist, Håkan

2016-12-01

Whilst life cycle assessment (LCA) boundaries are expanded to account for negative indirect consequences of bioenergy such as indirect land use change (ILUC), ecosystem services such as water purification sometimes delivered by perennial bioenergy crops are typically neglected in LCA studies. Consequential LCA was applied to evaluate the significance of nutrient interception and retention on the environmental balance of unfertilised energy willow planted on 50-m riparian buffer strips and drainage filtration zones in the Skåne region of Sweden. Excluding possible ILUC effects and considering oil heat substitution, strategically planted filter willow can achieve net global warming potential (GWP) and eutrophication potential (EP) savings of up to 11.9 Mg CO 2 e and 47 kg PO 4 e ha -1 year -1 , respectively, compared with a GWP saving of 14.8 Mg CO 2 e ha -1 year -1 and an EP increase of 7 kg PO 4 e ha -1 year -1 for fertilised willow. Planting willow on appropriate buffer and filter zones throughout Skåne could avoid 626 Mg year -1 PO 4 e nutrient loading to waters.

REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND FOOD SECURITY

EPA Science Inventory

The integration of IKONOS satellite data, airborne color infrared remote sensing, visualization, and decision support tools is discussed, within the contexts of management techniques for minimizing non-point source pollution in inland waterways, such s riparian buffer restoration...

Guide to Managing Pasture Water: Streamside Buffers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Properly managed pasture water not only provides high-quality water which promotes healthy and productive livestock, but also contributes to maintaining water quality downstream. Riparian (streamside) areas serve as a transition between upland pastures and waterways. In other words, they link pastur...

Nitrogen and groundwater at Green Island restoration site

EPA Science Inventory

The Ground Water and Ecosystem Restoration Division (GWERD) of the USEPA investigates best management practices (BMP’s) and restoration techniques in aquatic ecosystems throughout the United States. Research on a) river restoration b) riparian buffer zones c) macrophytes, and d) ...

Native hardwood trees of the central hardwood region

Treesearch

Paula M. Pijut

2005-01-01

Trees are planted for various reasons including, timber production, wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, native woodland restoration, windbreaks, watershed protection, erosion control, and conservation (Indiana NRCS 2002). Establishment of hardwood plantings requires planning, a commitment of time and resources, proper planting, maintenance, and protection....

Agroforestry: mapping the way with GIS

Treesearch

Gary Bentrup; Tim Leininger

2002-01-01

Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create diverse, profitable, and sustainable land-use systems (Rietveld, 1995). Agroforestry practices include alley cropping, forest farming, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, and windbreaks-each of which meets environmental, social, and economic needs (Gold et al., 2000). Environmentally, agroforestry...

Burning questions for managers: Fuels management practices in riparian areas

Treesearch

Kristen E. Meyer; Kathleen A. Dwire; Patricia A. Champ; Sandra E. Ryan; Gregg M. Riegel; Timothy A. Burton

2012-01-01

Vegetation treatment projects for fuel reduction in riparian areas can pose distinct challenges to resource managers. Riparian areas are protected by administrative regulations, many of which are largely custodial and restrict active management. Like uplands, however, riparian areas have been affected by fire suppression, land use, and multiple types of disturbance....

The Crescent Bypass: A Riparian Restoration Project on the Kings River (Fresno County)

Treesearch

Jonathan A. Oldham; Bradley E. Valentine

1989-01-01

The Kings River Conservation District planted over 1200 plants of 19 riparian species in the first of two phases of a riparian revegetation project in the San Joaquin Valley. To date, tree survival rates vary from 17 to 96 percent among species, with an overall rate of 62 percent. Shrub survival averages 57 percent and ranges from 23 to 73 percent. Factors affecting...

Sediment measurement and transport modeling: impact of riparian and filter strip buffers.

PubMed

Moriasi, Daniel N; Steiner, Jean L; Arnold, Jeffrey G

2011-01-01

Well-calibrated models are cost-effective tools to quantify environmental benefits of conservation practices, but lack of data for parameterization and evaluation remains a weakness to modeling. Research was conducted in southwestern Oklahoma within the Cobb Creek subwatershed (CCSW) to develop cost-effective methods to collect stream channel parameterization and evaluation data for modeling in watersheds with sparse data. Specifically, (i) simple stream channel observations obtained by rapid geomorphic assessment (RGA) were used to parameterize the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model stream channel variables before calibrating SWAT for streamflow and sediment, and (ii) average annual reservoir sedimentation rate, measured at the Crowder Lake using the acoustic profiling system (APS), was used to cross-check Crowder Lake sediment accumulation rate simulated by SWAT. Additionally, the calibrated and cross-checked SWAT model was used to simulate impacts of riparian forest buffer (RF) and bermudagrass [ (L.) Pers.] filter strip buffer (BFS) on sediment yield and concentration in the CCSW. The measured average annual sedimentation rate was between 1.7 and 3.5 t ha yr compared with simulated sediment rate of 2.4 t ha yr Application of BFS across cropped fields resulted in a 72% reduction of sediment delivery to the stream, while the RF and the combined RF and BFS reduced the suspended sediment concentration at the CCSW outlet by 68 and 73%, respectively. Effective riparian practices have potential to increase reservoir life. These results indicate promise for using the RGA and APS methods to obtain data to improve water quality simulations in ungauged watersheds. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Historic carbon burial spike in an Amazon floodplain lake linked to riparian deforestation near Santarém, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, Luciana M.; Taffs, Kathryn; Stokes, Debra; Sanders, Christian J.; Enrich-Prast, Alex; Amora-Nogueira, Leonardo; Marotta, Humberto

2018-01-01

Forests along the Amazon Basin produce significant quantities of organic material, a portion of which is deposited in floodplain lakes. Deforestation in the watershed may then have potentially important effects on the carbon fluxes. In this study, a sediment core was extracted from an Amazon floodplain lake to examine the relationship between carbon burial and changing land cover and land use. Historical records from the 1930s and satellite data from the 1970s were used to calculate deforestation rates between 1930 to 1970 and 1970 to 2010 in four zones with different distances from the margins of the lake and its tributaries (100, 500, 1000 and 6000 m buffers). A sediment accumulation rate of ˜ 4 mm yr-1 for the previous ˜ 120 years was determined from the 240+239Pu signatures and the excess 210Pb method. The carbon burial rates ranged between 85 and 298 g C m-2 yr-1, with pulses of high carbon burial in the 1950s, originating from the forest vegetation as indicated by δ13C and δ15N signatures. Our results revealed a potentially important spatial dependence of the organic carbon (OC) burial in Amazon lacustrine sediments in relation to deforestation rates in the catchment. These deforestation rates were more intense in the riparian vegetation (100 m buffer) during the period 1930 to 1970 and the larger open water areas (500, 1000 and 6000 m buffer) during 1970 to 2010. The continued removal of vegetation from the interior of the forest was not related to the peak of OC burial in the lake, but only the riparian deforestation which peaked during the 1950s. Therefore, this supports the conservation priority of riparian forests as an important management practice for Amazon flooded areas. Our findings suggest the importance of abrupt and temporary events in which some of the biomass released by deforestation, especially restricted to areas along open water edges, might reach the depositional environments in the floodplain of the Amazon Basin.

Multi-objective optimization of riparian buffer networks; valuing present and future benefits

EPA Science Inventory

Multi-objective optimization has emerged as a popular approach to support water resources planning and management. This approach provides decision-makers with a suite of management options which are generated based on metrics that represent different social, economic, and environ...

IMPROVING HYDROLOGIC SUSTAINABILITY OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

EPA Science Inventory

For small to mid-sized rain events, LID scenarios, including permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and riparian buffer strips perform similarly to a conventional Best Management Practice, a detention pond, with respect to peak flows and HFR. For large rain ev...

Introduction of atrazine degrader to enhance rhizodegradation of atrazine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introducing atrazine (ATR) degraders into riparian vegetative buffer strips (VBS) can be a promising bioremediation approach to accelerate the degradation of ATR and its degradation products deposited into VBS by surface runoff. A growth chamber study was conducted to investigated the synergistic ef...

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2(Version 2.1) Catchments Riparian Buffer for the Conterminous United States: 2010 US Census Road Density

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the road density within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds riparian buffers. Attributes of the landscape layer were calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment and accumulated to provide watershed-level metrics. (See Supplementary Info for Glossary of Terms) This data set is derived from TIGER/Line Files of roads in the conterminous United States. Road density describes how many kilometers of road exist in a square kilometer. A raster was produced using the ArcGIS Line Density Tool to form the landscape layer for analysis. (see Data Sources for links to NHDPlusV2 data and Census Data) The (kilometer of road/square kilometer) was summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

Terrain-based Predictive Modeling of a Functional Riparian Corridor in a Coastal Northern California Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, T.; Davis, J. D.

2016-12-01

Riparian corridors and their associated geomorphic landforms (e.g., channels, floodplains, and terraces) and vegetation communities (e.g., forests and wetlands) have been significantly degraded in California, prompting an expansion of efforts to delineate riparian corridors and identify priorities for conservation via deed restrictions and easements. Current techniques to delineate riparian corridors for these purposes include fixed-width buffers based on stream centerlines and digitization of woody vegetation from aerial photos. Although efficient, these delineation methods do not accurately capture the extent of ecologically functional riparian corridors and result in riparian habitat being excluded from conservation efforts while non-riparian is included. From a physical perspective, ecologically functional riparian corridors have widths that vary with topography and ample space for dynamic fluvial geomorphic processes that create and maintain river morphology and vegetation and sustain ecological interactions that extend from the stream channel laterally into upland ecosystems and up- and downstream ecosystems in longitudinal directions. New terrain-based spatial analysis techniques and high-resolution digital terrain data show promise in delineating ecologically functional riparian corridors. In this study, we compare the efficacy of three terrain-based predictors of riparian corridors that have emerged in the literature—elevation above channel, flow accumulation, and distance from channel. The results of each terrain predictor are compared with field-based indicators of the riparian corridor of an alluvial reach of Mark West Creek in Sonoma County, California (a mediterranean climate). Indicators include soil type, fluvial geomorphic landforms, and vegetation. A one-meter digital terrain model from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) supplied by a NASA ROSES grant is used as the base terrain data for spatial analysis. We discuss in detail the use of regional curves of hydraulic geometry in the calculation of the elevation above channel predictor because it offers the advantage of efficiency while carrying significant potential for error.

Great Basin Research and Management Project: Restoring and maintaining riparian ecosystem integrity

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers

2000-01-01

The Great Basin Research and Management Project was initiated in 1994 by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Ecology, Paleoecology, and Restoration of Great Basin Watersheds Project to address the problems of stream incision and riparian ecosystem degradation in central Nevada. It is a highly interdisciplinary project that is being conducted in...

Examining the sensitivity of modelled evapotranspiration to vegetation structural characteristics within boreal peatlands, riparian ecosystems and upland mixedwood forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, R. M.; Chasmer, L. E.; Brown, S. M.; Mendoza, C. A.; Diiwu, J.; Quinton, W. L.; Hopkinson, C.; Devito, K. J.

2010-12-01

The Western Boreal Plain (WBP) of northern Alberta is comprised of a complex mosaic of small ponds, riparian buffer zones, and upland aspen dominated mixedwood forests surrounded by low-lying peatlands. The hydrology of the WBP is strongly influenced by climatic drivers and geology, whereby water budgets are often controlled by vertical fluxes. During most years, potential evapotranspiration (PET) exceeds precipitation (P), and changes in P as a result of climatic change will likely alter actual evapotranspiration (AET) and regional water balances. In recent years, the WBP has also undergone intense anthropogenic disturbance via oil and gas exploration and extraction, and silvicultural and forest harvesting activities. The extent to which changes in land cover types/characteristics affect estimates of PET and AET is currently unknown. This study examines the sensitivity of PET using a simple estimate of equilibrium ET (Priestley-Taylor) and AET (Penman-Monteith variant) to variability in canopy structural and ground surface characteristics at 12 sites throughout the 2008 growing season (June, July, August). Energy balance meteorological stations are deployed within four peatland ecosystems, four riparian buffer zones, two regenerating upland mixedwood forests and two mature upland mixedwood forests. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is used to derive metrics of canopy height, leaf area index (LAI), uplands and lowlands, elevation, zero plane displacement, roughness length governing momentum, roughness length governing heat and vapour, and understory vegetation characteristics. LiDAR land surface metrics and energy balance measurements are used to model evapotranspiration for classified land cover types throughout the larger basin. Sensitivity of potential and actual estimates to changes in land cover characteristics within each of the three land cover types (peatland, riparian and upland) is quantified.

7 CFR 1410.6 - Eligible land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... riparian buffer only if, as determined by CCC, it: (A) Is located adjacent to permanent stream corridors excluding corridors that are considered gullies or sod waterways; and (B) Is capable, when permanent grass... vegetation suitable for wetland restoration or wildlife habitat, as determined appropriate by the CCC, of...

7 CFR 1410.6 - Eligible land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... riparian buffer only if, as determined by CCC, it: (A) Is located adjacent to permanent stream corridors excluding corridors that are considered gullies or sod waterways; and (B) Is capable, when permanent grass... vegetation suitable for wetland restoration or wildlife habitat, as determined appropriate by the CCC, of...

7 CFR 1410.6 - Eligible land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... riparian buffer only if, as determined by CCC, it: (A) Is located adjacent to permanent stream corridors excluding corridors that are considered gullies or sod waterways; and (B) Is capable, when permanent grass... vegetation suitable for wetland restoration or wildlife habitat, as determined appropriate by the CCC, of...

Integrating walnut and other hardwoods into agroforestry practices

Treesearch

Shibu. Jose

2013-01-01

Agroforestry systems have been proposed as alternative, environmentally benign systems for agricultural production in temperate North America. Walnut and other hardwoods have been successfully integrated in most agroforestry practices include alley cropping, silvopastural, windbreaks, and riparian buffers. Because of walnuts relatively thin crowns and nut production,...

MODEL ANALYSIS OF RIPARIAN BUFFER EFFECTIVENESS FOR REDUCING NUTRIENT INPUTS TO STREAMS IN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

EPA Science Inventory

Federal and state agencies responsible for protecting water quality rely mainly on statistically-based methods to assess and manage risks to the nation's streams, lakes and estuaries. Although statistical approaches provide valuable information on current trends in water quality...

Tile Drainage Density Reduces Groundwater Travel Times and Compromises Riparian Buffer Effectiveness.

PubMed

Schilling, Keith E; Wolter, Calvin F; Isenhart, Thomas M; Schultz, Richard C

2015-11-01

Strategies to reduce nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) pollution delivered to streams often seek to increase groundwater residence time to achieve measureable results, yet the effects of tile drainage on residence time have not been well documented. In this study, we used a geographic information system groundwater travel time model to quantify the effects of artificial subsurface drainage on groundwater travel times in the 7443-ha Bear Creek watershed in north-central Iowa. Our objectives were to evaluate how mean groundwater travel times changed with increasing drainage intensity and to assess how tile drainage density reduces groundwater contributions to riparian buffers. Results indicate that mean groundwater travel times are reduced with increasing degrees of tile drainage. Mean groundwater travel times decreased from 5.6 to 1.1 yr, with drainage densities ranging from 0.005 m (7.6 mi) to 0.04 m (62 mi), respectively. Model simulations indicate that mean travel times with tile drainage are more than 150 times faster than those that existed before settlement. With intensive drainage, less than 2% of the groundwater in the basin appears to flow through a perennial stream buffer, thereby reducing the effectiveness of this practice to reduce stream nitrate loads. Hence, strategies, such as reconnecting tile drainage to buffers, are promising because they increase groundwater residence times in tile-drained watersheds. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Research and Practice of Uav Remote Sensing in the Monitoring and Management of Construction Projects in Riparian Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, J.; Gan, Z.; Zhong, L.; Deng, L.

2018-04-01

The objective of this paper is to investigate the use of UAV remote sensing in the monitoring and management of construction projects in riparian areas through the case study of embankment construction projects' monitoring in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. A three-step approach is proposed to address the problem: data acquisition with UAV, data processing, and monitoring information extraction. The results of the case study demonstrate that UAV remote sensing is capable of providing fast and accurate measurements and calculations for the needs of monitoring of riparian constructions.

Sediment yield along an actively managed riparian buffer

Treesearch

Ferhat Kara; Edward F. Loewenstein; Latif Kalin

2012-01-01

High quality water is generally associated with forested watersheds. However, intensive forestry activities within these watersheds can negatively affect water quality. In order to mitigate negative effects of forestry operations on water quality, best management practices (BMPs) are recommended. In this study, effects of silvicultural treatments on water quality are...

Identifying green infrastructure BMPs for reducing nitrogen export to a Chesapeake Bay agricultural stream: model synthesis and extension of experimental data

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Question/Methods The effectiveness of riparian forest buffers and other green infrastructure for reducing nitrogen export to agricultural streams has been well described experimentally, but a clear understanding of process-level hydrological and biogeochemical control...

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS IN SUPPORT OF RIPARIAN RESTORATION: WATER QUALITY BENEFITS AND HABITAT RESTORATION IN DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL AREAS

EPA Science Inventory

Surface water runoff from agricultural landscapes is one of the major sources of water quality impairment in the United States. With the advent of buffer strips and conservation minded tilling practices the agricultural community has made significant reductions in overland runof...

Simulation of Management Effect on Runoff and Sediment Transport in Riparian Forest Buffers by APEX Model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrologic/water quality models are increasingly used to explore management and policy alternatives for managing water quality and quantity from intensive silvicultural practices with Best Management Practices (BMPs) in forested watersheds due to the limited number of studies and the cost of conduct...

7 CFR 1410.7 - Duration of contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of contracts. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, contracts under this part shall be for a term of 10 years. (b) In the case of land devoted to riparian buffers, filter strips, restoration of wetlands, hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife corridors, or other...

7 CFR 1410.7 - Duration of contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of contracts. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, contracts under this part shall be for a term of 10 years. (b) In the case of land devoted to riparian buffers, filter strips, restoration of wetlands, hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife corridors, or other...

7 CFR 1410.7 - Duration of contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of contracts. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, contracts under this part shall be for a term of 10 years. (b) In the case of land devoted to riparian buffers, filter strips, restoration of wetlands, hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife corridors, or other...

7 CFR 1410.7 - Duration of contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of contracts. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, contracts under this part shall be for a term of 10 years. (b) In the case of land devoted to riparian buffers, filter strips, restoration of wetlands, hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife corridors, or other...

Riparian Zone Analysis for Forest Land Cover for the Conterminous US

EPA Science Inventory

One data layer describing the amount of forest land cover contained within a buffer area extending 30 meters to each side of all streams contained within the basin (Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)) and from the edge of water bodies such as la...

[Research progress on the mechanisms and influence factors of nitrogen retention and transformation in riparian ecosystems.

PubMed

Yang, Dan; Fan, Da Yong; Xie, Zong Qiang; Zhang, Ai Ying; Xiong, Gao Ming; Zhao, Chang Ming; Xu, Wen Ting

2016-03-01

Riparian zone, the ecological transition buffer between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and other specific water bodies) with unique eco-hydrological and biogeochemical processes, is the last ecological barrier to prevent ammonium, nitrate and other non-point nitrogen pollutants from adjacent water bodies. Based on a summary of current progress of related studies, we found there were two major mechanisms underpinning the nitrogen retention/removal by the riparian ecosystems: 1) the relative locations of nitrogen in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum system could be altered by riparian vegetation; 2) nitrogen could also be denitrified and then removed permanently by microorganisms in riparian soil. However, which process is more critical for the nitrogen removal remains elusive. Due to large variances of hydro-dynamic, vegetation, microbial, and soil substrate properties in nitrogen retention and transformation with various watersheds, it's difficult to identify which factor is the most important one driving nitrogen cycle in the riparian ecosystems. It is also found that the limitation of study methods, paucity of data at large spatial and temporal scale, and no consensus on the riparian width, are the three major reasons leading to large variances of the results among studies. In conclusion, it is suggested that further efforts should be focused on: 1) the detailed analysis on the successive environmental factors with long-term; 2) the application of a comprehensive method combining mathematical models, geographic information system, remote sensing and quantified technique (such as the coupled technique of the isotopic tracer and gas exchange measurement); 3) the implementation of studies at large temporal and spatial scales. It is sure that, these efforts can help to optimize the nitrogen removal pathways in the riparian ecosystems and provide scientific basis for ecosystem management.

Riparian influences on stream fish assemblage structure in urbanizing streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, A.H.; Freeman, B.J.; Freeman, Mary C.

2007-01-01

We assessed the influence of land cover at multiple spatial extents on fish assemblage integrity, and the degree to which riparian forests can mitigate the negative effects of catchment urbanization on stream fish assemblages. Riparian cover (urban, forest, and agriculture) was determined within 30 m buffers at longitudinal distances of 200 m, 1 km, and the entire network upstream of 59 non-nested fish sampling locations. Catchment and riparian land cover within the upstream network were highly correlated, so we were unable to distinguish between those variables. Most fish assemblage variables were related to % forest and % urban land cover, with the strongest relations at the largest spatial extent of land cover (catchment), followed by riparian land cover in the 1-km and 200-m reach, respectively. For fish variables related to urban land cover in the catchment, we asked whether the influence of riparian land cover on fish assemblages was dependent on the amount of urban development in the catchment. Several fish assemblage metrics (endemic richness, endemic:cosmopolitan abundance, insectivorous cyprinid richness and abundance, and fluvial specialist richness) were all best predicted by single variable models with % urban land cover. However, endemic:cosmopolitan richness, cosmopolitan abundance, and lentic tolerant abundance were related to % forest cover in the 1-km stream reach, but only in streams that had <15% catchment urban land cover. In these cases, catchment urbanization overwhelmed the potential mitigating effects of riparian forests on stream fishes. Together, these results suggest that catchment land cover is an important driver of fish assemblages in urbanizing catchments, and riparian forests are important but not sufficient for protecting stream ecosystems from the impacts of high levels of urbanization.

Riparian vegetation controls on the hydraulic geometry of streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, M.

2010-12-01

A synthesis of field measurements, remote observations, and numerical modeling techniques highlights the significance of riparian vegetation in determining the geometry of streams and impacting sediment transport dynamics in temperate, Piedmont regions. Specifically, forested and grassy riparian vegetation establish streams with significantly different widths and with different timescales for attaining a state of dynamic equilibrium. The interactions between riparian vegetation, channel form, and channel dynamics are scale dependent. Scale dependency arises because of variations in ratios of vegetation length scales and geomorphic scales (e.g., channel width and depth). Stream reaches with grassy vegetation experience more frequent overbank discharges, migrate more quickly, and exhibit a more classic dynamic equilibrium than forested reaches. These phenomena are relevant to current watershed management efforts that aim to reduce sediment and nutrient loads to receiving water bodies, such as the Chesapeake Bay. The reforestation of riparian buffers is a common restoration technique that intends to improve water quality, temperature regimes, and in-stream physical habitat. Passive reforestation of riparian areas along a tributary to Sleepers River in Danville, VT, USA caused an increase in channel width and cross-sectional area over a 40-year period. From a comparison of historical records and current cross-sectional dimensions, the channel widening resulted in the mobilization of approximately 85 kg/ha/yr of floodplain sediments. Long-term monitoring of suspended sediments in an adjacent watershed indicates that this sediment source may account for roughly 40 percent of the total suspended sediment load. In some instances, increased sediment loads associated with channel widening may be an unforeseen consequence that compromises riparian restoration efforts.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RIPARIAN ZONE RESTORATION IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY ASSESSING SOIL MICROBIAL POPULATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial biomass, nitrifiers and denitrifiers in surface soil (0?10 cm) were quantified in a riparian zone restoration project at Coweeta, North Carolina, USA. Four treatments are included in this study: (1) a degraded (+N) riparian zone with continued compaction, vegetation rem...

Planting and care of fine hardwood seedlings: diseases in hardwood tree plantings

Treesearch

Paula M. Pijut

2006-01-01

Hardwood trees planted for timber production, wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, native woodland restoration, windbreaks, watershed protection, erosion control, and conservation are susceptible to damage or even death by various native and exotic fungal or bacterial diseases. Establishment, growth, and the quality of the trees produced can be affected by these disease...

Plethodontid salamander distributions in managed forest headwaters in western Oregon

Treesearch

Deanna H. Olson; Matthew R. Kluber

2014-01-01

We examined terrestrial amphibians in managed headwater forest stands in western Oregon from 1998 to 2009. We assessed: (1) temporal and spatial patterns of species capture rates, and movement patterns with distance from streams and forest management treatments of alternative riparian buffer widths and upland thinning; (2) species survival and recapture probabilities;...

Geographic Information System (GIS) | Virginia Department of Forestry

Science.gov Websites

relationships, making GIS a valuable tool to explore management and policy alternatives. GIS at the Virginia in combination in various VDOF applications. InFOREST can be used to map your property. Foresters can Property Inventory and Stand Mapping Riparian Buffer Tax Credit Program Management Forest Sustainability

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments Riparian Buffer (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: Wildland Fire Perimeters By Year 2000 - 2010

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the historical fire perimeters within individual local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds riparian buffers based on the GeoMAC (Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination) mapping tool (See Supplementary Info for Glossary of Terms). Fire perimeters contain data as they are submitted by field offices to GeoMAC (Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination) in a polygon format. Fire perimeter data is based on input from incident intelligence sources, GPS data, infrared (IR) imagery from fixed wing and satellite platforms. Polygons are selected by year and then converted into a binary raster format where values of 1 represent fire perimeters of the given year and 0 describes the remaining areas across the CONUS, leaving No Data to be anything outside the CONUS border. The wildland fire characteristics (% forest loss to fire) were summarized by year to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 (Version 2.1) Catchments Riparian Buffer for the Conterminous United States: 2010 US Census Housing Unit and Population Density

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the population and housing unit density within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds riparian buffers based on 2010 US Census data. Densities are calculated for every block group and watershed averages are calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment(see Data Sources for links to NHDPlusV2 data and Census Data). This data set is derived from The TIGER/Line Files and related database (.dbf) files for the conterminous USA. It was downloaded as Block Group-Level Census 2010 SF1 Data in File Geodatabase Format (ArcGIS version 10.0). The landscape raster (LR) was produced based on the data compiled from the questions asked of all people and about every housing unit. The (block-group population / block group area) and (block-group housing units / block group area) were summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

Modeling stream-groundwater interactions and associated groundwater salinization in an urban floodplain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledford, S. H.; Lautz, L.

2014-12-01

The salinization of freshwater in the Northeastern United States from road salt application is well documented by the observed long-term increases in chloride concentrations in groundwater over the last fifty years. However, the processes controlling exchange of chloride between surface water and groundwater have not been fully investigated, particularly in urban streams where stream-groundwater interactions can be reduced due to bank armoring and channelization. Our research builds on previous findings that showed the potential for an urban riparian floodplain to buffer seasonal changes in chloride concentrations in an urban stream, resulting in smaller annual ranges of chloride in areas with intact riparian floodplains. A reach of Meadowbrook Creek, in Syracuse, New York, that is disconnected from the groundwater had large seasonal shifts in chloride concentration, varying from 2173 mg/L Cl- in the winter to 161.2 mg/L Cl- in the summer. This is in contrast to a downstream reach of the stream that receives groundwater discharge from a riparian floodplain, where chloride concentrations ranged from 657.0 mg/L in the winter to 252.0 mg/L in the summer. We originally hypothesized that winter snowmelt events caused overbank flooding of saline surface water, which recharged the floodplain groundwater, causing salinization. This saline water was then slowly discharged as baseflow throughout the year and was replaced with freshwater overbank events in the summer. However, a three dimensional model of the floodplain created using Visual MODFLOW indicates that surface water-groundwater interactions, such as hyporheic exchange, may have a greater control on winter salt input than overbank events, while summer flooding recharges the aquifer with freshwater. The model was compared to riparian aquifer samples collected from May 2013 until June 2014 to qualitatively study the impact of different types of surface water-groundwater interactions (e.g. groundwater recharge and discharge, hyporheic interaction) on salt storage and to identify the mechanisms by which urban riparian floodplains buffer seasonal variability of stream chloride concentrations in urban systems impacted by road salt.

Riparian fuel treatments in the western USA: Challenges and considerations

Treesearch

Kathleen A. Dwire; Kristen E. Meyer; Gregg Riegel; Timothy Burton

2016-01-01

Fuel reduction treatments are being conducted throughout watersheds of the western United States to reduce hazardous fuels in efforts to decrease the risk of high-severity fire. The number of fuel reduction projects that include near-stream environments is increasing, bringing new challenges to riparian management. Riparian areas are protected by administrative...

Sex and the single Salix: considerations for riparian restoration

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; David R. Dreesen; R. Kasten Dumroese

2003-01-01

Most restoration projects strive to create a sustain able plant community but exclusive use of vegetatively propagated material may be preventing this goal. The dioecious willows and cottonwoods of the Salicaceae are widely used in riparian restoration projects. Hardwood cuttings have traditionally been used to propagate these species in nurseries, and live stakes,...

Riparian and wetland plant community types of the Shoshone National Forest

Treesearch

Gillian Walford; George Jones; Walt Fertig; Sabine Mellman-Brown; Kent E. Houston

2001-01-01

This classification of riparian and wetland plant communities in the Shoshone National Forest was a cooperative project between the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) of The Nature Conservancy and the Shoshone National Forest. This project identifies groups of plant species that commonly occur together in particular environmental settings. Each such group of...

A VSA-based strategy for placing conservation buffers in agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2003-09-01

Conservation buffers have the potential to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution and improve terrestrial wildlife habitat, landscape biodiversity, flood control, recreation, and aesthetics. Conservation buffers, streamside areas and riparian wetlands are being used or have been proposed to control agricultural nonpoint source pollution. This paper proposes an innovative strategy for placing conservation buffers based on the able source area (VSA) hydrology. VSAs are small, variable but predictable portion of a watershed that regularly contributes to runoff generation. The VSA-based strategy involves the following three steps: first, identifying VSAs in landscapes based on natural characteristics such as hydrology, land use/cover, topography and soils; second, targeting areas within VSAs for conservation buffers; third, refining the size and location of conservation buffers based on other factors such as weather, environmental objectives, available funding and other best management practices. Building conservation buffers in VSAs allows agricultural runoff to more uniformly enter buffers and stay there longer, which increases the buffer's capacity to remove sediments and nutrients. A field-scale example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the within-VSA conservation buffer scenario relative to a typical edge-of-field buffer scenario. The results enhance the understanding of hydrological processes and interactions between agricultural lands and conservation buffers in agricultural landscapes, and provide practical guidance for land resource managers and conservationists who use conservation buffers to improve water quality and amenity values of agricultural landscape.

Structure and composition of altered riparian forests in an agricultural Amazonian landscape.

PubMed

Nagy, R Chelsea; Porder, Stephen; Neill, Christopher; Brando, Paulo; Quintino, Raimundo Mota; do Nascimento, Sebastiâo Aviz

2015-09-01

Deforestation and fragmentation influence the microclimate, vegetation structure, and composition of remaining patches of tropical forest. In the southern Amazon, at the frontier of cropland expansion, forests are converted and fragmented in a pattern that leaves standing riparian forests whose dimensions are mandated by the Brazilian National Forest Code. These altered riparian forests share many characteristics of well-studied upland forest fragments, but differ because they remain connected to larger areas of forest downstream, and because they may experience wetter soil conditions because reduction of forest cover in the surrounding watershed raises groundwater levels and increases stream runoff. We compared forest regeneration, structure, composition, and diversity in four areas of intact riparian forest and four areas each of narrow, medium, and wide altered riparian forests that have been surrounded by agriculture since the early 1980s. We found that seedling abundance was reduced by as much as 64% and sapling abundance was reduced by as much as 67% in altered compared to intact riparian forests. The most pronounced differences between altered and intact forest occurred near forest edges and within the narrowest sections of altered riparian forests. Woody plant species composition differed and diversity was reduced in altered forests compared to intact riparian forests. However, despite being fragmented for several decades, large woody plant biomass and carbon storage, the number of live or dead large woody plants, mortality rates, and the size distribution of woody plants did not differ significantly between altered and intact riparian forests. Thus, even in these relatively narrow forests with high edge: area ratios, we saw no evidence of the increases in mortality and declines in biomass that have been found in other tropical forest fragment studies. However, because of the changes in both species community and reduced regeneration, it is unclear how long this relative lack of change will be sustained. Additionally, Brazil recently passed a law in their National Forest Code allowing narrower riparian buffers than those studied here in restored areas, which could affect their long-term sustainability.

Riparian shrub buffers reduce surface water pollutant loads

Treesearch

W. A. Geyer; C. Barden; K. Mankin; D. Devlin

2003-01-01

Surface water resources in Kansas often contain concentrations of pesticides, nutrients, and sediments that are of concern to local citizens. The United States Geological Survey reported in 1999 that 97 percent of streams and 82 percent of lakes in Kansas would not fully support all uses as designated by state statutes (U.S. Geological Survey 1999). Bacteria and...

Proceedings of the conference on coastal watersheds: the Caspar Creek story. May 6, 1998, Ukiah, California

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

1998-01-01

These proceedings report on 36 years of research at the Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed, Jackson Demonstration State Forest in northwestern California. The 16 papers include discussions of streamflow, sediment production and routing, stream channel condition, soil moisture and subsurface water, nutrient cycling, aquatic and riparian habitat, streamside buffers,...

Riparian Forest Buffers - Function for Protection and Enhancement of Water Resources

Treesearch

David J. Welsch

1991-01-01

Streamside forests are crucial to the protection and enhancement of the water resources of the Eastern United States. They are extremely complex ecosystems that help provide optimum food and habitat for stream communities as well as being useful in mitigating or controlling nonpoint source pollution (NPS). Used as a component of an integrated management system...

Technological advances in temperate hardwood tree improvement including breeding and molecular marker applications

Treesearch

Paula M. Pijut; Keith E. Woeste; G. Vengadesan

2007-01-01

Hardwood forests and plantations are an important economic resource for the forest products industry worldwide and to the international trade of lumber and logs. Hardwood trees are also planted for ecological reasons, for example, wildlife habitat, native woodland restoration, and riparian buffers. The demand for quality hardwood from tree plantations will continue to...

Efficacy of riparian buffers in mitigating local populations declines and the effects of even-aged timber harvest on larval salamanders

Treesearch

William E Peterman; Raymond D. Semlitch

2009-01-01

Headwater streams are an important and prevalent feature of the eastern North American landscape.These streams provide a wealth of ecosystem services and support tremendous biological diversity, which is predominated by salamanders in the Appalachian region. Salamanders are ubiquitous throughout the region, contributing a significant...

Growth Predictions for Tree Species Planted on Marginal Soybean Lands in the Lower Mississippi Valley

Treesearch

J.W. Groninger; W.M. Aust; M. Miwa; John A. Stanturf

2000-01-01

The establishment of bottomland hardwood forest stands and riparian buffers on frequently-flooded soybean (Glycine max.) lands in the Lower Mississippi Valley represents a tremendous opporunity to prvide both economic and environmental benefits to the region. Selecting appropriate sites for reestablishing tree cover, accurately predicting the productivity of planted...

Riparian microclimate and stream temperature: thinning and buffer-width influences

Treesearch

Paul D. Anderson

2013-01-01

Th inning of 30- to 70-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands is a common silvicultural activity on federal forest lands in Washington and Oregon west of the Cascade Range crest. Decreases in forest cover lead to alterations of site energy balances resulting in changes to understory and stream channel microclimates. Uncut vegetative...

Hydrology and water quality of a field and riparian buffer adjacent to a mangrove wetland in Jobos Bay Watershed, Puerto Rico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Models that estimate the effects of agricultural conservation practices on water quantity and quality have become increasingly important tools for short- and long-term assessments. In this study, we simulated the water quality and hydrology of a portion of the Jobos Bay watershed, Puerto Rico using...

Tree species differentiation using intensity data derived from leaf-on and leaf-off airborne laser scanner data

Treesearch

Sooyoung Kim; Robert J. McGaughey; Hans-Erik Andersen; Gerard Schreuder

2009-01-01

Tree species identification is important for a variety of natural resource management and monitoring activities including riparian buffer characterization, wildfire risk assessment, biodiversity monitoring, and wildlife habitat assessment. Intensity data recorded for each laser point in a LIDAR system is related to the spectral reflectance of the target material and...

Evaluation of the effectiveness of riparian zone restoration in the southern Appalachians by assessing soil microbial populations

Treesearch

Guanglong Tian; James M. Vose; David C. Coleman; Christopher D. Geron; John T. Walker

2004-01-01

Microbial biomass, nitrifiers and denitrifiers in surface soil (0-10 cm) were quantified in a riparian zone restoration project at Coweeta, North Carolina, USA. Four treatments are included in this study: ( I ) a degraded (+N) riparian zone with continued compaction, vegetation removal, and nutrient addition (mow, roll, and nutrient addition);(2) a degraded (-N)...

Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek, 2008 Annual Report : February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dasher, Rhonda; Fisher, Christopher

2009-06-09

During the 2008 season, projects completed under BPA project 2000-100-00 included installation of riparian fencing, maintenance of existing riparian fencing, monitoring of at-risk culverts and installation of riparian vegetation along impacted sections of Omak Creek. Redd and snorkel surveys were conducted in Omak Creek to determine steelhead production. Canopy closure surveys were conducted to monitor riparian vegetation recovery after exclusion of cattle since 2000 from a study area commonly known as the Moomaw property. Additional redd and fry surveys were conducted above Mission Falls and in the lower portion of Stapaloop Creek to try and determine whether there has beenmore » successful passage at Mission Falls. Monitoring adult steelhead trying to navigate the falls resulted in the discovery of shallow pool depth at an upper pool that is preventing many fish from successfully navigating the entire falls. The Omak Creek Habitat and Passage Project has worked with NRCS to obtain additional funds to implement projects in 2009 that will address passage at Mission Falls, culvert replacement, as well as additional riparian planting. The Omak Creek Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is currently revising the Omak Creek Watershed Assessment. In addition, the group is revising strategy to focus efforts in targeted areas to provide a greater positive impact within the watershed. In 2008 the NRCS Riparian Technical Team was supposed to assess areas within the watershed that have unique problems and require special treatments to successfully resolve the issues involved. The technical team will be scheduled for 2009 to assist the TAG in developing strategies for these special areas.« less

Evaluating the role of river-floodplain connectivity in providing beneficial hydrologic services in mountain landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covino, T. P.; Wegener, P.; Weiss, T.; Wohl, E.; Rhoades, C.

2017-12-01

River networks of mountain landscapes tend to be dominated by steep, valley-confined channels that have limited floodplain area and low hydrologic buffering capacity. Interspersed between the narrow segments are wide, low-gradient segments where extensive floodplains, wetlands, and riparian areas can develop. Although they tend to be limited in their frequency relative to the narrow valley segments, the low-gradient, wide portions of mountain channel networks can be particularly important to hydrologic buffering and can be sites of high nutrient retention and ecosystem productivity. Hydrologic buffering along the wide valley segments is dependent on lateral hydrologic connectivity between the river and floodplain, however these connections have been increasingly severed as a result of various land and water management practices. We evaluated the role of river-floodplain connectivity in influencing water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrient flux in river networks of the Colorado Rockies. We found that disconnected segments with limited floodplain/riparian area had limited buffering capacity, while connected segments exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, connected segments were typically a sink for water, DOC, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along connected relative to disconnected segments. Our data suggest that lateral hydrologic connectivity in wide valleys can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. While hydrologic disconnection in one river-floodplain system is unlikely to influence water resources at larger scales, the cumulative effects of widespread disconnection may be substantial. Because intact river-floodplain (i.e., connected) systems provide numerous hydrologic and ecologic benefits, understanding the dynamics and cumulative effects of disconnection is an important step toward improved water resource and ecosystem management.

Evaluation of aquatic biota in relation to environmental characteristics measured at multiple scales in agricultural streams of the Midwest, 1993-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hambrook Berkman, Julie A.; Scudder, Barbara C.; Lutz, Michelle A.; Harris, Mitchell A.

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the relations between algal, invertebrate, and fish assemblages and physical environmental characteristics of streams at the reach, segment, and watershed scale in agricultural settings in the Midwest. The 86 stream sites selected for study were in predominantly agricultural watersheds sampled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Species abundance and over 130 biological metrics were used to determine which aspects of the assemblages were most sensitive to change at the three spatial scales. Digital orthophotograph-based riparian land use/land cover was used for analyses of riparian conditions at the reach and segment scales. The percentage area of different land-use/land-cover types was also determined for each watershed. Out of over 230 environmental characteristics examined, those that best explained variation in the biotic assemblages at each spatial scale include the following: 1) reach: bank vegetative cover, fine silty substrate, and open canopy angle; 2) segment: woody vegetation and cropland in the 250-m riparian buffer, and average length of undisturbed buffer; and 3) watershed: land use/land cover (both total forested and row crop), low-permeability soils, slope, drainage area, and latitude. All three biological assemblages, especially fish, correlated more with land use/land cover and other physical characteristics at the watershed scale than at the reach or segment scales. This study identifies biotic measures that can be used to evaluate potential improvements resulting from agricultural best-management practices and other conservation efforts, as well as evaluate potential impairment from urban development or other disturbances.

A method for landscape analysis of forestry guidelines using bird habitat models and the Habplan harvest scheduler

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loehle, C.; Van Deusen, P.; Wigley, T.B.; Mitchell, M.S.; Rutzmoser, S.H.; Aggett, J.; Beebe, J.A.; Smith, M.L.

2006-01-01

Wildlife-habitat relationship models have sometimes been linked with forest simulators to aid in evaluating outcomes of forest management alternatives. However, linking wildlife-habitat models with harvest scheduling software would provide a more direct method for assessing economic and ecological implications of alternative harvest schedules in commercial forest operations. We demonstrate an approach for frontier analyses of wildlife benefits using the Habplan harvest scheduler and spatially explicit wildlife response models in the context of operational forest planning. We used the Habplan harvest scheduler to plan commercial forest management over a 40-year horizon at a landscape scale under five scenarios: unmanaged, an unlimited block-size option both with and without riparian buffers, three cases with different block-size restrictions, and a set-asides scenario in which older stands were withheld from cutting. The potential benefit to wildlife was projected based on spatial models of bird guild richness and species probability of detection. Harvested wood volume provided a measure of scenario costs, which provides an indication of management feasibility. Of nine species and guilds, none appeared to benefit from 50 m riparian buffers, response to an unmanaged scenario was mixed and expensive, and block-size restrictions (maximum harvest unit size) provided no apparent benefit and in some cases were possibly detrimental to bird richness. A set-aside regime, however, appeared to provide significant benefits to all species and groups, probably through increased landscape heterogeneity and increased availability of older forest. Our approach shows promise for evaluating costs and benefits of forest management guidelines in commercial forest enterprises and improves upon the state of the art by utilizing an optimizing harvest scheduler as in commercial forest management, multiple measures of biodiversity (models for multiple species and guilds), and spatially explicit wildlife response models. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling the dynamic responses of riparian vegetation and salmon habitat in the Oregon Coast Range with state-and-transition models

Treesearch

Steven M. Wondzell; Agnieszka Przeszlowska; Dirk Pflugmacher; Miles A. Hemstrom; Peter A. Bisson

2012-01-01

Interactions between landuse and ecosystem change are complex, especially in riparian zones. To date, few models are available to project the influence of alternative landuse practices, natural disturbance and plant succession on the likely future conditions of riparian zones and aquatic habitats across large spatial extents. A state and transition approach was used to...

Headwater stream temperature: interpreting response after logging, with and without riparian buffers, Washington, USA

Treesearch

Jack E. Janisch; Steven M. Wondzell; William J. Ehinger

2012-01-01

We examined stream temperature response to forest harvest in small forested headwater catchments in western Washington, USA over a seven year period (2002-2008). These streams have very low discharge in late summer and many become spatially intermittent. We used a before-after, control-impact (BACl) study design to contrast the effect of clearcut logging with two...

A Comparison of Alternative Strategies for Cost-Effective Water Quality Management in Lakes

Treesearch

Daniel Boyd Kramer; Stephen Polasky; Anthony Starfield; Brian Palik; Lynn Westphal; Stephanie Snyder; Pamela Jakes; Rachel Hudson; Eric Gustafson

2006-01-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to...

Assessing the ecological benefits and opportunity costs of alternative stream management zone widths for eastern hardwoods

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Ethel Wilkerson

2008-01-01

Leaving buffer zones adjacent to waterways can effectively reduce the water quality concerns associated with timber harvesting. However, riparian areas are also some of the most productive sites and can yield high quality wood. The amount of unharvested timber left in SMZs (Streamside Management Zones) can represent a substantial opportunity cost to landowners. In this...

Assessing the ecological benefits and opportunity costs of alternative stream management zone widths

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Ethel Wilkerson

2008-01-01

Leaving buffer zones adjacent to waterways can effectively reduce the water quality concerns associated with timber harvesting. However, riparian areas are also some of the most productive sites and can yield high quality wood. The amount of unharvested timber left in SMZs (Streamside Management Zones) can represent a substantial opportunity cost to landowners. In this...

Developing a field facility for evaluating flood tolerance of hardwood seedlings and understory ground covers

Treesearch

J.W. Van Sambeek; Robert L. McGraw; John M. Kabrick; Mark V. Coggeshall; Irene M. Unger; Daniel C. Dey

2007-01-01

Information about the flood tolerance of most plants has been obtained from either observations following natural floods or pot studies with amended soils. To better evaluate and compare flood tolerance among hardwood seedlings and ground covers for use in riparian buffer and bottomland plantings, a large outdoor facility with natural floodplain soils is needed where...

Simulating the dynamics of linear forests in great plains agroecosystems under changing climates

Treesearch

Qinfeng Guo; J. Brandle; Michele Schoeneberger; D. Buettner

2004-01-01

Most forest growth models are not suitable for the highly fragmented, linear (or linearly shaped) forests in the Great Plains agroecosystems (e.g., windbreaks, riparian forest buffers), where such forests are a minor but ecologically important component of the land mosaics. This study used SEEI)SCAPE, a recently modified gap model designed for cultivated land mosaics...

Mapping tree and impervious cover using Ikonos imagery: links with water quality and stream health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, R.; Goetz, S. J.; Smith, A.; Zinecker, E.

2002-12-01

Precision georeferened Ikonos satellite imagery was used to map tree cover and impervious surface area in Montgomery county Maryland. The derived maps were used to assess riparian zone stream buffer tree cover and to predict, with multivariate logistic regression, stream health ratings across 246 small watersheds averaging 472 km2 in size. Stream health was assessed by state and county experts using a combination of physical measurements (e.g., dissolved oxygen) and biological indicators (e.g., benthic macroinvertebrates). We found it possible to create highly accurate (90+ per cent) maps of tree and impervious cover using decision tree classifiers, provided extensive field data were available for algorithm training. Impervious surface area was found to be the primary predictor of stream health, followed by tree cover in riparian buffers, and total tree cover within entire watersheds. A number of issues associated with mapping using Ikonos imagery were encountered, including differences in phenological and atmospheric conditions, shadowing within canopies and between scene elements, and limited spectral discrimination of cover types. We report on both the capabilities and limitations of Ikonos imagery for these applications, and considerations for extending these analyses to other areas.

Ecohydrological and subsurface controls on drought-induced contraction and disconnection of stream networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godsey, S.; Kirchner, J. W.; Whiting, J. A.

2016-12-01

Temporary headwater streams - both intermittent and ephemeral waterways - supply water to approximately 1/3 of the US population, and 60% of streams used for drinking water are temporary. Stream ecologists increasingly recognize that a gradient of processes across the drying continuum affect ecosystems at dynamic terrestrial-aquatic interfaces. Understanding the hydrological controls across that gradient of drying may improve management of these sensitive systems. One possible control on surface flows includes transpiration losses from either the riparian zone or the entire watershed. We mapped several stream networks under extreme low flow conditions brought on by severe drought in central Idaho and California in 2015. Compared to previous low-flow stream length estimates, the active drainage network had generally decreased by a very small amount across these sites, perhaps because stored water buffered the precipitation decrease, or because flowing channel heads are fixed by focused groundwater flow emerging at springs. We also examined the apparent sources of water for both riparian and hillslope trees using isotopic techniques. During drought conditions, we hypothesized that riparian trees - but not those far from flowing streams - would be sustained by streamflow recharging riparian aquifers, and thus would transpire water that was isotopically similar to streamflow because little soil water would remain available below the wilting point and stream water would be sustain those trees. We found a more complex pattern, but in most places stream water and water transpired by trees were isotopically distinct regardless of flow intermittency or tree location. We also found that hillslope trees outside of the riparian zone appeared to be using different waters from those used by riparian trees. Finally, we explore subsurface controls on network extent, showing that bedrock characteristics can influence network stability and contraction patterns.

Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project--Biological Resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1998-01-01

Riparian (streamside) vegetation communities are of interest in the context of the Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project (FRIRP) because they are often a focal point for conflicting societal demands. The cottonwoods and willows comprising these communities are structurally complex compared to the surrounding landscape and support diverse assemblages of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. However, riparian areas are also primary sites for water development, agriculture, grazing, sand and gravel mining, and recreation, each of which may limit other uses. Direct and indirect impacts of these activities have led to exploration of new opportunities and techniques for restoring disturbed riparian habitats and to greater concern for some of the scarce species that inhabit them.

Using chemical, hydrologic, and age dating analysis to delineate redox processes and flow paths in the riparian zone of a glacial outwash aquifer‐stream system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puckett, Larry J.; Cowdery, Timothy K.; McMahon, Peter B.; Tornes, Lan H.; Stoner, Jeffrey D.

2002-01-01

A combination of chemical and dissolved gas analyses, chlorofluorocarbon age dating, and hydrologic measurements were used to determine the degree to which biogeochemical processes in a riparian wetland were responsible for removing NO3−from groundwaters discharging to the Otter Tail River in west central Minnesota. An analysis of river chemistry and flow data revealed that NO3− concentrations in the river increased in the lower half of the 8.3 km study reach as the result of groundwater discharge to the river. Groundwater head measurements along a study transect through the riparian wetland revealed a zone of groundwater discharge extending out under the river. On the basis of combined chemical, dissolved gas, age date, and hydrologic results, it was determined that water chemistry under the riparian wetland was controlled largely by upgradient groundwaters that followed flow paths up to 16 m deep and discharged under the wetland, creating a pattern of progressively older, more chemically reduced, low NO3− water the farther one progressed from the edge of the wetland toward the river. These findings pose challenges for researchers investigating biogeochemical processes in riparian buffer zones because the progressively older groundwaters entered the aquifer in earlier years when less NO3− fertilizer was being used. NO3− concentrations originally present in the groundwater had also decreased in the upgradient aquifer as a result of denitrification and progressively stronger reducing conditions there. The resulting pattern of decreasing NO3− concentrations across the riparian zone may be incorrectly interpreted as evidence of denitrification losses there instead of in the upgradient aquifer. Consequently, it is important to understand the hydrogeologic setting and age structure of the groundwaters being sampled in order to avoid misinterpreting biogeochemical processes in riparian zones.

Designing cost efficient buffer zone programs: An application of the FyrisSKZ tool in a Swedish catchment.

PubMed

Collentine, Dennis; Johnsson, Holger; Larsson, Peter; Markensten, Hampus; Persson, Kristian

2015-03-01

Riparian buffer zones are the only measure which has been used extensively in Sweden to reduce phosphorus losses from agricultural land. This paper describes how the FyrisSKZ web tool can be used to evaluate allocation scenarios using data from the Svärta River, an agricultural catchment located in central Sweden. Three scenarios are evaluated: a baseline, a uniform 6-m-wide buffer zone in each sub-catchment, and an allocation of areas of buffer zones to sub-catchments based on the average cost of reduction. The total P reduction increases by 30 % in the second scenario compared to the baseline scenario, and the average reduction per hectare increases by 90 % while total costs of the program fall by 32 %. In the third scenario, the average cost per unit of reduction (163 kg P(-1)) is the lowest of the three scenarios (58 % lower than the baseline) and has the lowest total program costs.

Growing Shrubs at the George O. White State Forest Nursery: What Has Worked and What Has Not

Treesearch

Gregory Hoss

2006-01-01

At the George O. White State Forest Nursery in Licking, MO, we annually grow about 20 species of shrubs. That number has been larger in some years. For most species, we purchase seeds locally and process them at our nursery. Our shrubs are used for wetland restoration, windbreaks, visual screens, riparian buffers, and wildlife plantings.

Implications of groundwater hydrology to buffer design in the southeastern U.S.

Treesearch

Ge Sun; James M. Vose; Devendra M. Amatya; Carl Trettin; Steven G. McNulty

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the hydrologic processes of shallow groundwater to better define and design forest riparian management zones in headwater streams of two contrasting terrains in the southeastern U.S. We employed two long-term experimental watersheds, WS80 (206 ha) and WS77 (151 ha) at the Santee Experimental Forests in South Carolina, and WS2...

Fifteenmile Basin Habitat Enhancement Project: Annual Report FY 1988.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Roger C.; Marx, Steven D.

1989-04-01

The goal of the Fifteenmile Creek Habitat Enhancement Project is to improve wild winter steelhead in the Fifteenmile Creek Basin under the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The project is funded by through the Bonneville Power Administration. Cooperators in the habitat enhancement project include the USDA Forest Service, Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Confederated Tribes of the Warms Springs. Installation of instream fish habitat structures was completed on four miles of Ramsey Creek and on one mile of Fifteenmile Creek. One hundred thirty-five structures were installed in treatment areas. Construction materials included logs andmore » rock. Riparian protection fencing was completed on Dry Creek and Ramsey Creek worksites. Five and one-half miles of new fence was added to existing fence on Ramsey Creek to afford riparian protection to four miles of stream. Six miles of stream on Dry Creek will be afforded riparian protection by constructing 4.5 miles of fence to complement existing fence. 2 refs., 5 figs.« less

LINKING WATERFOWL WITH CONTAMINANT SPECIATION IN RIPARIAN SOILS

EPA Science Inventory

This report summarizes the results of Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP) Activity III, Project 38, Linking Waterfowl with Contaminant Speciation in Riparian Soils, implemented and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and jointly administered by EPA and the U...

Mature and old-growth riparian forests: structure, dynamics, and effects on Adirondack stream habitats.

PubMed

Keeton, William S; Kraft, Clifford E; Warren, Dana R

2007-04-01

Riparian forests regulate linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, yet relationships among riparian forest development, stand structure, and stream habitats are poorly understood in many temperate deciduous forest systems. Our research has (1) described structural attributes associated with old-growth riparian forests and (2) assessed linkages between these characteristics and in-stream habitat structure. The 19 study sites were located along predominantly first- and second-order streams in northern hardwood-conifer forests in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (U.S.A.). Sites were classified as mature forest (6 sites), mature with remnant old-growth trees (3 sites), and old-growth (10 sites). Forest-structure attributes were measured over stream channels and at varying distances from each bank. In-stream habitat features such as large woody debris (LWD), pools, and boulders were measured in each stream reach. Forest structure was examined in relation to stand age using multivariate techniques, ANOVA, and linear regression. We investigated linkages between forest structure and stream characteristics using similar methods, preceded by information-theoretic modeling (AIC). Old-growth riparian forest structure is more complex than that found in mature forests and exhibits significantly greater accumulations of aboveground tree biomass, both living and dead. In-stream LWD volumes were significantly (alpha = 0.05) greater at old-growth sites (200 m3/ha) compared to mature sites (34 m3/ha) and were strongly related to the basal area of adjacent forests. In-stream large-log densities correlated strongly with debris-dam densities. AIC models that included large-log density, debris-dam density, boulder density, and bankfull width had the most support for predicting pool density. There were higher proportions of LWD-formed pools relative to boulder-formed pools at old-growth sites as compared to mature sites. Old-growth riparian forests provide in-stream habitat features that have not been widely recognized in eastern North America, representing a potential benefit from late-successional riparian forest management and conservation. Riparian management practices (including buffer delineation and restorative silvicultural approaches) that emphasize development and maintenance of late-successional characteristics are recommended where the associated in-stream effects are desired.

Los Coches Creek, San Diego County, California Detailed Project Report for Flood Control and Environmental Assessment. Main Report and Environmental Appendix.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-08-01

as California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), elderberry ( Sambucus p.), bror.r bacoharis (Baccharis sarathroides), and coast live oak (Quercus...emergent wetland and riparian habitat, essentially all of the wetland and riparian habitat in the project area (Table EA-1). Access requirements for...reach a level of significance. The construction specifications would require the construction contractor to avoid polluting the creek with fuels, oils

Channel Geometry and Flood Flows: Quantifying over-bank flow dynamics during high-flow events in North Carolina's floodplains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovette, J. P.; Duncan, J. M.; Vimal, S.; Band, L. E.

2015-12-01

Natural riparian areas play numerous roles in the maintenance and improvement of stream water quality. Both restoration of riparian areas and improvement of hydrologic connectivity to the stream are often key goals of river restoration projects. These management actions are designed to improve nutrient removal by slowing and treating overland flow delivered from uplands and by storing, treating, and slowly releasing streamwater from overbank inundation during flood events. A major question is how effective this storage of overbank flow is at treating streamwater based on the cumulative time stream discharge at a downstream location has spent in shallower, slower overbank flow. The North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program maintains a detailed statewide Flood Risk Information System (FRIS) using HEC-RAS modeling, lidar, and detailed surveyed river cross-sections. FRIS provides extensive information regarding channel geometry on approximately 39,000 stream reaches (a slightly coarser spatial resolution than the NHD+v2 dataset) with tens of cross-sections for each reach. We use this FRIS data to calculate volume and discharge from floodplain riparian areas separately from in-channel flow during overbank events. Preliminary results suggest that a small percentage of total annual discharge interacts with the full floodplain extent along a stream reach due to the infrequency of overbank flow events. However, with the significantly different physical characteristics of the riparian area when compared to the channel itself, this overbank flow can provide unique services to water quality. Our project aims to use this information in conjunction with data from the USGS SPARROW program to target non-point source hotspots of Nitrogen and Phosphorus addition and removal. By better understanding the flow dynamics within riparian areas during high flow events, riparian restoration projects can be carried out with improved efficacy.

An assessment of riparian environmental quality by using butterflies and disturbance susceptibility scores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, S. Mark; Andersen, Douglas C.

1994-01-01

The butterfly community at a revegetated riparian site on the lower Colorado River near Parker, Arizona, was compared to that found in a reference riparian site. Data indicated that the herbaceous plant community, which was lacking at the revegetated site, was important to several butterfly taxa. An index using butterfly sensitivity to habitat change (species classified into risk groups) and number of taxa was developed to monitor revegetation projects and to determine restoration effectiveness.

Predicting biological condition in southern California streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; May, Jason T.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Ode, Peter R.; Waite, Ian R.; Kennen, Jonathan G.

2012-01-01

As understanding of the complex relations among environmental stressors and biological responses improves, a logical next step is predictive modeling of biological condition at unsampled sites. We developed a boosted regression tree (BRT) model of biological condition, as measured by a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (BIBI), for streams in urbanized Southern Coastal California. We also developed a multiple linear regression (MLR) model as a benchmark for comparison with the BRT model. The BRT model explained 66% of the variance in B-IBI, identifying watershed population density and combined percentage agricultural and urban land cover in the riparian buffer as the most important predictors of B-IBI, but with watershed mean precipitation and watershed density of manmade channels also important. The MLR model explained 48% of the variance in B-IBI and included watershed population density and combined percentage agricultural and urban land cover in the riparian buffer. For a verification data set, the BRT model correctly classified 75% of impaired sites (B-IBI < 40) and 78% of unimpaired sites (B-IBI = 40). For the same verification data set, the MLR model correctly classified 69% of impaired sites and 87% of unimpaired sites. The BRT model should not be used to predict B-IBI for specific sites; however, the model can be useful for general applications such as identifying and prioritizing regions for monitoring, remediation or preservation, stratifying new bioassessments according to anticipated biological condition, or assessing the potential for change in stream biological condition based on anticipated changes in population density and development in stream buffers.

Riparian plant community responses to increased flooding: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Garssen, Annemarie G; Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette; Voesenek, Laurentius A C J; Verhoeven, Jos T A; Soons, Merel B

2015-08-01

A future higher risk of severe flooding of streams and rivers has been projected to change riparian plant community composition and species richness, but the extent and direction of the expected change remain uncertain. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize globally available experimental evidence and assess the effects of increased flooding on (1) riparian adult plant and seedling survival, (2) riparian plant biomass and (3) riparian plant species composition and richness. We evaluated which plant traits are of key importance for the response of riparian plant species to flooding. We identified and analysed 53 papers from ISI Web of Knowledge which presented quantitative experimental results on flooding treatments and corresponding control situations. Our meta-analysis demonstrated how longer duration of flooding, greater depth of flooding and, particularly, their combination reduce seedling survival of most riparian species. Plant height above water level, ability to elongate shoots and plasticity in root porosity were decisive for adult plant survival and growth during longer periods of flooding. Both 'quiescence' and 'escape' proved to be successful strategies promoting riparian plant survival, which was reflected in the wide variation in survival (full range between 0 and 100%) under fully submerged conditions, while plants that protrude above the water level (>20 cm) almost all survive. Our survey confirmed that the projected increase in the duration and depth of flooding periods is sufficient to result in species shifts. These shifts may lead to increased or decreased riparian species richness depending on the nutrient, climatic and hydrological status of the catchment. Species richness was generally reduced at flooded sites in nutrient-rich catchments and sites that previously experienced relatively stable hydrographs (e.g. rain-fed lowland streams). Species richness usually increased at sites in desert and semi-arid climate regions (e.g. intermittent streams). © 2015 John The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relationships Between Land Use and Stream Nutrient Concentrations in a Highly Urbanized Tropical Region of Brazil: Thresholds and Riparian Zones.

PubMed

Tromboni, F; Dodds, W K

2017-07-01

Nutrient enrichment in streams due to land use is increasing globally, reducing water quality and causing eutrophication of downstream fresh and coastal waters. In temperate developed countries, the intensive use of fertilizers in agriculture is a main driver of increasing nutrient concentrations, but high levels and fast rates of urbanization can be a predominant issue in some areas of the developing world. We investigated land use in the highly urbanized tropical State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We collected total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and inorganic nutrient data from 35 independent watersheds distributed across the State and characterized land use at a riparian and entire watershed scales upstream from each sample station, using ArcGIS. We used regression models to explain land use influences on nutrient concentrations and to assess riparian protection relationships to water quality. We found that urban land use was the primary driver of nutrient concentration increases, independent of the scale of analyses and that urban land use was more concentrated in the riparian buffer of streams than in the entire watersheds. We also found significant thresholds that indicated strong increases in nutrient concentrations with modest increases in urbanization reaching maximum nutrient concentrations between 10 and 46% urban cover. These thresholds influenced calculation of reference nutrient concentrations, and ignoring them led to higher estimates of these concentrations. Lack of sewage treatment in concert with urban development in riparian zones apparently leads to the observation that modest increases in urban land use can cause large increases in nutrient concentrations.

EFFECTIVENESS OF STREAM AND RIPARIAN RESTORATION IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA-ORD-GWERD has research projects in several locations in the Mid-Atlantic in progress to evaluate the effectiveness of stream and riparian restoration, including Mine Bank Run (Baltimore Co., MD), Susquehanna watershed (York and Lancaster Co., PA), and Leipsic watershed ...

Linking resilience theory and diffusion of innovations theory to understand the potential for perennials in the U.S. Corn Belt

Treesearch

Ryan C. Atwell; Lisa A. Schulte; Lynne M. Westphal

2009-01-01

In the last 200 yr, more than 80% of the land in the U.S. Corn Belt agro-ecosystem has been converted from natural perennial vegetation to intensive agricultural production of row crops. Despite research showing how re-integration of perennial vegetation, e.g., cover crops, pasture, riparian buffers, and restored wetlands, at strategic landscape positions can bolster...

No effects of thinning with riparian buffers on terrestrial salamanders in headwater forests 5 to 6 years post-harvest in western Oregon

Treesearch

Matthew R. Kluber; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2013-01-01

Th ere are emerging concerns for wildlife species associated with forested headwater systems. Given that headwater streams comprise a large portion of the length of fl owing waterways in western Oregon forests, there is a need to better understand how forest management aff ects headwater forest taxa and their habitats. Forest management strategies that consist of only...

Water quality functions of riparian forest buffers in Chesapeake bay watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowrance, R.; Altier, L.S.; Newbold, J.D.; Schnabel, R.R.; Groffman, P.M.; Denver, J.M.; Correll, D.L.; Gilliam, J.W.; Robinson, J.L.; Brinsfield, R.B.; Staver, K.W.; Lucas, W.; Todd, A.H.

1997-01-01

Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA, have agreed to reduce nutrient loadings to Chesapeake Bay by 40% by the year 2000. This requires control of nonpoint sources of nutrients much of which comes from agriculture. Riparian forest buffer systems (RFBS) provide effective control of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in some types of agricultural watersheds. Control of NPS pollution is dependent on the type of pollutant and the hydrologic connection between pollution sources, the RFBS, and the stream. Water quality improvements are most likely in areas of where most of the excess precipitation moves across, in, or near the root zone of the RFBS. In areas such as the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont watersheds with thin soils RFBS should retain 50%-90% of the total loading of nitrate in shallow groundwater sediment in surface runoff and total N in born surface runoff and groundwater. Retention of phosphorus is generally much less. In regions with deeper soils and/or greater regional groundwater recharge (such as parts of the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge), RFBS water quality improvements are probably much less. The expected levels of pollutant control by RFBS are identified for each of nine physiographic provinces of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Issues related to of establishment sustainability, and management are also discussed.

Umatilla River Basin Anadromus Fish Habitat Enhancement Project : 1994 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaw, R. Todd

1994-05-01

The Umatilla Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project is funded under the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, Section 7.6-7.8 and targets the improvement of water quality and restoration of riparian areas, holding, spawning and rearing habitats of steelhead, spring and fall chinook and coho salmon. The project focused on implementing cooperative instream and riparian habitat improvements on private lands on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (hereafter referred to as Reservation) from April 1, 1988 to March 31, 1992. These efforts resulted in enhancement of the lower l/4 mile of Boston Canyon Creek, the lower 4more » river miles of Meacham Creek and 3.2 river miles of the Umatilla River in the vicinity of Gibbon, Oregon. In 1993, the project shifted emphasis to a comprehensive watershed approach, consistent with other basin efforts, and began to identify upland and riparian watershed-wide causative factors impacting fisheries habitat and natural fisheries production capabilities throughout the Umatilla River Watershed. During the 1994-95 project period, a one river mile demonstration project was implemented on two privately owned properties on Wildhorse Creek. This was the first watershed improvement project to be implemented by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) off of the Reservation. Four 15 year riparian easements and two right-of-way agreements were secured for enhancement of one river mile on Wildhorse Creek and l/2 river mile on Meacham Creek. Enhancements implemented between river mile (RM) 9.5 and RM 10.5 Wildhorse Creek included: (1) installation of 1.43 miles of smooth wire high tensile fence line and placement of 0.43 miles of fence posts and structures to restrict livestock from the riparian corridor, (2) construction of eighteen sediment retention structures in the stream channel to speed riparian recovery by elevating the stream grade, slowing water velocities and depositing sediments onto streambanks to provide substrate for revegetation, and (3) revegetation of the stream corridor, terraces and adjacent pasture areas with 644 pounds of native grass seed (when commercially available) or close species equivalents and 4,000 native riparian shrub/tree species to assist in floodplain recovery, stream channel stability and filtering of sediments during high flow periods. Three hundred pounds of native grass/legume seed (including other grasses/legumes exhibiting native species characteristics) were broadcast in existing Boston Canyon Creek, Meacham Creek and Umatilla River project areas. The addition of two properties into the project area between RM 4.25 and RM 4.75 Meacham Creek during the 1995-96 work period will provide nearly complete project coverage of lower Meacham Creek corridor areas on the Reservation. Water quality monitoring continued for temperature and turbidity throughout the upper Umatilla River Watershed. Survey of cross sections and photo documentation of riparian recovery within the project areas provided additional baseline data. Physical habitat surveys continued to be conducted to characterize habitat quality and to quantify various habitat types by area. This information will be utilized to assist in identification of habitat deficient areas within the watershed in which to focus habitat restoration efforts. These efforts were coordinated with the CTUIR Umatilla Basin Natural Production Monitoring and Evaluation (UBNPME) Project. Poor land use practices, which have altered natural floodplain dynamics and significantly reduced or eliminated fisheries habitat, continued to be identified in the Mission Creek Subbasin. Complied data is currently being incorporated into a data layer for a Geographic Information System (GIS) data base. This effort is being coordinated with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Community outreach efforts and public education opportunities continued during the reporting period. CTUIR cooperatively sponsored a bioengineering workshop on February 23, 1995 with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). This workshop attracted a combined total 3f over 270 participants at day and evening sessions.« less

Middle Sacramento River Refuge: A Feasibility Study

Treesearch

Charles J. Houghten; Frank J. Michny

1989-01-01

The woodlands and other streamside habitat of the Sacramento River's riparian system have been severely reduced within the last century. This riparian habitat and its ability to sustain diverse populations of fish, migratory birds, mammals, and other wildlife have been significantly impacted by water control projects, agricultural developments, and other land uses...

Theory, methods and tools for determining environmental flows for riparian vegetation: Riparian vegetation-flow response guilds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merritt, D.M.; Scott, M.L.; Leroy, Poff N.; Auble, G.T.; Lytle, D.A.

2010-01-01

Riparian vegetation composition, structure and abundance are governed to a large degree by river flow regime and flow-mediated fluvial processes. Streamflow regime exerts selective pressures on riparian vegetation, resulting in adaptations (trait syndromes) to specific flow attributes. Widespread modification of flow regimes by humans has resulted in extensive alteration of riparian vegetation communities. Some of the negative effects of altered flow regimes on vegetation may be reversed by restoring components of the natural flow regime. 2. Models have been developed that quantitatively relate components of the flow regime to attributes of riparian vegetation at the individual, population and community levels. Predictive models range from simple statistical relationships, to more complex stochastic matrix population models and dynamic simulation models. Of the dozens of predictive models reviewed here, most treat one or a few species, have many simplifying assumptions such as stable channel form, and do not specify the time-scale of response. In many cases, these models are very effective in developing alternative streamflow management plans for specific river reaches or segments but are not directly transferable to other rivers or other regions. 3. A primary goal in riparian ecology is to develop general frameworks for prediction of vegetation response to changing environmental conditions. The development of riparian vegetation-flow response guilds offers a framework for transferring information from rivers where flow standards have been developed to maintain desirable vegetation attributes, to rivers with little or no existing information. 4. We propose to organise riparian plants into non-phylogenetic groupings of species with shared traits that are related to components of hydrologic regime: life history, reproductive strategy, morphology, adaptations to fluvial disturbance and adaptations to water availability. Plants from any river or region may be grouped into these guilds and related to hydrologic attributes of a specific class of river using probabilistic response curves. 5. Probabilistic models based on riparian response guilds enable prediction of the likelihood of change in each of the response guilds given projected changes in flow, and facilitate examination of trade-offs and risks associated with various flow management strategies. Riparian response guilds can be decomposed to the species level for individual projects or used to develop flow management guidelines for regional water management plans. ?? 2009 Published.

Evaluating nitrogen removal by vegetation uptake using satellite image time series in riparian catchments.

PubMed

Wang, Xuelei; Wang, Qiao; Yang, Shengtian; Zheng, Donghai; Wu, Chuanqing; Mannaerts, C M

2011-06-01

Nitrogen (N) removal by vegetation uptake is one of the most important functions of riparian buffer zones in preventing non-point source pollution (NSP), and many studies about N uptake at the river reach scale have proven the effectiveness of plants in controlling nutrient pollution. However, at the watershed level, the riparian zones form dendritic networks and, as such, may be the predominant spatially structured feature in catchments and landscapes. Thus, assessing the functions of riparian system at the basin scale is important. In this study, a new method coupling remote sensing and ecological models was used to assess the N removal by riparian vegetation on a large spatial scale. The study site is located around the Guanting reservoir in Beijing, China, which was abandoned as the source water system for Beijing due to serious NSP in 1997. SPOT 5 data was used to map the land cover, and Landsat-5 TM time series images were used to retrieve land surface parameters. A modified forest nutrient cycling and biomass model (ForNBM) was used to simulate N removal, and the modified net primary productivity (NPP) module was driven by remote sensing image time series. Besides the remote sensing data, the necessary database included meteorological data, soil chemical and physical data and plant nutrient data. Pot and plot experiments were used to calibrate and validate the simulations. Our study has proven that, by coupling remote sensing data and parameters retrieval techniques to plant growth process models, catchment scale estimations of nitrogen uptake rates can be improved by spatial pixel-based modelling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Small scale denitrification variability in riparian zones: Results from a high-resolution dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gassen, Niklas; Knöller, Kay; Musolff, Andreas; Popp, Felix; Lüders, Tillmann; Stumpp, Christine

2017-04-01

Riparian zones are important compartments at the interface between groundwater and surface water where biogeochemical processes like denitrification are often enhanced. Nitrate loads of either groundwater entering a stream through the riparian zone or streamwater infiltrating into the riparian zone can be substantially reduced. These processes are spatially and temporally highly variable, making it difficult to capture solute variabilities, estimate realistic turnover rates and thus to quantify integral mass removal. A crucial step towards a more detailed characterization is to monitor solutes on a scale which adequately resemble the highly heterogeneous distribution and on a scale where processes occur. We measured biogeochemical parameters in a spatial high resolution within a riparian corridor of a German lowland river system over the course of one year. Samples were taken from three newly developed high-resolution multi-level wells with a maximum vertical resolution of 5 cm and analyzed for major ions, DOC and N-O isotopes. Sediment derived during installation of the wells was analyzed for specific denitrifying enzymes. Results showed a distinct depth zonation of hydrochemistry within the shallow alluvial aquifer, with a 1 m thick zone just below the water table with lower nitrate concentrations and EC values similar to the nearby river. Conservative parameters were consistent inbetween the three wells, but nitrate was highly variable. In addition, spots with low nitrate concentrations showed isotopic and microbial evidence for higher denitrification activities. The depth zonation was observed throughout the year, with stronger temporal variations of nitrate concentrations just below the water table compared to deeper layers. Nitrate isotopes showed a clear seasonal trend of denitrification activities (high in summer, low in winter). Our dataset gives new insight into river-groundwater exchange processes and shows the highly heterogeneous distribution of denitrification in riparian zones, both in time and space. With these new insights, we are able to improve our understanding of spatial scaling of denitrification processes. This leads to a better prediction and improved management strategies for buffer mechanisms in riparian zones.

Restoring and Maintaining Riparian Habitat on Private Pastureland

Treesearch

Nancy Reichard

1989-01-01

Protecting riparian habitat from livestock grazing on private land is a complex task that requires paying attention to sociological and economic as well as physical and biological factors. Six livestock exclusion fencing projects on private property in northwestern California are described. The importance of long term maintenance and the need for landowner incentives...

Hydrological heterogeneity in agricultural riparian buffer strips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hénault-Ethier, Louise; Larocque, Marie; Perron, Rachel; Wiseman, Natalie; Labrecque, Michel

2017-03-01

Riparian buffer strips (RBS) may protect surface water and groundwater in agricultural settings, although their effectiveness, observed in field-scale studies, may not extend to a watershed scale. Hydrologically-controlled leaching plots have often shown RBS to be effective at buffering nutrients and pesticides, but uncontrolled field studies have sometimes suggested limited effectiveness. The limited RBS effectiveness may be explained by the spatiotemporal hydrological heterogeneity near non-irrigated fields. This hypothesis was tested in conventional corn and soy fields in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of southern Quebec (Canada), where spring melt brings heavy and rapid runoff, while summer months are hot and dry. One field with a mineral soil (Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan) and another with an organic-rich soil (Boisbriand) were equipped with passive runoff collectors, suction cup lysimeters, and piezometers placed before and after a 3 m-wide RBS, and monitored from 2011 to 2014. Soil topography of the RBS was mapped to a 1 cm vertical precision and a 50 cm sampling grid. On average, surface runoff intersects the RBS perpendicularly, but is subject to substantial local heterogeneity. Groundwater saturates the root zones, but flows little at the time of snowmelt. Groundwater flow is not consistently perpendicular to the RBS, and may reverse, flowing from stream to field under low water flow regimes with stream-aquifer connectivity, thus affecting RBS effectiveness calculations. Groundwater flow direction can be influenced by stratigraphy, local soil hydraulic properties, and historical modification of the agricultural stream beds. Understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of surface and groundwater flows is essential to correctly assess the effectiveness of RBS in intercepting agro-chemical pollution. The implicit assumption that water flows across vegetated RBS, from the field to the stream, should always be verified.

Stream-Groundwater Interaction Buffers Seasonal Changes in Urban Stream Water Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledford, S. H.; Lautz, L. K.

2013-12-01

Urban streams in the northeastern United States have large road salt inputs during winter, increased nonpoint sources of inorganic nitrogen, and decreased short-term and permanent storage of nutrients. Meadowbrook Creek, a first order stream in Syracuse, New York, flows along a negative urbanization gradient, from a channelized and armored stream running through the middle of a roadway to a pool-riffle stream meandering through a broad, vegetated floodplain with a riparian aquifer. In this study we investigated how reconnection to groundwater and introduction of riparian vegetation impacted surface water chemistry by making bi-weekly longitudinal surveys of stream water chemistry in the creek from May 2012 until June 2013. Chloride concentrations in the upstream, urban reach of Meadowbrook Creek were strongly influenced by discharge of road salt to the creek during snow melt events in winter and by the chemistry of water draining an upstream retention basin in summer. Chloride concentrations ranged from 161.2 mg/L in August to 2172 mg/L in February. Chloride concentrations in the downstream, 'connected' reach had less temporal variation, ranging from 252.0 mg/L in August to 1049 mg/L in January, and were buffered by groundwater discharge, as the groundwater chloride concentrations during the sampling period ranged from 84.0 to 655.4 mg/L. Groundwater discharge resulted in higher chloride concentrations in summer and lower concentrations in winter in the connected reach relative to the urban reach, minimizing annual variation. In summer, there was little-to-no nitrate in the urban reach due to a combination of limited sources and high primary productivity. In contrast, during the summer, nitrate concentrations reached over 1 mg N/L in the connected reach due to the presence of riparian vegetation and lower nitrate uptake due to cooler temperatures and shading. During the winter, when temperatures fell below freezing, nitrate concentrations in the urban reach increased to around 0.58 mg N/L, but were still lower than the connected reach, which averaged 0.88 mg N/L. Groundwater discharge rates were measured longitudinally along the creek during a constant rate Rhodamine WT injection and also confirmed qualitatively by longitudinal changes in stream sulfate and δ18O. The buffering capability of groundwater discharge in urban systems has implications for managers trying to mitigate the effects of urbanization on surface water.

Influences of upland and riparian land use patterns on stream biotic integrity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, C.D.; Young, J.A.; Villella, R.; Lemarie, D.P.

2003-01-01

We explored land use, fish assemblage structure, and stream habitat associations in 20 catchments in Opequon Creek watershed, West Virginia. The purpose was to determine the relative importance of urban and agriculture land use on stream biotic integrity, and to evaluate the spatial scale (i.e., whole-catchment vs riparian buffer) at which land use effects were most pronounced. We found that index of biological integrity (IBI) scores were strongly associated with extent of urban land use in individual catchments. Sites that received ratings of poor or very poor based on IBI scores had > 7% of urban land use in their respective catchments. Habitat correlations suggested that urban land use disrupted flow regime, reduced water quality, and altered stream channels. In contrast, we found no meaningful relationship between agricultural land use and IBI at either whole-catchment or riparian scales despite strong correlations between percent agriculture and several important stream habitat measures, including nitrate concentrations, proportion of fine sediments in riffles, and the abundance of fish cover. We also found that variation in gradient (channel slope) influenced responses of fish assemblages to land use. Urban land use was more disruptive to biological integrity in catchments with steeper channel slopes. Based on comparisons of our results in the topographically diverse Opequon Creek watershed with results from watersheds in flatter terrains, we hypothesize that the potential for riparian forests to mitigate effects of deleterious land uses in upland portions of the watershed is inversely related to gradient.

Postfire logging in riparian areas.

PubMed

Reeves, Gordon H; Bisson, Peter A; Rieman, Bruce E; Benda, Lee E

2006-08-01

We reviewed the behavior of wildfire in riparian zones, primarily in the western United States, and the potential ecological consequences of postfire logging. Fire behavior in riparian zones is complex, but many aquatic and riparian organisms exhibit a suite of adaptations that allow relatively rapid recovery after fire. Unless constrained by other factors, fish tend to rebound relatively quickly, usually within a decade after a wildfire. Additionally, fire and subsequent erosion events contribute wood and coarse sediment that can create and maintain productive aquatic habitats over time. The potential effects of postfire logging in riparian areas depend on the landscape context and disturbance history of a site; however available evidence suggests two key management implications: (1) fire in riparian areas creates conditions that may not require intervention to sustain the long-term productivity of the aquatic network and (2) protection of burned riparian areas gives priority to what is left rather than what is removed. Research is needed to determine how postfire logging in riparian areas has affected the spread of invasive species and the vulnerability of upland forests to insect and disease outbreaks and how postfire logging will affect the frequency and behavior of future fires. The effectiveness of using postfire logging to restore desired riparian structure and function is therefore unproven, but such projects are gaining interest with the departure of forest conditions from those that existed prior to timber harvest, fire suppression, and climate change. In the absence of reliable information about the potential consequence of postfire timber harvest, we conclude that providing postfire riparian zones with the same environmental protections they received before they burned isjustified ecologically Without a commitment to monitor management experiments, the effects of postfire riparian logging will remain unknown and highly contentious.

Riparian Land Use/Land Cover Data for Three Study Units in Group II of the Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical Study of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Michaela R.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Dickinson, Ross G.; Sanocki, Chris A.; Tranmer, Andrew W.

2009-01-01

This data set was developed as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical (NEET) study. This report is concerned with three of the eight NEET study units distributed across the United States: Ozark Plateaus, Upper Mississippi River Basin, and Upper Snake River Basin, collectively known as Group II of the NEET study. Ninety stream reaches were investigated during 2006-08 in these three study units. Stream segments, with lengths equal to the base-10 logarithm of the basin area, were delineated upstream from the stream reaches through the use of digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle (DOQQ) imagery. The analysis area for each stream segment was defined by a streamside buffer extending laterally to 250 meters from the stream segment. Delineation of landuse and land-cover (LULC) map units within stream-segment buffers was completed using on-screen digitizing of riparian LULC classes interpreted from the DOQQ. LULC units were classified using a strategy consisting of nine classes. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were used to aid in wetland classification. Longitudinal riparian transects (lines offset from the stream segments) were generated digitally, used to sample the LULC maps, and partitioned in accord with the intersected LULC map-unit types. These longitudinal samples yielded the relative linear extent and sequence of each LULC type within the riparian zone at the segment scale. The resulting areal and linear estimates of LULC extent filled in the spatial-scale gap between the 30-meter resolution of the 1990s National Land Cover Dataset and the reach-level habitat assessment data collected onsite routinely for NAWQA ecological sampling. The resulting data consisted of 12 geospatial data sets: LULC within 25 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 100 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 150 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 250 meters of the stream segment (polygon); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation at the reach scale (arc); stream reaches (arc); longitudinal LULC transect sample at the reach scale (arc); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation at the segment scale (arc); stream segments (arc); and longitudinal LULC transect sample at the segment scale (arc).

Release of dissolved phosphorus from riparian wetlands: Evidence for complex interactions among hydroclimate variability, topography and soil properties.

PubMed

Gu, Sen; Gruau, Gérard; Dupas, Rémi; Rumpel, Cornélia; Crème, Alexandra; Fovet, Ophélie; Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal; Jeanneau, Laurent; Humbert, Guillaume; Petitjean, Patrice

2017-11-15

In agricultural landscapes, establishment of vegetated buffer zones in riparian wetlands (RWs) is promoted to decrease phosphorus (P) emissions because RWs can trap particulate P from upslope fields. However, long-term accumulation of P risks the release of dissolved P, since the unstable hydrological conditions in these zones may mobilize accumulated particulate P by transforming it into a mobile dissolved P species. This study evaluates how hydroclimate variability, topography and soil properties interact and influence this mobilization, using a three-year dataset of molybdate-reactive dissolved P (MRDP) and total dissolved P (TDP) concentrations in soil water from two RWs located in an agricultural catchment in western France (Kervidy-Naizin), along with stream P concentrations. Two main drivers of seasonal dissolved P release were identified: i) soil rewetting during water-table rise after dry periods and ii) reductive dissolution of soil Fe (hydr)oxides during prolonged water saturation periods. These mechanisms were shown to vary greatly in space (according to topography) and time (according to intra- and interannual hydroclimate variability). The concentration and speciation of the released dissolved P also varied spatially depending on soil chemistry and local topography. Comparison of sites revealed a similar correlation between soil P speciation (percentage of organic P ranging from 35-70%) and the concentration and speciation of the released P (MRDP from <0.10 to 0.40mgl -1 ; percentage of MRDP in TDP from 25-70%). These differences propagated to stream water, suggesting that the two RWs investigated were the main sources of dissolved P to streams. RWs can be critical areas due to their ability to biogeochemically transform the accumulated P in these zones into highly mobile and highly bioavailable dissolved P forms. Hydroclimate variability, local topography and soil chemistry must be considered to decrease the risk of remobilizing legacy soil P when establishing riparian buffer zones in agricultural landscapes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Regulation of CH4 and N2O fluxes by Wetlands at Landscape Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soosaar, K.; Maddison, M.; Salm, J. O.; Järveoja, J.; Hansen, R.; Mander, Ü.

2012-04-01

The world's wetlands, despite being only about 5% of the terrestrial landscape, are currently significant net sinks of more than 1 Pg yr-1 of carbon (Mitsch et al 2012). At landscape level wetlands and riparian zones are important regulators of nutrient transport (Zedler 2003). However, they can be also significant hot spots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Teiter&Mander 2005). Swedish experience shows that the nationally planned wetland creation (12,000 ha) could make a significant contribution to the targeted reduction of N fluxes (up to 27% of the Swedish environmental objective), at an environmental risk equalling 0.04% of the national anthropogenic GHG emission (Thiere et al 2011). Only few studies consider the potential GHG emission throughout both natural and created wetlands. The main objective of this study was to clarify the potential of various wetland ecosystem and riparian zones of northern rural landscapes in regulation of GHG emissions. Monthly-based measurements of GHG emissions using closed chamber method were performed from October 2007 to October 2011 in 47 study sites in Estonia. The study sites cover various wetlands and riparian forests as well as reference areas on automorphic soils. In general, wetlands' drainage was the most significant disturbance factor influencing GHG fluxes, causing significant increase of N2O emission as well as decreasing CH4 emission. However, we also observed significantly high CH4 flux from drained peatlands. In most of the soils with ground/soil water levels deeper than 30 cm from the surface, a significant decrease of CH4 fluxes were detected. The highest CH4 emissions (up to 5060 kg CH4-C ha-1 yr-1) were detected from drained fen grasslands. In the case of N2O, no clear differences were found between colder and warmer periods. Relatively higher N2O fluxes were measured from the drained fen grassland, the fertilized arable land, the riparian forest on automorphic soil, and the drained transition fen forest: median values 4.2, 1.4, 1.1, and 0.9 kg N2O-N ha-1 y-1, respectively. In peatlands, median values of CH4-C were 85.2, 23.7, 0.07 and 0.12 kg ha-1 yr-1, and N2O-N -0.05, -0.01, 0.18 and 0.19 kg ha-1 yr-1, respectively. There were significantly higher emissions of N2O from abandoned and active peat mining areas, whereas CH4 emissions were significantly higher in natural and drained areas. We also found that the buffering capacity of long-term loaded riparian alder forests in agricultural landscapes will decrease over time, which calls for the careful management of these riparian forests. Mitsch, W.J, Zhang, L., Stefanik, K.C., Nahlik, A.M., Anderson, C.J., Bernal, B., Hernandez, M., Song, K. 2012. Creating wetlands: Primary succession, water quality changes, and self-design over 15 years. BioScience in press Zedler, JB. 2003. Wetlands at your service: reducing impacts of agriculture at the watershed scale. Front. Ecol. Environ., 1, pp. 65-72 Teiter, S., Mander, U. 2005. Emission of N2O, N2, CH4, and CO2 from constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and from riparian buffer zones. Ecol. Eng., 25, pp. 528-541 Thiere, G., Stadmark, J., Weisner, SEB. 2011. Nitrogen retention versus methane emission: Environmental benefits and risks of large-scale wetland creation. Ecol. Eng., 37, pp. 6-15

Status and trends monitoring of riparian and aquatic habitat in the Olympic Experimental State Forest: Monitoring protocols

Treesearch

Teodora Minkova; Alex D. Foster

2017-01-01

Presented here are the monitoring protocols for the Status and Trends Monitoring of Riparian and Aquatic Habitats project in the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF). The procedures yield the empirical data needed to address key uncertainties regarding the integration of timber production and habitat conservation across landscapes and assess progress toward...

Ancient Soils in a Sunburnt Country: Nutrient and Carbon Distributions in an Australian Dryland River System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntyre, R. E.; Grierson, P. F.; Adams, M. A.

2005-05-01

Riparian systems are hotspots in dryland landscapes for nutrient supply and transformation. Biogeochemical fluxes in riparian systems are closely coupled to hydrological flowpaths, which, in dryland regions, are characterised by catastrophic flooding and long periods of erratic or no flow. Re-wetting of soils stimulates soil microbial processes that drive mineralization of nutrients necessary for plant growth. We present here the first data of a 3-year research project investigating biogeochemical processes in riparian systems in the semi-arid Pilbara region of Western Australia. Spatial patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon were closely related to topographic zone (across floodplain and channels) and vegetation type. NO3- and PCi concentrations were four-fold higher in channel, bank and riparian soils than in soils of floodplain and riparian-floodplain transition zones. Nitrogen distribution was highly heterogeneous in riparian soils (NO3- CV=102%, NH4+ CV=84%) while phosphorus was particularly heterogeneous in floodplain soils (PCi CV=153%, PCo CV=266%), in comparison to other zones. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and enzymatic profiles will be used to assess microbial functional groups, combined with mineralisation experiments and stable isotope studies (15N and 13C). These data will improve understanding of biogeochemical cycling in dryland riparian systems, and contribute to improved regional management of water resources.

Riparian responses to extreme climate and land-use change scenarios.

PubMed

Fernandes, Maria Rosário; Segurado, Pedro; Jauch, Eduardo; Ferreira, Maria Teresa

2016-11-01

Climate change will induce alterations in the hydrological and landscape patterns with effects on riparian ecotones. In this study we assess the combined effect of an extreme climate and land-use change scenario on riparian woody structure and how this will translate into a future risk of riparian functionality loss. The study was conducted in the Tâmega catchment of the Douro basin. Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs) were used to model two riparian landscape indicators related with the degree of connectivity (Mean Width) and complexity (Area Weighted Mean Patch Fractal Dimension). Riparian data were extracted by planimetric analysis of high spatial-resolution Word Imagery Layer (ESRI). Hydrological, climatic and land-use variables were obtained from available datasets and generated with process-based modeling using current climate data (2008-2014), while also considering the high-end RCP8.5 climate-change and "Icarus" socio-economic scenarios for the 2046-2065 time slice. Our results show that hydrological and land-use changes strongly influence future projections of riparian connectivity and complexity, albeit to diverse degrees and with differing effects. A harsh reduction in average flows may impair riparian zones while an increase in extreme rain events may benefit connectivity by promoting hydrologic dynamics with the surrounding floodplains. The expected increase in broad-leaved woodlands and mixed forests may enhance the riparian galleries by reducing the agricultural pressure on the area in the vicinity of the river. According to our results, 63% of river segments in the Tâmega basin exhibited a moderate risk of functionality loss, 16% a high risk, and 21% no risk. Weaknesses and strengths of the method are highlighted and results are discussed based on a resilience perspective with regard to riparian ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate and land cover effects on the temperature of Puget Sound streams: Assessment of Climate and Land Use Impacts on Stream Temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cao, Qian; Sun, Ning; Yearsley, John

We apply an integrated hydrology-stream temperature modeling system, DHSVM-RBM, to examine the response of the temperature of the major streams draining to Puget Sound to land cover and climate change. We first show that the model construct is able to reconstruct observed historic streamflow and stream temperature variations at a range of time scales. We then explore the relative effect of projected future climate and land cover change, including riparian vegetation, on streamflow and stream temperature. Streamflow in summer is likely to decrease as the climate warms especially in snowmelt-dominated and transient river basins despite increased streamflow in their lowermore » reaches associated with urbanization. Changes in streamflow also result from changes in land cover, and changes in stream shading result from changes in riparian vegetation, both of which influence stream temperature. However, we find that the effect of riparian vegetation changes on stream temperature is much greater than land cover change over the entire basin especially during summer low flow periods. Furthermore, while future projected precipitation change will have relatively modest effects on stream temperature, projected future air temperature increases will result in substantial increases in stream temperature especially in summer. These summer stream temperature increases will be associated both with increasing air temperature, and projected decreases in low flows. We find that restoration of riparian vegetation could mitigate much of the projected summer stream temperature increases. We also explore the contribution of riverine thermal loadings to the heat balance of Puget Sound, and find that the riverine contribution is greatest in winter, when streams account for up to 1/8 of total thermal inputs (averaged from December through February), with larger effects in some sub-basins. We project that the riverine impact on thermal inputs to Puget Sound will become greater with both urbanization and climate change in winter but become smaller in summer due to climate change.« less

Flat Branch monitoring project: stream water temperature and sediment responses to forest cutting in the riparian zone

Treesearch

Barton D. Clinton; James M. Vose; Dick L. Fowler

2010-01-01

Stream water protection during timber-harvesting activities is of primary interest to forest managers. In this study, we examine the potential impacts of riparian zone tree cutting on water temperature and total suspended solids. We monitored stream water temperature and total suspended solids before and after timber harvesting along a second-order tributary of the...

Monitoring Riparian Restoration: A Management Perspective

Treesearch

Yasmeen Najmi; Sterling Grogan

2006-01-01

As the largest landholder of cottonwood-dominated riparian forest or “bosque” in the 150 miles of the middle Rio Grande from the Cochiti Dam to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD; a political subdivision of the State of New Mexico) and its cooperators are implementing “fuels reduction” projects throughout...

Review of Invasive Riparian Trees that Impact USACE Ecosystem Restoration Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

Center (ERDC), Environmental Laboratory (EL) developed this technical note to describe invasive woody trees and shrubs that negatively affect USACE...riparian habitats. BACKGROUND: Non-native species introduced intentionally, or otherwise, have affected native flora and fauna communities throughout...North America. Whether these species are plants, animals, or pathogens (e.g., fungi , bacteria), costs from damages and losses, and costs of efforts

Stream temperature responses to timber harvest and best management practices—findings from the ODF RipStream project

Treesearch

Jeremy D. Groom

2013-01-01

Studies over the past 40 years have established that riparian buff er retention along streams protects against stream temperature increase. Th is protection is neither universal nor complete; some buff ered streams still warm, while other streams’ temperatures remain stable. Oregon Department of Forestry developed riparian rules in the Forest Practices Act (FPA) to...

Identifying environmental features for land management decisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The major accomplishments of the Center for Remote Sensing and Cartography are outlined. The analysis and inventory of the Parker Mountain rangeland and the use of multitemporal data to study aspen succession stages are discussed. New and continuing projects are also described including a Salt Lake County land use study, Wasatch-Cache riparian study, and Humboldt River riparian habitat study. Finally, progress in digital processing techniques is reported.

Riparian reserves within oil palm plantations conserve logged forest leaf litter ant communities and maintain associated scavenging rates

PubMed Central

Gray, Claudia L; Lewis, Owen T; Chung, Arthur Y C; Fayle, Tom M

2015-01-01

The expansion of oil palm plantations at the expense of tropical forests is causing declines in many species and altering ecosystem functions. Maintaining forest-dependent species and processes in these landscapes may therefore limit the negative impacts of this economically important industry. Protecting riparian vegetation may be one such opportunity; forest buffer strips are commonly protected for hydrological reasons, but can also conserve functionally important taxa and the processes they support. We surveyed leaf litter ant communities within oil palm-dominated landscapes in Sabah, Malaysia, using protein baits. As the scavenging activity of ants influences important ecological characteristics such as nutrient cycling and soil structure, we quantified species-specific rates of bait removal to examine how this process may change across land uses and establish which changes in community structure underlie observed shifts in activity. Riparian reserves had similar ant species richness, community composition and scavenging rates to nearby continuous logged forest. Reserve width and vegetation structure did not affect ant species richness significantly. However, the number of foraging individuals decreased with increasing reserve width, and scavenging rate increased with vegetation complexity. Oil palm ant communities were characterized by significantly lower species richness than logged forest and riparian reserves and also by altered community composition and reduced scavenging rates. Reduced scavenging activity in oil palm was not explained by a reduction in ant species richness, nor by replacement of forest ant species by those with lower per species scavenging rates. There was also no significant effect of land use on the scavenging activity of the forest species that persisted in oil palm. Rather, changes in scavenging activity were best explained by a reduction in the mean rate of bait removal per individual ant across all species in the community. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that riparian reserves are comparable to areas of logged forest in terms of ant community composition and ant-mediated scavenging. Hence, in addition to protecting large continuous areas of primary and logged forest, maintaining riparian reserves is a successful strategy for conserving leaf litter ants and their scavenging activities in tropical agricultural landscapes. PMID:25678717

Supplement Analysis for the Watershed Management Program EIS, (DOE/EIS-0265/SA-69) - Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spiering, Colleen

2001-11-15

BPA proposes to fund a project with the Colville Confederated Tribes that will improve spawning and rearing specifically for summer steelhead in the Omak Creek Watershed. Efforts to achieve this objective include improved livestock and forestry management and barrier removal. These techniques include exclusionary fencing, spring developments, hardened-rock crossings, road decommissioning, culvert removal and placement, riparian vegetation planting and installation of instream structures. The result of implementing these techniques will reduce fine sediment delivered to the stream channel which will result in increased hatching success of summer steelhead. Also, reestablishing riparian vegetation will provide canopy and enclose the stream channelmore » resulting in reduced stream temperatures. Two “on-the-ground” projects are proposed for this year. One project consists of installing three instream structures and planting riparian vegetation to provide bank stability along approximately 200’ of privately owned stream bank of Omak Creek. Also a fence will be constructed to exclude the landowner’s horses. The second project consists of removal of an inadequate sized culvert (5’ diameter) and replacement with a larger bottomless arch (6’ x 12’). This project will also include seven instream structures to stabilize the stream bank both upstream and downstream of the culvert and direct flows through the center of the bottomless arch.« less

John Day River Subbasin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project, 2005-2006 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, Russ M.; Alley, Pamela D.; Delano, Kenneth H.

2006-03-01

Work undertaken in 2005 included: (1) Four new fence projects were completed thereby protecting 7.55 miles of stream with 9.1 miles of new riparian fence (2) Fence removal 1.7 miles of barbed wire. (3) Completed three spring developments (repair work on two BLM springs on Cottonwood Creek (Dayville), 1 solar on Rock Creek/ Collins property). (4) Dredge tail leveling completed on 0.9 miles of the Middle Fork of the John Day River (5) Cut, hauled and placed 30 junipers on Indian Creek/Kuhl property for bank stability. (6) Collected and planted 1500 willow cuttings on Mountain Creek/Jones property. (7) Conducted steelheadmore » redd counts on Lake Cr./Hoover property and Cottonwood Cr./Mascall properties (8) Seeded 200 lbs of native grass seed on projects where the sites were disturbed by fence construction activities. (9) Maintenance of all active project fences (72.74 miles), watergaps (60), spring developments (30) were checked and repairs performed. (10) Since the initiation of the Fish Habitat Program in 1984 we have installed 156.06 miles of riparian fence on leased property protecting 88.34 miles of anadromous fish bearing stream. With the addition of the Restoration and Enhancement Projects from 1996-2001, where the landowner received the materials, built and maintained the project we have a total of 230.92 miles of fence protecting 144.7 miles of stream and 3285 acres of riparian habitat.« less

Research as an Integral Part of Revegetation Projects

Treesearch

Bertin W. Anderson

1989-01-01

Little data concerning autecological needs of desert riparian plant species is available, but the need for revegetation is great. This need results in projects being initiated without knowledge of on site conditions or needs of species planted. Research, superimposed on revegetation projects, can yield data necessary to intelligently implement revegetation projects....

Revegetation of Riparian Trees and Shrubs on Alluvial Soils Along the Upper Sacramento River, 1987-1988

Treesearch

Steven P. Chainey; F. Jordan Lang; Skip Mills

1989-01-01

Two sites on the Sacramento River near Red Bluff and Colusa, California were planted with seven native tree species plus valley elderberry (a shrub) in an effort to mitigate for the loss of woody riparian vegetation from bank protection construction projects in the area. The stateowned environmental easements on terraces on the river side of the levees had been planted...

Current state and projection of the probable original vegetation of the São Carlos region of São Paulo State, Brazil.

PubMed

Soares, J J; da Silva, D W; Lima, M I

2003-08-01

A map of the native vegetation remaining in São Carlos County was built based on aerial images, satellite images, and field observations, and a projection of the probable original vegetation was made by checking it against soil and relief surveys. The existing vegetation is very fragmented and improverished, consisting predominantly of cerrados (savanna vegetation of various physiognomies), semideciduous and riparian forest, and regeneration areas. Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, found in patches inside the semideciduous forest beginning at a minimum altitude of 850 m, has practically disappeared. By evaluating areas on the map for different forms of vegetation, we obtained the following results for original coverage: 27% cerrado (sparsely arboreal and short-shrub savanna, and wet meadows); 16% cerradão (arboreal savanna); 55% semideciduous and riparian forests; and 2% forest with A. angustifolia. There are now 2% cerrados; 2.5% cerradão; 1% semideciduous forest and riparian forests; 1.5% regeneration areas; and 0% forest with A. angustifolia.

Planning riparian restoration in the context of tamarix control in Western North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, P.B.; Beauchamp, Vanessa B.; Briggs, M.K.; Lair, K.; Scott, M.L.; Sher, A.A.

2008-01-01

Throughout the world, the condition of many riparian ecosystems has declined due to numerous factors, including encroachment of non-native species. In the western United States, millions of dollars are spent annually to control invasions of Tamarix spp., introduced small trees or shrubs from Eurasia that have colonized bottomland ecosystems along many rivers. Resource managers seek to control Tamarix in attempts to meet various objectives, such as increasing water yield and improving wildlife habitat. Often, riparian restoration is an implicit goal, but there has been little emphasis on a process or principles to effectively plan restoration activities, and many Tamarix removal projects are unsuccessful at restoring native vegetation. We propose and summarize the key steps in a planning process aimed at developing effective restoration projects in Tamarix-dominated areas. We discuss in greater detail the biotic and abiotic factors central to the evaluation of potential restoration sites and summarize information about plant communities likely to replace Tamarix under various conditions. Although many projects begin with implementation, which includes the actual removal of Tamarix, we stress the importance of pre-project planning that includes: (1) clearly identifying project goals; (2) developing realistic project objectives based on a detailed evaluation of site conditions; (3) prioritizing and selecting Tamarix control sites with the best chance of ecological recovery; and (4) developing a detailed tactical plan before Tamarix is removed. After removal, monitoring and maintenance as part of an adaptive management approach are crucial for evaluating project success and determining the most effective methods for restoring these challenging sites. ?? 2008 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

78 FR 16500 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

... and Vegetation Management Project, Comment Period Ends: 04/29/2013, Contact: Marcy Anderson 541-419-0517. EIS No. 20130062, Draft EIS, USFS, NM, Roca Honda Mine Project, Exploration and Mine Development... Seco Riparian Sanctuary Unit Restoration and Pumping Plant/Fish Screen Facility Protection Project...

Changing Demands from Riparian Evapotranspiration and Free-Water Evaporation in the Lower Colorado River Basin Under Different Climate Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunk, D. A.; Piechota, T. C.

2012-12-01

Observed and projected trends in riparian evapotranspiration (ET) and free-water evaporation are examined to improve water demand forecasting for use in modeling of lower Colorado River system reservoir operations. While most previous research has focused on the impacts of climate change and climate variability on water supply, the impacts on water demand under changing climate conditions have not been adequately addressed (NRC, 2007 and Reclamation, 2009). Increases in temperatures and changes in precipitation and wind patterns are expected to increase evaporative demands (Bates and others, 2008), potentially increasing free-water evaporation and ET from riparian vegetation; increasing infiltration rates; altering cropping patterns; and changing the temporal and spatial distribution of water deliveries. This study uses observations and projections under changing climate scenarios of hydroclimatic variables, such as temperature, wind, and precipitation, to analyze their impacts on riparian ET and free-water evaporation in the lower Colorado River mainstream downstream of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. The projected changes in evaporative demands were assessed to determine their impacts on water supply and reservoir operations in the Colorado River basin under changing climate conditions. Based on analysis of observed and projected hydroclimatic data from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model, mean annual daily temperature in the lower Colorado River mainstream reach has increased by 0.8° Celsius (C) from the 30-year period ending in 1980 to period ending in 2010 and is projected to increase by an additional 1.7° C by 30-year period ending in 2060. Analysis of riparian ET derived from the ASCE Penman-Monteith method (Allen et al., 2005, from Monteith, 1965 and 1981) and Westenburg et al. (2006) and free-water evaporation derived from the Penman combination model in Dingman (2008) indicates that combined evaporative demand in the lower Colorado River mainstream increased by 14,800 acre-feet, or 1.8 percent, during the 30-year period ending in 2010, and may increase by an additional 16,600 acre-feet, or 2.0 percent, during the 30-year period ending in 2060, when compared to the period from 1951 to 1980. With this projected increase in evaporative demands, the combined storage of Lake Powell and Lake Mead are projected to decrease by a cumulative volume of 75,400 acre-feet, or 0.15 percent of total conservation capacity, based on 10-year running averages ending in years 2020 to 2060. In addition, average annual shortage volumes in the lower Colorado River basin are projected to increase by 40,000 acre-feet, or 0.30 percent, from 2013 to 2060.

Tests of landscape influence: Nest predation and brood parasitism in fragmented ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tewksbury, J.J.; Garner, L.; Garner, S.; Lloyd, J.D.; Saab, V.; Martin, T.E.

2006-01-01

The effects of landscape fragmentation on nest predation and brood parasitism, the two primary causes of avian reproductive failure, have been difficult to generalize across landscapes, yet few studies have clearly considered the context and spatial scale of fragmentation. Working in two river systems fragmented by agricultural and rural-housing development, we tracked nesting success and brood parasitism in >2500 bird nests in 38 patches of deciduous riparian woodland. Patches on both river systems were embedded in one of two local contexts (buffered from agriculture by coniferous forest, or adjacent to agriculture), but the abundance of agriculture and human habitation within 1 km of each patch was highly variable. We examined evidence for three models of landscape effects on nest predation based on (1) the relative importance of generalist agricultural nest predators, (2) predators associated with the natural habitats typically removed by agricultural development, or (3) an additive combination of these two predator communities. We found strong support for an additive predation model in which landscape features affect nest predation differently at different spatial scales. Riparian habitat with forest buffers had higher nest predation rates than sites adjacent to agriculture, but nest predation also increased with increasing agriculture in the larger landscape surrounding each site. These results suggest that predators living in remnant woodland buffers, as well as generalist nest predators associated with agriculture, affect nest predation rates, but they appear to respond at different spatial scales. Brood parasitism, in contrast, was unrelated to agricultural abundance on the landscape, but showed a strong nonlinear relationship with farm and house density, indicating a critical point at which increased human habitat causes increased brood parasitism. Accurate predictions regarding landscape effects on nest predation and brood parasitism will require an increased appreciation of the multiple scales at which landscape components influence predator and parasite behavior. ?? 2006 by the Ecological Society of America.

Umatilla River Subbasin Fish Habitat Improvement Program, 1996-2003 Summary Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

St. Hilaire, Danny R.; Montgomery, Michael; Bailey, Timothy D.

This annual report is in fulfillment of contractual obligations with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is the funding source for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's (ODFW), Umatilla River Subbasin Fish Habitat Improvement Program (Program). The last Annual Program Report was submitted in 1997, and described projects undertaken in 1995. This report describes Program activities carried out in 2003, along with a summary of projects undertaken during the years 1996 through 2002. The Program works cooperatively with private landowners to develop long-term restoration agreements, under which, passive and active Habitat Improvement Projects are conducted. Historically, projects have included livestockmore » exclusion fencing (passive restoration) to protect riparian habitats, along with the installation of instream structures (active restoration) to address erosion and improve fish habitat. In recent years, the focus of active restoration has shifted to bioengineering treatments and, more recently, to channel re-design and re-construction aimed at improving fish habitat, by restoring stable channel function. This report provides a summary table of past projects (1996-2002), along with a text description of more extensive habitat improvement projects, including: (1) Implementation of a four-phased project on the Lobato property (Birch Creek) beginning in 1996 and involving a demonstration bioengineering site and riparian improvements (fencing, planting), (2) Implementation of stable channel design/instream structure placement on the Houser property, East Birch Creek, beginning in 1998, an (3) Implementation of a joint, US Army Corps of Engineers/ODFW (cost share) project beginning in 2001 on the Brogoitti property, East Birch Creek, which involved implementation of stable channel design/construction and riparian improvement treatments.« less

Riparian forest restoration: Conflicting goals, trade-offs, and measures of success

Treesearch

Heather L. Bateman; David M. Merritt; J. Bradley Johnson

2012-01-01

Restoration projects can have varying goals, depending on the specific focus, rationale, and aims for restoration. When restoration projects use project-specific goals to define activities and gauge success without considering broader ecological context, determination of project implications and success can be confounding. We used case studies from the Middle Rio...

Can stream and riparian restoration offset climate change impacts to salmon populations?

PubMed

Justice, Casey; White, Seth M; McCullough, Dale A; Graves, David S; Blanchard, Monica R

2017-03-01

Understanding how stream temperature responds to restoration of riparian vegetation and channel morphology in context of future climate change is critical for prioritizing restoration actions and recovering imperiled salmon populations. We used a deterministic water temperature model to investigate potential thermal benefits of riparian reforestation and channel narrowing to Chinook Salmon populations in the Upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek basins in Northeast Oregon, USA. A legacy of intensive land use practices in these basins has significantly reduced streamside vegetation and increased channel width across most of the stream network, resulting in water temperatures that far exceed the optimal range for salmon growth and survival. By combining restoration scenarios with climate change projections, we were able to evaluate whether future climate impacts could be offset by restoration actions. A combination of riparian restoration and channel narrowing was predicted to reduce peak summer water temperatures by 6.5 °C on average in the Upper Grande Ronde River and 3.0 °C in Catherine Creek in the absence of other perturbations. These results translated to increases in Chinook Salmon parr abundance of 590% and 67% respectively. Although projected climate change impacts on water temperature for the 2080s time period were substantial (i.e., median increase of 2.7 °C in the Upper Grande Ronde and 1.5 °C in Catherine Creek), we predicted that basin-wide restoration of riparian vegetation and channel width could offset these impacts, reducing peak summer water temperatures by about 3.5 °C in the Upper Grande Ronde and 1.8 °C in Catherine Creek. These results underscore the potential for riparian and stream channel restoration to mitigate climate change impacts to threatened salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Physical and vegetative characteristics of a relocated stream reach, constructed wetland, and riparian buffer, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 2000-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chaplin, Jeffrey J.; White, Kirk E.; Loper, Connie A.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Engineering District 5-0, investigated physical and vegetative changes within a relocated stream reach, constructed wetland, and riparian buffer from September 2000 to October 2004. This report presents an evaluation of data collected using methods from multiple sources that have been adapted into a consistent approach. This approach is intended to satisfy a need for consistent collection of different types of data with the goal of transferring technology and findings to similar projects. Survey data indicate that adjustment of the upstream part of the relocated stream reach slowed over the monitoring period, but the downstream channel remains unstable as evidenced by excessive deposition. Upstream migration of a nick point has slowed or stopped altogether as of the 2003 assessment when this feature came in contact with the upstream-most part of the channel that is lined with riprap. Documented streambed erosion in the upstream cross sections, along with deposition downstream, has resulted in an overall decrease in slope of the stream channel over the monitoring period. Most streambed erosion took place prior to the 2002 assessment when annual mean streamflows were less than those in the final 2 years of monitoring. An abundance of fine sediment dominates the substrate of the relocated channel. Annual fluctuations of large particles within each cross section demonstrates the capacity of the relocated channel to transport the entire range of sediment. The substrate within the 0.28-acre constructed wetland (a mixture of soil from an off-site naturally occurring wetland and woodchips) supported a hydrophytic-vegetation community throughout the investigation. Eleocharis obtusa (spike rush), an obligate-wetland herb, was the most prevalent species, having a maximum areal cover of 90 percent in fall 2001 and a minimum of 23 percent in fall 2004. Drought-like conditions in water year 2002 (cumulative precipitation was 28.11 inches) allowed species like Panicum dichotomiflorum (witch grass), Salix sp. (willow), Leersia oryzoides (rice cutgrass), and Echinocloa crusgalli (barnyard grass) to become established by fall 2002. Above-average precipitation in water years 2003 and 2004 (58.55 and 53.17 inches, respectively) coincided with increased areal cover by E. obtusa in fall 2003 (56 percent) and decreased areal cover in fall 2004 (23 percent). Pond-like conditions that probably persisted throughout the 2004 growing season favored aquatic species like Alisma subcordatum (water plantain) to the detriment of many emergent species, including E. obtusa. Despite the pond-like conditions, L. oryzoides, an obligate-wetland grass, increased in areal cover (from 12 to 34 percent) between the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons because it was established in the higher elevations and the peripheral areas of the constructed wetland that were less prone to persistent inundation. Canopy development by trees and shrubs in the riparian buffer was initially (fall 2000) poor (39.7 percent), resulting in more available sunlight for the herbaceous understory than in any other growing season. As a result, areal cover of herbaceous species and trees and shrubs less than 1-meter tall was 108 percent in fall 2000 with Lolium perenne (perennial rye), Polygonum persicaria (lady's thumb), and Setaria faberi (foxtail) collectively contributing nearly half the cover (59.2 percent). Because of increases in canopy cover by trees and shrubs (39.7 percent in fall 2000 to 127 percent in fall 2004), herbaceous cover decreased to 76 percent by the fall of 2001 and varied between 72 and 77 percent for the rest of the study period. Tree density in the riparian buffer ranged from 3,078 and 4,130 plants per acre (fall 2000 and 2003, respectively) over the study period but essentially remained constant after fall 2001; computations reported each fall between fall 2001 and fall 2004 are within 10 percent of one another. When the study ended in fall 2004, Acer negundo (box elder) and Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) were the most populous tree species (1,526 and 1,084 plants per acre, respectively) followed by Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak; 720 plants per acre). A. negundo, F. pennsylvanica, and Q. bicolor also contributed the greatest areal cover in fall 2004 (31.2, 24.0, and 18.5 percent,respectively). 

Restore McComas Meadows; Meadow Creek Watershed, 2005-2006 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2006-07-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed are coordinated and cost shared with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing, planting trees in riparian areas within the meadow and its tributaries, prioritizing culverts for replacement to accommodate fish passage, and decommissioning roads tomore » reduce sediment input. During this contract period work was completed on two culvert replacement projects; Doe Creek and a tributary to Meadow Creek. Additionally construction was also completed for the ditch restoration project within McComas Meadows. Monitoring for project effectiveness and trends in watershed conditions was also completed. Road decommissioning monitoring, as well as stream temperature, sediment, and discharge were completed.« less

Protect and Restore Lolo Creek Watershed, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-06-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed are coordinated with the Clearwater National Forest and Potlatch Corporation. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed of the Clearwater River in 1996. Fencing to exclude cattle for stream banks, stream bank stabilization, decommissioning roads, and upgrading culverts are the primary focuses of this project. Riparian enhancement through planning of riparian trees continues. Culvert inventory is on-going and will be completed in 2004 for the entiremore » Lolo Creek drainage. High priority culverts are being replaced and passage blocking log culverts are being removed. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

Modeling Mitigation Activities in North Carolina Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, A. M.

2017-12-01

Nutrient enrichment and excessive sediment loadings have contributed to the degradation of rivers, lakes and estuaries in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has implemented several basin-wide nutrient and sediment management strategies, yet gaps remain in understanding the impact of these strategies given the complexities in quantifying the processes that govern the transport of nutrient and sediment. In particular, improved assessment of the status of nutrient and sediment loadings to lakes and estuaries throughout the state is needed, including characterizing their sources and describing the relative contributions of different areas. The NCDEQ Division of Mitigation Services (DMS) uses watershed planning to identify and prioritize the best locations to implement stream, wetland, and riparian-buffer restoration to improve water quality. To support better decision-making for watershed restoration activities we are developing a SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) model framework specifically for North Carolina. The SPARROW analysis (developed by the U.S. Geological Survey) relates water-quality monitoring data to better understand the effects of human activities and natural processes on surface-water quality. The core of the model consists of using a nonlinear-regression equation to describe the non-conservative transport of contaminants from point and nonpoint sources on land to rivers, lakes and estuaries through the stream and river network. In this presentation, preliminary total Nitrogen, total Phosphorus, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) NC-SPARROW models are described that illustrate the SPARROW modeling framework incorporating specific restoration datasets and activity metrics, such as extent of riparian buffer and easements.

Delineating riparian zones for entire river networks using geomorphological criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, D.; Barquín, J.; Álvarez-Cabria, M.; Peñas, F. J.

2012-03-01

Riparian zone delineation is a central issue for riparian and river ecosystem management, however, criteria used to delineate them are still under debate. The area inundated by a 50-yr flood has been indicated as an optimal hydrological descriptor for riparian areas. This detailed hydrological information is, however, not usually available for entire river corridors, and is only available for populated areas at risk of flooding. One of the requirements for catchment planning is to establish the most appropriate location of zones to conserve or restore riparian buffer strips for whole river networks. This issue could be solved by using geomorphological criteria extracted from Digital Elevation Models. In this work we have explored the adjustment of surfaces developed under two different geomorphological criteria with respect to the flooded area covered by the 50-yr flood, in an attempt to rapidly delineate hydrologically-meaningful riparian zones for entire river networks. The first geomorphological criterion is based on the surface that intersects valley walls at a given number of bankfull depths above the channel (BFDAC), while the second is based on the surface defined by a~threshold value indicating the relative cost of moving from the stream up to the valley, accounting for slope and elevation change (path distance). As the relationship between local geomorphology and 50-yr flood has been suggested to be river-type dependant, we have performed our analyses distinguishing between three river types corresponding with three valley morphologies: open, shallow vee and deep vee valleys (in increasing degree of valley constrainment). Adjustment between the surfaces derived from geomorphological and hydrological criteria has been evaluated using two different methods: one based on exceeding areas (minimum exceeding score) and the other on the similarity among total area values. Both methods have pointed out the same surfaces when looking for those that best match with the 50-yr flood. Results have shown that the BFDAC approach obtains an adjustment slightly better than that of path distance. However, BFDAC requires bankfull depth regional regressions along the considered river network. Results have also confirmed that unconstrained valleys require lower threshold values than constrained valleys when deriving surfaces using geomorphological criteria. Moreover, this study provides: (i) guidance on the selection of the proper geomorphological criterion and associated threshold values, and (ii) an easy calibration framework to evaluate the adjustment with respect to hydrologically-meaningful surfaces.

Case studies of riparian and watershed restoration in the southwestern United States—Principles, challenges, and successes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ralston, Barbara E.; Sarr, Daniel A.; Ralston, Barbara E.; Sarr, Daniel A.

2017-07-18

Globally, rivers and streams are highly altered by impoundments, diversions, and stream channelization associated with agricultural and water delivery needs. Climate change imposes additional challenges by further reducing discharge, introducing variability in seasonal precipitation patterns, and increasing temperatures. Collectively, these changes in a river or stream’s annual hydrology affects surface and groundwater dynamics, fluvial processes, and the linked aquatic and riparian responses, particularly in arid regions. Recognizing the inherent ecosystem services that riparian and aquatic habitats provide, society increasingly supports restoring the functionality of riparian and aquatic ecosystems.Given the wide range in types and scales of riparian impacts, approaches to riparian restoration can range from tactical, short-term, and site-specific efforts to strategic projects and long-term collaborations best pursued at the watershed scale. In the spirit of sharing information, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center convened a workshop June 23-25, 2015, in Flagstaff, Ariz. for practitioners in restoration science to share general principles, successful restoration practices, and discuss the challenges that face those practicing riparian restoration in the southwestern United States. Presenters from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande basins, offered their perspectives and experiences in restoration at the local, reach and watershed scale. Outcomes of the workshop include this Proceedings volume, which is composed of extended abstracts of most of the presentations given at the workshop, and recommendations or information needs identified by participants. The organization of the Proceedings follows a general progression from local scale restoration to river and watershed scale approaches, and finishes with restoration assessments and monitoring.

Confederated Tribes Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Umatilla Anadromous Fisheries Habitat Project : A Columbia River Basin Fish Habitat Project : Annual Report Fiscal Year 2007.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoverson, Eric D.; Amonette, Alexandra

2008-12-02

The Umatilla Anadromous Fisheries Habitat Project (UAFHP) is an ongoing effort to protect, enhance, and restore riparian and instream habitat for the natural production of anadromous salmonids in the Umatilla River Basin, Northeast Oregon. Flow quantity, water temperature, passage, and lack of in-stream channel complexity have been identified as the key limiting factors in the basin. During the 2007 Fiscal Year (FY) reporting period (February 1, 2007-January 31, 2008) primary project activities focused on improving instream and riparian habitat complexity, migrational passage, and restoring natural channel morphology and floodplain function. Eight fisheries habitat enhancement projects were implemented on Meacham Creek,more » Camp Creek, Greasewood Creek, Birch Creek, West Birch Creek, and the Umatilla River. Specific restoration actions included: (1) rectifying five fish passage barriers on four creeks, (2) planting 1,275 saplings and seeding 130 pounds of native grasses, (3) constructing two miles of riparian fencing for livestock exclusion, (4) coordinating activities related to the installation of two off-channel, solar-powered watering areas for livestock, and (5) developing eight water gap access sites to reduce impacts from livestock. Baseline and ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities were also completed on major project areas such as conducting photo point monitoring strategies activities at the Meacham Creek Large Wood Implementation Project site (FY2006) and at all existing easements and planned project sites. Fish surveys and aquatic habitat inventories were conducted at project sites prior to implementation. Monitoring plans will continue throughout the life of each project to oversee progression and inspire timely managerial actions. Twenty-seven conservation easements were maintained with 23 landowners. Permitting applications for planned project activities and biological opinions were written and approved. Project activities were based on a variety of fisheries monitoring techniques and habitat assessments used to determine existing conditions and identify factors limiting anadromous salmonid abundance. Proper selection and implementation of the most effective site-specific habitat restoration plan, taking into consideration the unique characteristics of each project site, and conducted in cooperation with landowners and project partners, was of paramount importance to ensure each project's success.« less

An improved robust buffer allocation method for the project scheduling problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghoddousi, Parviz; Ansari, Ramin; Makui, Ahmad

2017-04-01

Unpredictable uncertainties cause delays and additional costs for projects. Often, when using traditional approaches, the optimizing procedure of the baseline project plan fails and leads to delays. In this study, a two-stage multi-objective buffer allocation approach is applied for robust project scheduling. In the first stage, some decisions are made on buffer sizes and allocation to the project activities. A set of Pareto-optimal robust schedules is designed using the meta-heuristic non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) based on the decisions made in the buffer allocation step. In the second stage, the Pareto solutions are evaluated in terms of the deviation from the initial start time and due dates. The proposed approach was implemented on a real dam construction project. The outcomes indicated that the obtained buffered schedule reduces the cost of disruptions by 17.7% compared with the baseline plan, with an increase of about 0.3% in the project completion time.

Identifying environmental features for land management decisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Multivariate statistical analysis and imaging processing techniques are being applied to the study of arid/semiarid environments, with emphasis on desertification. Field level indicators of land-soil biota degradation are being sifted out with staging up to the low aircraft reconnaissance level, to LANDSAT TM & MSS, and even to the AVHRR level. Three completed projects are reviewed: riparian habitat on the Humboldt River floodplain, Salt Lake County Urban expansion detection, and salinization/desertification detection in the delta area. Beginning projects summarized include: comparative condition of rangeland in Rush Valley; modeling a GIS/remote sensing data base for Cache County; universal soil loss equation applied to Pinyon-Juniper; relating MSS to ground radiometry near Battle Mountain; and riparian habitat mapping on Mary's River, Nevada.

Protect and Restore Lolo Creek Watershed, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2005-12-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed are coordinated with the Clearwater National Forest and Potlatch Corporation. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed of the Clearwater River in 1996. Fencing to exclude cattle for stream banks, stream bank stabilization, decommissioning roads, and upgrading culverts are the primary focuses of this project. Riparian enhancement through planting of riparian trees and streambank bioengineering was completed. Culvert inventory was completed in 2004 on US Forestmore » Service and Potlatch Corporation lands in the Lolo Creek drainage. Two high priority culverts were replaced, and are now accessible for fish species. Four miles of road was decommissioned. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

Revegetation of Reconstructed Reaches of the Provo River, Heber Valley, Utah

Treesearch

John A. Rice

2006-01-01

In 1999, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission began the Provo River Restoration Project to create a more naturally functioning riverine ecosystem between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir. The purpose of the project was to mitigate for past impacts to riverine, wetland, and riparian habitats caused by the Central Utah Project and other...

Distribution, source identification, and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in wetland soils of a river-reservoir system.

PubMed

Jiang, Xiaoliang; Xiong, Ziqian; Liu, Hui; Liu, Guihua; Liu, Wenzhi

2017-01-01

The majority of rivers in the world have been dammed, and over 45,000 large reservoirs have been constructed for multiple purposes. Riparian and reservoir shorelines are the two most important wetland types in a dammed river. To date, few studies have concerned the heavy metal pollution in wetland soils of these river-reservoir systems. In this study, we measured the concentrations of ten heavy metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in surface soils collected from riparian and reservoir shorelines along the Han River in different seasons. Our results found that the Co, Cu, and Ni concentrations in riparian wetlands were significantly lower than those in reservoir shorelines. In riparian wetlands, only soil Sr concentration significantly increased after summer and autumn submergence. Multivariate statistical analyses demonstrated that Ba and Cd might originate from industrial and mining sources, whereas Sr and Mn predominantly originated from natural rock weathering. The ecological risk assessment analysis indicated that both riparian and reservoir shorelines along the Han River in China exhibited a moderate ecological risk in soil heavy metals. The upper Han River basin is the water resource area of China's Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Therefore, to control the contamination of heavy metals in wetland soils, more efforts should be focused on reducing the discharge of mining and industrial pollutants into the riparian and reservoir shorelines.

Using Distributed Temperature Sensing to Locate and Quantify Thermal Refugia: Insights Into Radiative & Hydrologic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, R. M.; Stubblefield, A. P.

2012-12-01

Stream temperature plays a critical role in determining the overall structure and function of stream ecosystems. Aquatic fauna are particularly vulnerable to projected increases in the magnitude and duration of elevated stream temperatures from global climate change. Northern California cold water salmon and trout fisheries have been declared thermally impacted by the California State Water Resources Control Board. This study employed Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) to detect stream heating and cooling at one meter resolution along a one kilometer section of the North Fork of the Salmon River, a tributary of the Klamath River, northern California, USA. The Salmon River has an extensive legacy of hydraulic gold mining tailing which have been reworked into large gravel bars; creating shallow wide runs, possibly filling in pools and disrupting riparian vegetation recruitment. Eight days of temperature data were collected at 15 minute intervals during July 2012. Three remote weather stations were deployed during the study period. The main objectives of this research were: one, quantify thermal inputs that create and maintain thermal refugia for cold water fishes; two, investigate the role of riparian and topographic shading in buffering peak summer temperatures; and three, create and validate a physically based stream heating model to predict effects of riparian management, drought, and climate change on stream temperature. DTS was used to spatially identify cold water seeps and quantify their contribution to the stream's thermal regime. Along the one kilometer reach, hyporheic flow was identified using DTS. The spring was between 16-18°C while the peak mainstem temperature above the spring reached a maximum of 23°C. The study found a diel heating cycle of 5°C with a Maximum Weekly Average Temperature (MWAT) of over 22°C; exceeding salmon and trout protective temperature standards set by USEPA Region 10. Twenty intensive fish counts over five days were conducted to assess the relative abundance of Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho (O. kisutch), and steelhead (O. mykiss) use of thermal refugia. The North Fork Salmon River is the largest river to be instrumented with DTS technology. The researchers will use the DTS data and thermal model to make suggestions for management actions to improve the Salmon River's thermal regime.

Sediment transport to and from small impoundments in northeast Kansas, March 2009 through September 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Guy M.; Lee, Casey J.; Ziegler, Andrew C.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, investigated sediment transport to and from three small impoundments (average surface area of 0.1 to 0.8 square miles) in northeast Kansas during March 2009 through September 2011. Streamgages and continuous turbidity sensors were operated upstream and downstream from Atchison County, Banner Creek, and Centralia Lakes to study the effect of varied watershed characteristics and agricultural practices on sediment transport in small watersheds in northeast Kansas. Atchison County Lake is located in a predominantly agricultural basin of row crops, with wide riparian buffers along streams, a substantial amount of tile drainage, and numerous small impoundments (less than 0.05 square miles; hereafter referred to as “ponds”). Banner Creek Lake is a predominantly grassland basin with numerous small ponds located in the watershed, and wide riparian buffers along streams. Centralia Lake is a predominantly agricultural basin of row crops with few ponds, few riparian buffers along streams, and minimal tile drainage. Upstream from Atchison County, Banner Creek, and Centralia Lakes 24, 38, and 32 percent, respectively, of the total load was transported during less than 0.1 percent (approximately 0.9 days) of the time. Despite less streamflow in 2011, larger sediment loads during that year indicate that not all storm events transport the same amount of sediment; larger, extreme storms during the spring may transport much larger sediment loads in small Kansas watersheds. Annual sediment yields were 360, 400, and 970 tons per square mile per year at Atchison County, Banner, and Centralia Lake watersheds, respectively, which were less than estimated yields for this area of Kansas (between 2,000 and 5,000 tons per square mile per year). Although Centralia and Atchison County Lakes had similar percentages of agricultural land use, mean annual sediment yields upstream from Centralia Lake were about 2.7 times those at Atchison County or Banner Creek Lakes. These data indicate larger yields of sediment from watersheds with row crops and those with fewer small ponds, and smaller yields in watersheds which are primarily grassland, or agricultural with substantial tile drainage and riparian buffers along streams. These results also indicated that a cultivated watershed can produce yields similar to those observed under the assumed reference (or natural) condition. Selected small ponds were studied in the Atchison County Lake watershed to characterize the role of small ponds in sediment trapping. Studied ponds trapped about 8 percent of the sediment upstream from the sediment-sampling site. When these results were extrapolated to the other ponds in the watershed, differences in the extent of these ponds was not the primary factor affecting differences in yields among the three watersheds. However, the selected small ponds were both 45 years old at the time of this study, and have reduced capacity because of being filled in with sediments. Additionally, trapping efficiency of these small ponds decreased over five observed storms, indicating that processes that suspended or resuspended sediments in these shallow ponds, such as wind and waves, affected their trapping efficiencies. While small ponds trapped sediments in small storms, they could be a source of sediment in larger or more closely spaced storm events. Channel slope was similar at all three watersheds, 0.40, 0.46, and 0.31 percent at Atchison County, Banner Creek, and Centralia Lake watersheds, respectively. Other factors, such as increased bank and stream erosion, differences in tile drainage, extent of grassland, or riparian buffers, could be the predominant factors affecting sediment yields from these basins. These results show that reference-like sediment yields may be observed in heavily agricultural watersheds through a combination of field-scale management activities and stream channel protection. When computing loads using published erosion rates obtained by single-point survey methodology, streambank contributions from the main stem of Banner Creek are three times more than the sediment load observed by this study at the sediment sampling site at Banner Creek, 2.6 times more than the sediment load observed by this study at the sediment sampling site at Clear Creek (upstream from Atchison County Lake), and are 22 percent of the load observed by this study at the sediment sampling site at Black Vermillion River above Centralia Lake. Comparisons of study sites to similarly sized urban and urbanizing watersheds in Johnson County, Kansas indicated that sediment yields from the Centralia Lake watershed were similar to those in construction-affected watersheds, while much smaller sediment yields in the Atchison County and Banner Creek watersheds were comparable to stable, heavily urbanized watersheds. Comparisons of study sites to larger watersheds upstream from Tuttle Creek Lake indicate the Black Vermillion River watershed continues to have high sediment yields despite 98 percent of sediment from the Centralia watershed (a headwater of the Black Vermillion River) being trapped in Centralia Lake. Estimated trapping efficiencies for the larger watershed lakes indicated that Banner Creek and Centralia Lakes trapped 98 percent of incoming sediment, whereas Atchison County Lake trapped 72 percent of incoming sediment during the 3-year study period.

Critical Chain Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, John Kevin

2010-01-01

Critical Chains project management focuses on holding buffers at the project level vs. task level, and managing buffers as a project resource. A number of studies have shown that Critical Chain project management can significantly improve organizational schedule fidelity (i.e., improve the proportion of projects delivered on time) and reduce…

Nitrogen removal and greenhouse gas emissions from constructed wetlands receiving tile drainage water.

PubMed

Groh, Tyler A; Gentry, Lowell E; David, Mark B

2015-05-01

Loss of nitrate from agricultural lands to surface waters is an important issue, especially in areas that are extensively tile drained. To reduce these losses, a wide range of in-field and edge-of-field practices have been proposed, including constructed wetlands. We re-evaluated constructed wetlands established in 1994 that were previously studied for their effectiveness in removing nitrate from tile drainage water. Along with this re-evaluation, we measured the production and flux of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (CO, NO, and CH). The tile inlets and outlets of two wetlands were monitored for flow and N during the 2012 and 2013 water years. In addition, seepage rates of water and nitrate under the berm and through the riparian buffer strip were measured. Greenhouse gas emissions from the wetlands were measured using floating chambers (inundated fluxes) or static chambers (terrestrial fluxes). During this 2-yr study, the wetlands removed 56% of the total inlet nitrate load, likely through denitrification in the wetland. Some additional removal of nitrate occurred in seepage water by the riparian buffer strip along each berm (6.1% of the total inlet load, for a total nitrate removal of 62%). The dominant GHG emitted from the wetlands was CO, which represented 75 and 96% of the total GHG emissions during the two water years. The flux of NO contributed between 3.7 and 13% of the total cumulative GHG flux. Emissions of NO were 3.2 and 1.3% of the total nitrate removed from wetlands A and B, respectively. These wetlands continue to remove nitrate at rates similar to those measured after construction, with relatively little GHG gas loss. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Riparian restoration framework for the Upper Gila River, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orr, Bruce K.; Leverich, Glen L.; Diggory, Zooey E.; Dudley, Tom L.; Hatten, James R.; Hultine, Kevin R.; Johnson, Matthew P.; Orr, Devyn A.

2014-01-01

This technical report summarizes the methods and results of a comprehensive riparian restoration planning effort for the Gila Valley Restoration Planning Area, an approximately 53-mile portion of the upper Gila River in Arizona (Figure 1-1). This planning effort has developed a Restoration Framework intended to deliver science-based guidance on suitable riparian restoration actions within the ecologically sensitive river corridor. The framework development was conducted by a restoration science team, led by Stillwater Sciences with contributions from researchers at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG), Northern Arizona University (NAU), University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). All work was coordinated by the Gila Watershed Partnership of Arizona (GWP), whose broader Upper Gila River Project Area is depicted in Figure 1-1, with funding from the Walton Family Foundation’s Freshwater Initiative Program.

Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed; Annual Report 2002-2003.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-01-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed are coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2000. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. During the FY 2002, trees were planted in riparian areas in the meadow of the upper watershed. In addition, a complete inventory of culverts at road-streammore » crossings was completed. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed. Maintenance to the previously built fence was also completed.« less

Validating modelled variable surface saturation in the riparian zone with thermal infrared images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Barbara; Klaus, Julian; Frei, Sven; Frentress, Jay; Pfister, Laurent; Hopp, Luisa

2015-04-01

Variable contributing areas and hydrological connectivity have become prominent new concepts for hydrologic process understanding in recent years. The dynamic connectivity within the hillslope-riparian-stream (HRS) system is known to have a first order control on discharge generation and especially the riparian zone functions as runoff buffering or producing zone. However, despite their importance, the highly dynamic processes of contraction and extension of saturation within the riparian zone and its impact on runoff generation still remain not fully understood. In this study, we analysed the potential of a distributed, fully coupled and physically based model (HydroGeoSphere) to represent the spatial and temporal water flux dynamics of a forested headwater HRS system (6 ha) in western Luxembourg. The model was set up and parameterised under consideration of experimentally-derived knowledge of catchment structure and was run for a period of four years (October 2010 to August 2014). For model evaluation, we especially focused on the temporally varying spatial patterns of surface saturation. We used ground-based thermal infrared (TIR) imagery to map surface saturation with a high spatial and temporal resolution and collected 20 panoramic snapshots of the riparian zone (ca. 10 by 20 m) under different hydrologic conditions. These TIR panoramas were used in addition to several classical discharge and soil moisture time series for a spatially-distributed model validation. In a manual calibration process we optimised model parameters (e.g. porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, evaporation depth) to achieve a better agreement between observed and modelled discharges and soil moistures. The subsequent validation of surface saturation patterns by a visual comparison of processed TIR panoramas and corresponding model output panoramas revealed an overall good accordance for all but one region that was always too dry in the model. However, quantitative comparisons of modelled and observed saturated pixel percentages and of their modelled and measured relationships to concurrent discharges revealed remarkable similarities. During the calibration process we observed that surface saturation patterns were mostly affected by changing the soil properties of the topsoil in the riparian zone, but that the discharge behaviour did not change substantially at the same time. This effect of various spatial patterns occurring concomitant to a nearly unchanged integrated response demonstrates the importance of spatially distributed validation data. Our study clearly benefited from using different kinds of data - spatially integrated and distributed, temporally continuous and discrete - for the model evaluation procedure.

Impact of Extreme Climatic Events on the Temperature Regimes in Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parchem, C.; Stewart, I. T.

2016-12-01

Urban streams provide important aquatic and riparian habitat close to population centers, as well as other ecosystem services such as flood protection, storm water drainage and recreational functions. Yet, they are already greatly impacted by human action through water management, channel modifications, destruction of riparian habitat, and pollution. This has potentially rendered them more vulnerable to the climatic extremes projected from climatic changes. From 2012 - 2016, California has experienced to date the most severe drought since the beginning of weather recordings. The combination of the resulting extremely low stream flows exacerbated by low precipitation, high evaporation rates, and greater human demand on water, with high temperature have increased the temperature regime in urban streams. However, the extent to which urban stream temperatures are impacted by extreme climatic conditions and what role stream morphology, stream flow characteristics, and riparian vegetation play, are not sufficiently understood. For this project, we monitored stream temperature, dissolved oxygen, and flow depth along a network of 18 sites in the Los Gatos Creek, Guadalupe River, and Coyote Creek, located in the urban regions of the southern San Francisco Bay Area. Monitoring sites were distributed from stream headwaters to flood plains and represented a variety of stream environments. We examined the variation in stream temperature and dissolved oxygen with extreme air temperature, extremely low flow conditions, riparian shading, and channel morphology. Our results show that during the recent drought, hourly stream temperatures rose up to 34°C during summer heat waves for sites in the lower stream reaches without riparian shading. By contrast, shaded sites with deeper flows, and minimally affected by water management were able to maintain lower temperatures by several degrees. Understanding the conditions driving the response of urban streams to climatic extremes can aid in the protection of aquatic ecosystems under climatic change.

Exchanges across land-water-scape boundaries in urban systems: strategies for reducing nitrate pollution.

PubMed

Cadenasso, M L; Pickett, S T A; Groffman, P M; Band, L E; Brush, G S; Galvin, M F; Grove, J M; Hagar, G; Marshall, V; McGrath, B P; O'Neil-Dunne, J P M; Stack, W P; Troy, A R

2008-01-01

Conservation in urban areas typically focuses on biodiversity and large green spaces. However, opportunities exist throughout urban areas to enhance ecological functions. An important function of urban landscapes is retaining nitrogen thereby reducing nitrate pollution to streams and coastal waters. Control of nonpoint nitrate pollution in urban areas was originally based on the documented importance of riparian zones in agricultural and forested ecosystems. The watershed and boundary frameworks have been used to guide stream research and a riparian conservation strategy to reduce nitrate pollution in urban streams. But is stream restoration and riparian-zone conservation enough? Data from the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and other urban stream research indicate that urban riparian zones do not necessarily prevent nitrate from entering, nor remove nitrate from, streams. Based on this insight, policy makers in Baltimore extended the conservation strategy throughout larger watersheds, attempting to restore functions that no longer took place in riparian boundaries. Two urban revitalization projects are presented as examples aimed at reducing nitrate pollution to stormwater, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. An adaptive cycle of ecological urban design synthesizes the insights from the watershed and boundary frameworks, from new data, and from the conservation concerns of agencies and local communities. This urban example of conservation based on ameliorating nitrate water pollution extends the initial watershed-boundary approach along three dimensions: 1) from riparian to urban land-water-scapes; 2) from discrete engineering solutions to ecological design approaches; and 3) from structural solutions to inclusion of individual, household, and institutional behavior.

Factors Affecting Nitrate Delivery to Streams from Shallow Ground Water in the North Carolina Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.; Spruill, Timothy B.

2008-01-01

An analysis of data collected at five flow-path study sites between 1997 and 2006 was performed to identify the factors needed to formulate a comprehensive program, with a focus on nitrogen, for protecting ground water and surface water in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Water-quality protection in the Coastal Plain requires the identification of factors that affect the transport of nutrients from recharge areas to streams through the shallow ground-water system. Some basins process or retain nitrogen more readily than others, and the factors that affect nitrogen processing and retention were the focus of this investigation to improve nutrient management in Coastal Plain streams and to reduce nutrient loads to coastal waters. Nitrate reduction in ground water was observed at all five flow-path study sites in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, although the extent of reduction at each site was influenced by various environmental, hydrogeologic, and geochemical factors. Denitrification was the most common factor responsible for decreases in nitrate along the ground-water flow paths. Specific factors, some of which affect denitrification rates, that appeared to influence ground-water nitrate concentrations along the flow paths or in the streams include soil drainage, presence or absence of riparian buffers, evapotranspiration, fertilizer use, ground-water recharge rates and residence times, aquifer properties, subsurface tile drainage, sources and amounts of organic matter, and hyporheic processes. The study data indicate that the nitrate-reducing capacity of the buffer zone combined with that of the hyporheic zone can substantially lower the amount of ground-water nitrate discharged to streams in agricultural settings of the North Carolina Coastal Plain. At the watershed scale, the effects of ground-water discharge on surface-water quality appear to be greatly influenced by streamflow conditions and the presence of extensive riparian vegetation. Streamflow statistics that reflect base flow and the general hydrologic dynamics of a stream are important in understanding nutrient transport from a watershed and may be useful indicators of watersheds that are likely to have higher yields of nutrients and water. Combining streamflow statistics with information on such factors as land use, soil drainage, extent of riparian vegetation, geochemical conditions, and subsurface tile drainage in the Coastal Plain can be useful in identifying watersheds that are most likely to export excessive nitrogen due to nonpoint-source loadings and watersheds that are effective in processing nitrogen.

Tamarix as habitat for birds: Implications for riparian restoration in the Southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sogge, M.K.; Sferra, S.J.; Paxton, E.H.

2008-01-01

Exotic vegetation has become a major habitat component in many ecosystems around the world, sometimes dramatically changing the vegetation community structure and composition. In the southwestern United States, riparian ecosystems are undergoing major changes in part due to the establishment and spread of the exotic Tamarix (saltcedar, tamarisk). There are concerns about the suitability of Tamarix as habitat for birds. Although Tamarix habitats tend to support fewer species and individuals than native habitats, Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas data and Birds of North America accounts show that 49 species use Tamarix as breeding habitat. Importantly, the relative use of Tamarix and its quality as habitat vary substantially by geographic location and bird species. Few studies have examined how breeding in Tamarix actually affects bird survivorship and productivity; recent research on Southwestern Willow Flycatchers has found no negative effects from breeding in Tamarix habitats. Therefore, the ecological benefits and costs of Tamarix control are difficult to predict and are likely to be species specific and site specific. Given the likelihood that high-quality native riparian vegetation will not develop at all Tamarix control sites, restoration projects that remove Tamarix but do not assure replacement by high-quality native habitat have the potential to reduce the net riparian habitat value for some local or regional bird populations. Therefore, an assessment of potential negative impacts is important in deciding if exotic control should be conducted. In addition, measurable project objectives, appropriate control and restoration techniques, and robust monitoring are all critical to effective restoration planning and execution. ?? 2008 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Regeneration of Salicaceae riparian forests in the Northern Hemisphere: A new framework and management tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gonzalez, Eduardo; Martinez-Fernandez, Vanesa; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Sher, Anna A.; Henry, Annie L.; Garofano-Gomez, Virginia; Corenblit, Dov

2018-01-01

Human activities on floodplains have severely disrupted the regeneration of foundation riparian shrub and tree species of the Salicaceae family (Populus and Salix spp.) throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Restoration ecologists initially tackled this problem from a terrestrial perspective that emphasized planting. More recently, floodplain restoration activities have embraced an aquatic perspective, inspired by the expanding practice of managing river flows to improve river health (environmental flows). However, riparian Salicaceae species occupy floodplain and riparian areas, which lie at the interface of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems along watercourses. Thus, their regeneration depends on a complex interaction of hydrologic and geomorphic processes that have shaped key life-cycle requirements for seedling establishment. Ultimately, restoration needs to integrate these concepts to succeed. However, while regeneration of Salicaceae is now reasonably well-understood, the literature reporting restoration actions on Salicaceae regeneration is sparse, and a specific theoretical framework is still missing. Here, we have reviewed 105 peer-reviewed published experiences in restoration of Salicaceae forests, including 91 projects in 10 world regions, to construct a decision tree to inform restoration planning through explicit links between the well-studied biophysical requirements of Salicaceaeregeneration and 17 specific restoration actions, the most popular being planting (in 55% of the projects), land contouring (30%), removal of competing vegetation (30%), site selection (26%), and irrigation (24%). We also identified research gaps related to Salicaceae forest restoration and discuss alternative, innovative and feasible approaches that incorporate the human component.

Regeneration of Salicaceae riparian forests in the Northern Hemisphere: A new framework and management tool.

PubMed

González, Eduardo; Martínez-Fernández, Vanesa; Shafroth, Patrick B; Sher, Anna A; Henry, Annie L; Garófano-Gómez, Virginia; Corenblit, Dov

2018-07-15

Human activities on floodplains have severely disrupted the regeneration of foundation riparian shrub and tree species of the Salicaceae family (Populus and Salix spp.) throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Restoration ecologists initially tackled this problem from a terrestrial perspective that emphasized planting. More recently, floodplain restoration activities have embraced an aquatic perspective, inspired by the expanding practice of managing river flows to improve river health (environmental flows). However, riparian Salicaceae species occupy floodplain and riparian areas, which lie at the interface of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems along watercourses. Thus, their regeneration depends on a complex interaction of hydrologic and geomorphic processes that have shaped key life-cycle requirements for seedling establishment. Ultimately, restoration needs to integrate these concepts to succeed. However, while regeneration of Salicaceae is now reasonably well-understood, the literature reporting restoration actions on Salicaceae regeneration is sparse, and a specific theoretical framework is still missing. Here, we have reviewed 105 peer-reviewed published experiences in restoration of Salicaceae forests, including 91 projects in 10 world regions, to construct a decision tree to inform restoration planning through explicit links between the well-studied biophysical requirements of Salicaceae regeneration and 17 specific restoration actions, the most popular being planting (in 55% of the projects), land contouring (30%), removal of competing vegetation (30%), site selection (26%), and irrigation (24%). We also identified research gaps related to Salicaceae forest restoration and discuss alternative, innovative and feasible approaches that incorporate the human component. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elevated CO2 does not offset greater water stress predicted under climate change for native and exotic riparian plants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Laura G.; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Morgan, Jack A.; LeCain, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

In semiarid western North American riparian ecosystems, increased drought and lower streamflows under climate change may reduce plant growth and recruitment, and favor drought-tolerant exotic species over mesic native species. We tested whether elevated atmospheric CO2 might ameliorate these effects by improving plant water-use efficiency. We examined the effects of CO2 and water availability on seedlings of two native (Populus deltoids spp. monilifera, Salix exigua) and three exotic (Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix spp., Ulmus pumila) western North American riparian species in a CO2-controlled glasshouse, using 1-m-deep pots with different water-table decline rates. Low water availability reduced seedling biomass by 70–97%, and hindered the native species more than the exotics. Elevated CO2 increased biomass by 15%, with similar effects on natives and exotics. Elevated CO2 increased intrinsic water-use efficiency (Δ13Cleaf), but did not increase biomass more in drier treatments than wetter treatments. The moderate positive effects of elevated CO2 on riparian seedlings are unlikely to counteract the large negative effects of increased aridity projected under climate change. Our results suggest that increased aridity will reduce riparian seedling growth despite elevated CO2, and will reduce growth more for native Salix and Populus than for drought-tolerant exotic species.

Elevated CO2 does not offset greater water stress predicted under climate change for native and exotic riparian plants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Laura G.; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Morgan, Jack A.; LeCain, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

* In semiarid western North American riparian ecosystems, increased drought and lower streamflows under climate change may reduce plant growth and recruitment, and favor drought-tolerant exotic species over mesic native species. We tested whether elevated atmospheric CO2 might ameliorate these effects by improving plant water-use efficiency. * We examined the effects of CO2 and water availability on seedlings of two native (Populus deltoides spp. monilifera, Salix exigua) and three exotic (Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix spp., Ulmus pumila) western North American riparian species in a CO2-controlled glasshouse, using 1-m-deep pots with different water-table decline rates. * Low water availability reduced seedling biomass by 70–97%, and hindered the native species more than the exotics. Elevated CO2 increased biomass by 15%, with similar effects on natives and exotics. Elevated CO2 increased intrinsic water-use efficiency (Δ13Cleaf), but did not increase biomass more in drier treatments than wetter treatments. * The moderate positive effects of elevated CO2 on riparian seedlings are unlikely to counteract the large negative effects of increased aridity projected under climate change. Our results suggest that increased aridity will reduce riparian seedling growth despite elevated CO2, and will reduce growth more for native Salix and Populus than for drought-tolerant exotic species.

Elevated CO₂ does not offset greater water stress predicted under climate change for native and exotic riparian plants.

PubMed

Perry, Laura G; Shafroth, Patrick B; Blumenthal, Dana M; Morgan, Jack A; LeCain, Daniel R

2013-01-01

In semiarid western North American riparian ecosystems, increased drought and lower streamflows under climate change may reduce plant growth and recruitment, and favor drought-tolerant exotic species over mesic native species. We tested whether elevated atmospheric CO₂ might ameliorate these effects by improving plant water-use efficiency. We examined the effects of CO₂ and water availability on seedlings of two native (Populus deltoides spp. monilifera, Salix exigua) and three exotic (Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix spp., Ulmus pumila) western North American riparian species in a CO₂-controlled glasshouse, using 1-m-deep pots with different water-table decline rates. Low water availability reduced seedling biomass by 70-97%, and hindered the native species more than the exotics. Elevated CO₂ increased biomass by 15%, with similar effects on natives and exotics. Elevated CO₂ increased intrinsic water-use efficiency (Δ¹³C(leaf) ), but did not increase biomass more in drier treatments than wetter treatments. The moderate positive effects of elevated CO₂ on riparian seedlings are unlikely to counteract the large negative effects of increased aridity projected under climate change. Our results suggest that increased aridity will reduce riparian seedling growth despite elevated CO₂, and will reduce growth more for native Salix and Populus than for drought-tolerant exotic species. No claim to original US government works. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Physical habitat monitoring strategy (PHAMS) for reach-scale restoration effectiveness monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Krista L.; O'Daniel, Scott J.; Beechie, Tim J.; Zakrajsek, John; Webster, John G.

2015-04-14

Habitat restoration efforts by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have shifted from the site scale (1-10 meters) to the reach scale (100-1,000 meters). This shift was in response to the growing scientific emphasis on process-based restoration and to support from the 2007 Accords Agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration. With the increased size of restoration projects, the CTUIR and other agencies are in need of applicable monitoring methods for assessing large-scale changes in river and floodplain habitats following restoration. The goal of the Physical Habitat Monitoring Strategy is to outline methods that are useful for capturing reach-scale changes in surface and groundwater hydrology, geomorphology, hydrologic connectivity, and riparian vegetation at restoration projects. The Physical Habitat Monitoring Strategy aims to avoid duplication with existing regional effectiveness monitoring protocols by identifying complimentary reach-scale metrics and methods that may improve the ability of CTUIR and others to detect instream and riparian changes at large restoration projects.

Relationships of field habitat measurements, visual habitat indices, and land cover to benthic macroinvertebrates in urbanized streams of the Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fend, S.V.; Carter, J.L.; Kearns, F.R.

2005-01-01

We evaluated several approaches for measuring natural and anthropogenic habitat characteristics to predict benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages over a range of urban intensity at 85 stream sites in the Santa Clara Valley, California. Land cover was summarized as percentage urban land cover and impervious area within upstream buffers and the upstream subwatersheds. Field measurements characterized water chemistry, channel slope, sediment, and riparian canopy. In . addition to applying the visual-based habitat assessment in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rapid bioassessment protocol, we developed a simplified urban habitat assessment index based on turbidity, fine sediment deposition, riparian condition, and channel modification. Natural and anthropogenic habitat variables covaried along longitudinal stream gradients and were highly correlated with elevation. At the scale of the entire watershed, benthic macroinvertebrate measures were equally correlated with variables expressing natural gradients and urbanization effects. When natural gradients were reduced by partitioning sites into ecoregion subsection groupings, habitat variables most highly correlated with macroinvertebrate measures differed between upland and valley floor site groups. Among the valley floor sites, channel slope and physical modification of channel and riparian habitats appeared more important than upstream land cover or water quality in determining macroinvertebrate richness and ordination scores. Among upland sites, effects of upstream reservoir releases on habitat quality appeared important. Rapid habitat evaluation methods appeared to be an effective method for describing habitat features important to benthic macroinvertebrates when adapted for the region and the disturbance of interest. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

Restore McComas Meadows; Meadow Creek Watershed, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2005-12-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed are coordinated and cost shared with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing, planting trees in riparian areas within the meadow and its tributaries, prioritizing culverts for replacement to accommodate fish passage, and decommissioning roads tomore » reduce sediment input. During this contract period, bids were solicited and awarded for two culvert replacement projects on Doe Creek, and a tributary to Meadow Creek. Additionally, NEPA and permits were completed for the ditch restoration project within McComas Meadows. Due to delays in cultural resource surveys, the contract was not awarded for the performance of the ditch restoration. It will occur in 2005. Monitoring for project effectiveness and trends in watershed conditions was also completed. Road decommissioning monitoring, as well as stream temperature, sediment, and discharge were completed.« less

Restore McComas Watershed; Meadow Creek Watershed, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-01-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed are coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. During years 2000-2003, trees were planted in riparian areas within the meadow and its tributaries. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughoutmore » the watershed. Designs for replacement are being coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. Twenty miles of road were contracted for decommissioning. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

Restore McComas Meadows; Meadow Creek Watershed, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2006-08-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed are coordinated and cost shared with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing, planting trees in riparian areas within the meadow and its tributaries, prioritizing culverts for replacement to accommodate fish passage, and decommissioning roads tomore » reduce sediment input. Designs for culvert replacements are being coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. 20 miles of roads were decommissioned. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

From microbes to water districts: Linking observations across scales to uncover the implications of riparian and channel management on water quality in an irrigated agricultural landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, A.; Cadenasso, M. L.

2016-12-01

Interactions among runoff, riparian and stream ecosystems, and water quality remain uncertain in many settings, particularly those heavily impacted by human activities. For example, waterways in the irrigated agricultural landscape of California's Central Valley are seasonally disconnected from groundwater tables and are extensively modified by infrastructure and management. These conditions make the impact of riparian and channel management difficult to predict across scales, which hinders efforts to promote best management practices to improve water quality. We seek to link observations across catchment, reach, and patch scales to understand patterns of nitrate and turbidity in waterways draining irrigated cropland. Data was collected on 80 reaches spanning two water management districts. At the catchment scale, water districts implemented waterway and riparian management differently: one water district had a decentralized approach, allowing individual land owners to manage their waterway channels and banks, while the other had a centralized approach, in which land owners defer management to a district-run program. At the reach scale, riparian and waterway vegetation, geomorphic complexity, and flow conditions were quantified. Reach-scale management such as riparian planting projects and channel dredging frequency were also considered. At the patch scale, denitrification potential and organic matter were measured in riparian toe-slope soils and channel sediments, along with associated vegetation and geomorphic features. All factors were tested for their ability to predict water quality using generalized linear mixed effects models and the consistency of predictors within and across scales was evaluated. A hierarchy of predictors emerges: catchment-scale management regimes predict reach-scale geomorphic and vegetation complexity, which in turn predicts sediment denitrification potential - the patch-scale factor most associated with low nitrate. Similarly, turbidity conveyance was most associated with reach-scale factors. These findings suggest that, in the absence of other regulations, a decentralized management approach to riparian zones and waterways allows reach-scale complexity to arise, which in turn promotes ecosystem function and improved water quality.

Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project : 2007 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGowan, Vance R.; Morton, Winston H.

2008-12-30

On July 1, 1984 the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife entered into an intergovernmental contract to initiate fish habitat enhancement work in the Joseph Creek subbasin of the Grande Ronde River Basin in northeast Oregon. In 1985 the Upper and Middle Grande Ronde River, and Catherine Creek subbasins were included in the contract, and in 1996 the Wallowa River subbasin was added. The primary goal of 'The Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project' is to create, protect, and restore riparian and instream habitat for anadromous salmonids, thereby maximizing opportunities for natural fish productionmore » within the basin. This project provided for implementation of Program Measure 703 (C)(1), Action Item 4.2 of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC, 1987), and continues to be implemented as offsite mitigation for mainstem fishery losses caused by the Columbia River hydro-electric system. All work conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and partners is on private lands and therefore requires that considerable time be spent developing rapport with landowners to gain acceptance of, and continued cooperation with this program throughout 10-15 year lease periods. Both passive and active restoration treatment techniques are used. Passive regeneration of habitat, using riparian exclosure fencing and alternate water sources are the primary method to restore degraded streams when restoration can be achieved primarily through changes in management. Active restoration techniques using plantings, bioengineering, site-specific instream structures, or whole stream channel alterations are utilized when streams are more severely degraded and not likely to recover in a reasonable timeframe. Individual projects contribute to and complement ecosystem and basin-wide watershed restoration efforts that are underway by state, federal, and tribal agencies, and coordinated by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (Project. No.199202601). Work undertaken during 2007 included: (1) Starting 1 new fencing project in the NFJD subbasin that will protect an additional 1.82 miles of stream and 216.2 acres of habitat; (2) Constructing 0.47 miles of new channel on the Wallowa River to enhance habitat, restore natural channel dimensions, pattern and profile and reconnect approximately 18 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat; (3) Planting 22,100 plants along 3 streams totaling 3.6 stream miles; (4) Establishing 34 new photopoints on 5 projects and retaking 295 existing photopoint pictures; (5) Monitoring stream temperatures at 10 locations on 5 streams and conducting other monitoring activities; (6) Completing riparian fence, water gap and other maintenance on 116.8 miles of project fences; (7) Initiated writing of a comprehensive project summary report that will present a summary of conclusions of the benefits to focal species and management recommendations for the future. Since initiation of this program 56 individual projects have been implemented, monitored and maintained along 84.8 miles of anadromous fish bearing streams that protect and enhance 3,501 acres of riparian and instream habitat.« less

Improving representation of riparian vegetation shading in a regional stream temperature model using LiDAR data.

PubMed

Loicq, Pierre; Moatar, Florentina; Jullian, Yann; Dugdale, Stephen J; Hannah, David M

2018-05-15

Modelling river temperature at the catchment scale is needed to understand how aquatic communities may adapt to current and projected climate change. In small and medium rivers, riparian vegetation can greatly reduce maximum water temperature by providing shade. It is thus important that river temperature models are able to correctly characterise the impact of this riparian shading. In this study, we describe the use of a spatially-explicit method using LiDAR-derived data for computing the riparian shading on direct and diffuse solar radiation. The resulting data are used in the T-NET one-dimensional stream temperature model to simulate water temperature from August 2007 to July 2014 for 270km of the Loir River, an indirect tributary of the Loire River (France). Validation is achieved with 4 temperature monitoring stations spread along the Loir River. The vegetation characterised with the LiDAR approach provides a cooling effect on maximum daily temperature (T max ) ranging from 3.0°C (upstream) to 1.3°C (downstream) in late August 2009. Compared to two other riparian shading routines that are less computationally-intensive, the use of our LiDAR-based methodology improves the bias of T max simulated by the T-NET model by 0.62°C on average between April and September. However, difference between the shading routines reaches up to 2°C (monthly average) at the upstream-most station. Standard deviation of errors on T max is not improved. Computing the impact of riparian vegetation at the hourly timescale using reach-averaged parameters provides results close to the LiDAR-based approach, as long as it is supplied with accurate vegetation cover data. Improving the quality of riparian vegetation data should therefore be a priority to increase the accuracy of stream temperature modelling at the regional scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Disturbance and California riparian tree establishment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendix, J.; Cowell, C. M.

2010-12-01

As is the case in many ecosystems, tree establishment in riparian corridors is often episodic, following disturbance events that clear colonization sites. In many riparian settings, flooding is the most obvious, and relevant disturbance agent. However, in Mediterranean-climate regions, fire is an equally important disturbance agent. In California, the frequency and severity of both floods and fire are expected to change with projected climate change, making an understanding of their roles key to understanding future ecological processes in California riparian environments. In this paper, we use tree-ring data from the Transverse Ranges of Southern California to explore the relative importance of fire and flood in the establishment of riparian gallery forest. We examined 42 cores of Alnus rhombifolia, Populus fremontii and Quercus agrifolia from the riparian zone adjacent to Piedra Blanca and Potrero John Creeks in California’s Transverse Ranges, and compared their establishment dates with records of fire and floods, to see how establishment related to disturbance history. Our results show some evidence for major fire having an impact, as all of the largest stems dated to the few years following the 1932 Matilija fire, which had burned all of the sites in our sample. The remainder of the record is less straightforward, although there is an establishment peak in the 1970s, which may be related to a 1975 fire that burned part of the Potrero John watershed. Of note, the establishment chronology shows no relationship to the flood record, as years of major floods do not relate to either prolific or sparse years in the tree-ring record. This record suggests that large fires may serve as a trigger for tree establishment in California riparian settings, but that they are hardly a prerequisite, as many stems germinated between fires. Indeed, ongoing regeneration is apparently independent of disturbance, given the apparent irrelevance of flooding in this regard. The result is a gallery forest of mixed age and size, with occasional larger cohorts reflecting years in which fire did occur.

Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-7

2009-01-08

Senate - 04/27/2010 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Scale effects on spatially varying relationships between urban landscape patterns and water quality.

PubMed

Sun, Yanwei; Guo, Qinghai; Liu, Jian; Wang, Run

2014-08-01

Scientific interpretation of the relationships between urban landscape patterns and water quality is important for sustainable urban planning and watershed environmental protection. This study applied the ordinary least squares regression model and the geographically weighted regression model to examine the spatially varying relationships between 12 explanatory variables (including three topographical factors, four land use parameters, and five landscape metrics) and 15 water quality indicators in watersheds of Yundang Lake, Maluan Bay, and Xinglin Bay with varying levels of urbanization in Xiamen City, China. A local and global investigation was carried out at the watershed-level, with 50 and 200 m riparian buffer scales. This study found that topographical features and landscape metrics are the dominant factors of water quality, while land uses are too weak to be considered as a strong influential factor on water quality. Such statistical results may be related with the characteristics of land use compositions in our study area. Water quality variations in the 50 m buffer were dominated by topographical variables. The impact of landscape metrics on water quality gradually strengthen with expanding buffer zones. The strongest relationships are obtained in entire watersheds, rather than in 50 and 200 m buffer zones. Spatially varying relationships and effective buffer zones were verified in this study. Spatially varying relationships between explanatory variables and water quality parameters are more diversified and complex in less urbanized areas than in highly urbanized areas. This study hypothesizes that all these varying relationships may be attributed to the heterogeneity of landscape patterns in different urban regions. Adjustment of landscape patterns in an entire watershed should be the key measure to successfully improving urban lake water quality.

Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County) Pilot Revegetation Project

Treesearch

John T. Stanley; L. R. Silva; H. C. Appleton; M. S. Marangio; W. J. Lapaz; B. H. Goldner

1989-01-01

The Santa Clara Valley Water District, located in Northern California, is currently evaluating a pilot riparian revegetation project on a 1.6 ha (4 ac) site adjacent to Coyote Creek in the south San Francisco Bay Area. Specific techniques used during the design, site preparation and installation of 3640 plants (including seed planting locations) are described. This...

Precipitation v. River Discharge Controls on Water Availability to Riparian Trees in the Rhône River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, M. B.; Sargeant, C. I.; Vallet-Coulomb, C.; Evans, C.; Bates, C. R.

2014-12-01

Water availability to riparian trees in lowlands is controlled through precipitation and its infiltration into floodplain soils, and through river discharge additions to the hyporheic water table. The relative contributions of both water sources to the root zone within river floodplains vary through time, depending on climatic fluctuations. There is currently limited understanding of how climatic fluctuations are expressed at local scales, especially in 'critical zone' hydrology, which is fundamental to the health and sustainability of riparian forest ecosystems. This knowledge is particularly important in water-stressed Mediterranean climate systems, considering climatic trends and projections toward hotter and drier growing seasons, which have the potential to dramatically reduce water availability to riparian forests. Our aim is to identify and quantify the relative contributions of hyporheic (discharge) water v. infiltrated precipitation to water uptake by riparian Mediterranean trees for several distinct hydrologic years, selected to isolate contrasts in water availability from these sources. Our approach includes isotopic analyses of water and tree-ring cellulose, mechanistic modeling of water uptake and wood production, and physically based modeling of subsurface hydrology. We utilize an extensive database of oxygen isotope (δ18O) measurements in surface water and precipitation alongside recent measurements of δ18O in groundwater and soil water and in tree-ring cellulose. We use a mechanistic model to back-calculate source water δ18O based on δ18O in cellulose and climate data. Finally, we test our results via 1-D hydrologic modeling of precipitation infiltration and water table rise and fall. These steps enable us to interpret hydrologic cycle variability within the 'critical zone' and their potential impact on riparian trees.

Hydrological threats to riparian wetlands of international importance - a global quantitative and qualitative analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Christof; Flörke, Martina; De Stefano, Lucia; Petersen-Perlman, Jacob D.

2017-06-01

Riparian wetlands have been disappearing at an accelerating rate. Their ecological integrity as well as their vital ecosystem services for humankind depend on regular patterns of inundation and drying provided by natural flow regimes. However, river hydrology has been altered worldwide. Dams cause less variable flow regimes and water abstractions decrease the amount of flow so that ecologically important flood pulses are often reduced. Given growing population pressure and projected climate change, immediate action is required. However, the implementation of counteractive measures is often a complex task. This study develops a screening tool for assessing hydrological threats to riparian wetlands on global scales. The approach is exemplified on 93 Ramsar sites, many of which are located in transboundary basins. First, the WaterGAP3 hydrological modeling framework is used to quantitatively compare current and future modified flow regimes to reference flow conditions. In our simulations current water resource management seriously impairs riparian wetland inundation at 29 % of the analyzed sites. A further 8 % experience significantly reduced flood pulses. In the future, eastern Europe, western Asia, as well as central South America could be hotspots of further flow modifications due to climate change. Second, a qualitative analysis of the 93 sites determined potential impact on overbank flows resulting from planned or proposed dam construction projects. They take place in one-third of the upstream areas and are likely to impair especially wetlands located in South America, Asia, and the Balkan Peninsula. Third, based on the existing legal/institutional framework and water resource availability upstream, further qualitative analysis evaluated the capacity to preserve overbank flows given future streamflow changes due to dam construction and climate change. Results indicate hotspots of vulnerability exist, especially in northern Africa and the Persian Gulf.

Monitoring vegetation water uptake in a semiarid riparian corridor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, J.; Ochoa, C. G.; Leonard, J.

2015-12-01

With a changing global climate and growing demand for water throughout the world, responsible and sustainable land and water resource management practices are becoming increasingly important. Accounting for the amount of water used by riparian vegetation is a critical element for better managing water resources in arid and semiarid environments. The objective of this study was to determine water uptake by selected riparian vegetative species in a semiarid riparian corridor in North-Central Oregon. Exo-skin sap flow sensors (Dynamax, Houston, TX, U.S.A.) were used to measure sap flux in red alder (Alnus rubra) trees, the dominant overstory vegetation at the field site. Xylem sap flow data was collected from selected trees at the field site and in a greenhouse setting. Transpiration rates were determined based on an energy balance method, which makes it possible to estimate the mass flow of sap by measuring the velocity of electrical heat pulses through the plant stem. Preliminary field results indicate that red alder tree branches of about 1 inch diameter transpire between 2 and 6 kg of water/day. Higher transpiration rates of up to 7.3 kg of water/day were observed under greenhouse conditions. Streamflow and stream water temperature, vegetation characteristics, and meteorological data were analyzed in conjunction with transpiration data. Results of this study provide insight on riparian vegetation water consumption in water scarce ecosystems. This study is part of an overarching project focused on climate-vegetation interactions and ecohydrologic processes in arid and semiarid landscapes.

Hydrogeomorphological and water quality impacts of oil palm conversion and logging in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: a multi-catchment approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, Rory; Nainar, Anand; Bidin, Kawi; Higton, Sam; Annammala, Kogilavani; Blake, William; Luke, Sarah; Murphy, Laura; Perryman, Emily; Wall, Katy; Hanapi, Jamil

2016-04-01

The last three decades have seen a combination of logging and land-use change across most of the rainforest tropics. This has involved conversion to oil palm across large parts of SE Asia. Although much is now known about the hydrological and sediment transport impacts of logging, relatively little is known about how impacts of oil palm conversion compare with those of logging. Furthermore little is known about the impacts of both on river morphology and water quality. This paper reports some findings of the first phase of a ten-year large-scale manipulative multi-catchment experiment (part of the SAFE - Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems - Project), based in the upper part of the Brantian Catchment in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo; the project is designed to assess the degree to which adverse impacts of oil palm conversion (on erosion, downstream channel change, water quality and river ecology) might be reduced by retaining buffer zones of riparian forest of varying width from zero to 120 metres. Ten 2 km2 catchments of contrasting land use history have been instrumented since 2011 to record discharge, turbidity, conductivity and water temperature at 5-minute intervals. These comprise 6 repeat-logged catchments being subjected in 2015-16 to conversion to oil palm with varying riparian forest widths; a repeat-logged 'control' catchment; an old regrowth catchment; an oil palm catchment; and a primary forest catchment. In addition, (1) monthly water samples from the catchments have been analysed for nitrates and phosphates, (2) channel cross-sectional change along each stream has been monitored at six-monthly intervals and (3) supplementary surveys have been made of downstream bankfull channel cross-sectional size and water chemistry at a wider range of catchment sites, and (4) sediment cores have been taken and contemporary deposition monitored at a hierarchical network of sites in the large Brantian catchment for geochemical analysis and dating to establish the history of sedimentation and inferred changes in upstream sediment sources. Effects on river ecology were also assessed. This paper summarises the key findings to date, focussing on differences in suspended sediment dynamics, downstream bankfull channel size and shape, and pollution between oil palm catchments, and catchments under post-logging and primary rainforest.

Protect and Restore Lolo Creek Watershed, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-01-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed are coordinated with the Clearwater National Forest and Potlatch Corporation. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Lolo Creek watershed of the Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing, stabilizing streambanks, decommissioning roads, and upgrading culverts. During the years 2000-2003, trees were planted in riparian areas of headwater streams to Lolo Creek. Inventory of culvertsmore » is an on-going practice, being completed by sub-drainage, and are being prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage and 100-year flow events throughout the watershed. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

River and riparian restoration in the southwest: Results of the National River Restoration Science Synthesis project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Follstad, Shah J.J.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Gloss, S.P.; Bernhardt, E.S.

2007-01-01

Restoration activity has exponentially increased across the Southwest since 1990. Over 37,000 records were compiled into the National River Restoration Science Synthesis (NRRSS) database to summarize restoration trends and assess project effectiveness. We analyzed data from 576 restoration projects in the Southwest (NRRSS-SW). More than 50% of projects were less than or equal to 3 km in length. The most common restoration project intent categories were riparian management, water quality management, in-stream habitat improvement, and flow modification. Common project activities were well matched to goals. Conservative estimates of total restoration costs exceeded $500 million. Most restoration dollars have been allocated to flow modification and water quality management. Monitoring was linked to 28% of projects across the Southwest, as opposed to just 10% nationwide. Mean costs were statistically similar whether or not projects were monitored. Results from 48 telephone interviews provided validation of NRRSS-SW database analyses but showed that project costs are often underreported within existing datasets. The majority of interviewees considered their projects to be successful, most often based upon observed improvements to biota or positive public reaction rather than evaluation of field data. The efficacy of restoration is difficult to ascertain given the dearth of information contained within most datasets. There is a great need for regional entities that not only track information on project implementation but also maintain and analyze monitoring data associated with restoration. Agencies that fund or regulate restoration should reward projects that emphasize monitoring and evaluation as much as project implementation. ?? 2007 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Assessing restoration outcomes in light of succession: management implications for tropical riparian forest restoration

Treesearch

H. Manrique-Hernandez; Tamara Heartsill Scalley; M. Barreto-Orta; C. M. Betancourt-Roman; J. R. Ortiz-Zayas

2016-01-01

Today there is a wide variety of approaches on how to determine when a river restoration project can be considered ecologically successful. The limited information on river restoration responses renders this practice a subjective component of river management. We aimed to contribute to this issue by assessing the ecological outcomes of a restoration project conducted...

Using Songbird Monitoring to Guide and Evaluate Riparian Restoration in Salmonid-Focused Stream Rehabilitation Projects

Treesearch

Ryan D. Burnett; Thomas Gardali; Geoffrey R. Geupel

2005-01-01

A restoration effort, primarily focused on reducing stranding and improving passage of anadromous fish, has been undertaken along sections of lower Clear Creek, Shasta County, California. Similar projects are occurring throughout California and, indeed, all of North America. To monitor the effects of these efforts at Clear Creek we implemented a multi-faceted songbird...

Soil and water characteristics in restored canebrake and forest riparian zones

Treesearch

Danielle M. Andrews; Christopher D. Barton; Randy Kolka; Charles C. Rhoades; Adam J. Dattilo

2011-01-01

The degradation of streams has been widespread in the United States. In Kentucky, for instance, almost all of its large streams have been impounded or channelized. A restoration project was initiated in a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., Kentucky) to return its predisturbance meandering configuration. A goal of the project was to restore the native...

The Pen Branch Project: Restoration of a Forested Wetland in South Carolina

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; Eric A. Nelson; Ronald E. Bonar; Neil C. Dulohery; David Gartner

1998-01-01

The Pen Branch Project is a program to restore a forested riparian wetland that has been subject to thermal disturbance caused by nuclear reactor operations at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS), an 80,200-hectare nuclear facility located in South Carolina. Various levels of thermal discharges to streams located across the US. have occurred...

John Day River Sub-Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project; 2008 Annual Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, Russ M.; Alley, Pamela D.; Goin Jr, Lonnie

Work undertaken in 2008 included: (1) Seven new fence projects were completed thereby protecting approximately 10.97 miles of streams with 16.34 miles of riparian fence; (2) Renewal of one expired lease was completed thereby continuing to protect 0.75 miles of stream with 1.0 mile of riparian fence. (3) Maintenance of all active project fences (106.54 miles), watergaps (78), spring developments (33) were checked and repairs performed; (3) Planted 1000 willow/red osier on Fox Creek/Henslee property; (4) Planted 2000 willows/red osier on Middle Fork John Day River/Coleman property; (5) Planted 1000 willow/red osier cuttings on Fox Creek/Johns property; (6) Since themore » initiation of the Fish Habitat Project in 1984 we have 126.86 miles of stream protected using 211.72 miles of fence protecting 5658 acres. The purpose of the John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program is to enhance production of indigenous wild stocks of spring Chinook and summer steelhead within the sub basin through habitat protection, enhancement and fish passage improvement. The John Day River system supports the largest remaining wild runs of spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead in Northeast Oregon.« less

78 FR 76317 - Llano Seco Riparian Sanctuary Unit Restoration and Pumping Plant/Fish Screen Facility Protection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), announce that the record of decision (ROD) for the Llano Seco Riparian Sanctuary Unit Restoration and Princeton, Codora, Glenn & Provident Irrigation Districts (PCGID-PID) Pumping Plan/Fish Screen Facility Protection Project is now available. The ROD includes a statement of the decisions made, the basis for the decisions, a description of the alternative considered, a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, an overview of the measures to minimize environmental impacts, and a summary of public involvement in the decision-making process.

ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORATION TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

Numerous stream and riparian restoration projects are being undertaken across the nation at a variety of scales and for disparate reasons. Unfortunately, there are very few studies associated with these restoration efforts which provide a consistent and practical methodology to e...

Global trends and uncertainties in terrestrial denitrification and N2O emissions

PubMed Central

Bouwman, A. F.; Beusen, A. H. W.; Griffioen, J.; Van Groenigen, J. W.; Hefting, M. M.; Oenema, O.; Van Puijenbroek, P. J. T. M.; Seitzinger, S.; Slomp, C. P.; Stehfest, E.

2013-01-01

Soil nitrogen (N) budgets are used in a global, distributed flow-path model with 0.5° × 0.5° resolution, representing denitrification and N2O emissions from soils, groundwater and riparian zones for the period 1900–2000 and scenarios for the period 2000–2050 based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Total agricultural and natural N inputs from N fertilizers, animal manure, biological N2 fixation and atmospheric N deposition increased from 155 to 345 Tg N yr−1 (Tg = teragram; 1 Tg = 1012 g) between 1900 and 2000. Depending on the scenario, inputs are estimated to further increase to 408–510 Tg N yr−1 by 2050. In the period 1900–2000, the soil N budget surplus (inputs minus withdrawal by plants) increased from 118 to 202 Tg yr−1, and this may remain stable or further increase to 275 Tg yr−1 by 2050, depending on the scenario. N2 production from denitrification increased from 52 to 96 Tg yr−1 between 1900 and 2000, and N2O–N emissions from 10 to 12 Tg N yr−1. The scenarios foresee a further increase to 142 Tg N2–N and 16 Tg N2O–N yr−1 by 2050. Our results indicate that riparian buffer zones are an important source of N2O contributing an estimated 0.9 Tg N2O–N yr−1 in 2000. Soils are key sites for denitrification and are much more important than groundwater and riparian zones in controlling the N flow to rivers and the oceans. PMID:23713114

Up-scaling Stream Ecosystem Processes to Predict the Effects of Land Cover Change at a Watershed Scale in the Atlantic Tropical Rainforest.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tromboni, F.; Feijó de Lima, R.; Silva-Júnior, E. F.; Lourenço-Amorim, C.; Zandoná, E.; Moulton, T. P.; Da Silva, B. S.; Silva-Araújo, M.; Thomas, S. A.

2015-12-01

Riparian land-cover change (LCC) causes a cascade of subsequent hierarchical effects that propagate through abiotic compartments until reaching the biota, altering stream ecosystem functioning. Due to the movement of water downstream, these lateral effects co-occur with longitudinal influences. We investigated both the lateral and longitudinal effects of deforestation in four streams in the Atlantic tropical rainforest of Brazil. We collected physical-chemical, geomorphic, hydrological data and samples of macroinvertebrates assemblages. We then categorized land cover at different scales (from different riparian and reach buffer sizes to sub and total watershed) using a SPOT-5 satellite image and ArcGIS. We also carried out a series of experiments along the streams to understand: 1) the mechanisms by which LCC affects periphyton and how these changes alter metabolism and nutrient uptake rates; 2) the downstream distance at which periphyton and the associated variables change in the transitions from one riparian category to the other. We used (i) a path analysis to test if our hypothesized land-cover cascade model described our data and (ii) non-linear models to describe the longitudinal effect on each variable. Our results showed that deforestation produced a range of physical changes at different spatial scale, longitudinally altering periphyton taxonomic composition (taxa depending on light), stoichiometry (nutritionally richer with increasing deforestation) and growth rates (greater in deforested). Macroinvertebrate assemblages behaved similarly to chlorophyll a in response to forest loss. Respiration rate increased with deforestation probably due to higher nutrient concentrations but primary production did not increase. Models were used to upscale LCC impacts on ecosystem processes from local scale experiments to landscape and our work has important implications for socio-economic decisions concerning ecosystem management and conservation.

Stream restoration at Denali National Park and Preserve

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Roseann V.; Karle, Kenneth F.

1999-01-01

Placer mining for gold has severely disturbed many riparian ecosystems in northern regions. We are conducting a long-term project to test methods to promote restoration of a placer-mined watershed in Denali National Park and Preserve. The project included hydrological restoration of the unstable and excessively confined stream with heavy equipment. We stabilized the floodplain with bioengineering techniques, including alder and willow brush bars anchored laterally to the channel and willow cuttings along the channel. A moderate flood near the end of construction showed that the brush bars provided substantial protection, but some bank erosion and changes in slope and sinuosity occurred. Subsequent refinements included greater sinuosity and channel depth, pool/riffie construction with stone weirs, and buried alder and willow brush projecting from the bank. The reconstructed stream and floodplain have remained stable for five years, but have not been re-tested by a another large flood. The willow/alder riparian plant community is naturally revegetating on the new floodplains, but vigorous willows which sprouted from branches in brush bars and banks still provide the erosion protection.

Riparian restoration in the context of Tamarix control in the western United States: Chapter 23

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Merritt, David M.; Briggs, Mark K.; Beauchamp, Vanessa B.; Lair, Kenneth D.; Scott, Michael L.; Sher, Anna; Sher, Anna; Quigley, Martin F.

2013-01-01

This chapter focuses on the restoration of riparian systems in the context of Tamarix control—that is, Tamarix-dominated sites are converted to a replacement vegetation type that achieves specific management goals and helps return parts of the system to a desired and more natural state or dynamic. It reviews research related to restoring native riparian vegetation following tamarix control or removal. The chapter begins with an overview of objective setting and the planning of tamarix control and proceeds by emphasizing the importance of considering site-specific factors and of context in selecting and prioritizing sites for restoration. In particular, it considers valley and bottomland geomorphology, along with river flow regime and associated fluvial disturbance, surface water and groundwater availability, and soil salinity and texture. The chapter concludes with a discussion of costs and benefits associated with active, passive, and combined ecological restoration approaches, as well as the key issues to consider in carrying out restoration projects at a range of scales.

CTUIR Umatilla Anadromous Fisheries Habitat Project : A Columbia River Basin Fish Habitat Project 2008 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoverson, Eric D.; Amonette, Alexandra

The Umatilla Anadromous Fisheries Habitat Project (UAFHP) is an ongoing effort to protect, enhance, and restore riparian and instream habitat for the natural production of anadromous salmonids in the Umatilla River Basin, Northeast Oregon. Flow quantity, water temperature, passage, and lack of in-stream channel complexity have been identified as the key limiting factors in the basin. During the 2008 Fiscal Year (FY) reporting period (February 1, 2008-January 31, 2009) primary project activities focused on improving instream and riparian habitat complexity, migrational passage, and restoring natural channel morphology and floodplain function. Eight primary fisheries habitat enhancement projects were implemented on Meachammore » Creek, Birch Creek, West Birch Creek, McKay Creek, West Fork Spring Hollow, and the Umatilla River. Specific restoration actions included: (1) rectifying one fish passage barrier on West Birch Creek; (2) participating in six projects planting 10,000 trees and seeding 3225 pounds of native grasses; (3) donating 1000 ft of fencing and 1208 fence posts and associated hardware for 3.6 miles of livestock exclusion fencing projects in riparian areas of West Birch and Meacham Creek, and for tree screens to protect against beaver damage on West Fork Spring Hollow Creek; (4) using biological control (insects) to reduce noxious weeds on three treatment areas covering five acres on Meacham Creek; (5) planning activities for a levee setback project on Meacham Creek. We participated in additional secondary projects as opportunities arose. Baseline and ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities were also completed on major project areas such as conducting photo point monitoring strategies activities at the Meacham Creek Large Wood Implementation Project site (FY2006) and at additional easements and planned project sites. Fish surveys and aquatic habitat inventories were conducted at project sites prior to implementation. Proper selection and implementation of the most effective site-specific habitat restoration plan, taking into consideration the unique characteristics of each project site, and conducted in cooperation with landowners and project partners, was of paramount importance to ensure each project's success. An Aquatic Habitat Inventory was conducted from river mile 0-8 on Isquulktpe Creek and the data collected was compared with data collected in 1994. Monitoring plans will continue throughout the duration of each project to oversee progression and inspire timely managerial actions. Twenty-seven conservation easements were maintained with 23 landowners. Permitting applications for planned project activities and biological opinions were written and approved. Project activities were based on a variety of fisheries monitoring techniques and habitat assessments used to determine existing conditions and identify factors limiting anadromous salmonid abundance in accordance with the Umatilla River Subbasin Salmon and Steelhead Production Plan (NPPC 1990) and the Final Umatilla Willow Subbasin Plan (Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Planning Team 2005).« less

Floristic composition, beta diversity, and nestedness of reference sites for restoration of xeroriparian areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beauchamp, Vanessa B.; Shafroth, P.B.

2011-01-01

In restoration ecology, reference sites serve as models for areas to be restored and can provide a standard of comparison for restoration project outcomes. When reference sites are located a relatively long distance from associated restoration projects, differences in climate, disturbance history, and biogeography can increase beta diversity and may decrease the relevance of reference sites. Variation in factors at the scale of individual reference sites such as patch size, microclimate, barriers to dispersal, or soil chemistry can result in reference site species composition that is a nested subset of the regional species pool. In the western United States, restoration of riparian areas, particularly those occupied by Tamarix spp., has become a priority; however, little is known about suitable native replacement vegetation communities for relatively dry and saline riparian terraces that comprise many of the sites where Tamarix is removed prior to restoration activities. We studied plant communities on riparian terraces along five rivers in New Mexico, USA, to (1) determine whether the floristic composition of reference sites can be predicted by easily measured soil variables such as pH, salinity (electric conductivity), and texture; (2) examine the extent of distance decay in the compositional similarity of xeroriparian plant communities in the southwestern United States; and (3) determine the degree of nestedness in xeroriparian plant communities in relationship to soil variables. We found that sites clustered into groups based largely on variation in soil salinity and texture. Vegetation across all sites was highly nested with dominant, salt-tolerant species found on most soil groups and salt-intolerant subordinate species restricted to lowsalinity soils. The identity of subordinate species was largely site dependent, causing all sites to have the same low degree of similarity regardless of the distance between them. We conclude that, when planning restoration projects on dry and saline riparian sites, soil salinity and texture are good predictors of which species will be most suited to the area being restored, but a candidate species pool should be developed from the nearest possible reference sites, particularly for subordinate species. ?? 2011 by the Ecological Society of America.

In Situ Groundwater Denitrification in the Riparian Zone of a Short-Rotation Woody Crop Experimental Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffers, J. B.; Jackson, C. R.; Rau, B.; Pringle, C. M.; Matteson, C.

2017-12-01

The southeastern United States has potential to become a major producer of short rotation woody crops (SRWC) for the production of biofuels, but this will require converting to more intensive forest management practices that will increase nitrate (NO3-) loading and alter nitrogen cycling in nearby freshwater ecosystems. Water quality monitoring in an experimental short-rotation woody crop watershed in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina has shown increased concentrations of NO3- in groundwater but no evidence of increased NO3- in riparian groundwater or surface waters. Forested riparian areas established as streamside management zones (SMZ) are known to act as buffers to surface water bodies by mitigating nutrients. The objectives of this study were to quantify denitrification by measuring dinitrogen (N2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations along groundwater flow paths and analyze relationships between denitrification estimates, nutrients, and water chemistry parameters. A network of piezometers has been established in the Fourmile Experimental Watershed at the Department of Energy - Savannah River Site. Water samples were collected monthly and were analyzed for concentrations of nutrients (temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, dissolved organic carbon) and dissolved gases (N2, Ar, N2O). Preliminary data showed greater dissolved N2O concentrations than dissolved N2 concentrations in groundwater. The ratios of N2O to combined end products of denitrification (N2O / N2O+N2) ranged from 0.33 to 0.99. Mean N2O+N2 concentrations were greater in groundwater samples in the SRWC plot and along the SMZ boundary than along the ephemeral stream within the riparian zone. Correlations between water chemistry parameters and N2 concentrations are indicative of known biogeochemical driving factors of denitrification. Continued monthly sampling will be coupled with analysis of nutrient concentrations (NO3-, NH4+, TN) to help determine transport and processing of NO3- and production of dissolved gases within the groundwater system. Use of hydrologic models combined with dissolved gas concentrations will provide estimates of denitrification rates and indirect gaseous emissions.

Riparian Land Use/Land Cover Data for Five Study Units in the Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical Study of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Michaela R.; Buell, Gary R.; Kim, Moon H.; Nardi, Mark R.

2007-01-01

This dataset was developed as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical (NEET) study for five study units distributed across the United States: Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Central Columbia Plateau-Yakima River Basin, Central Nebraska Basins, Potomac River Basin and Delmarva Peninsula, and White, Great and Little Miami River Basins. One hundred forty-three stream reaches were examined as part of the NEET study conducted 2003-04. Stream segments, with lengths equal to the logarithm of the basin area, were delineated upstream from the downstream ends of the stream reaches with the use of digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles (DOQQ) or selected from the high-resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Use of the NHD was necessary when the stream was not distinguishable in the DOQQ because of dense tree canopy. The analysis area for each stream segment was defined by a buffer beginning at the segment extending to 250 meters lateral to the stream segment. Delineation of land use/land cover (LULC) map units within stream segment buffers was conducted using on-screen digitizing of riparian LULC classes interpreted from the DOQQ. LULC units were mapped using a classification strategy consisting of nine classes. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were used to aid in wetland classification. Longitudinal transect sampling lines offset from the stream segments were generated and partitioned into the underlying LULC types. These longitudinal samples yielded the relative linear extent and sequence of each LULC type within the riparian zone at the segment scale. The resulting areal and linear LULC data filled in the spatial-scale gap between the 30-meter resolution of the National Land Cover Dataset and the reach-level habitat assessment data collected onsite routinely for NAWQA ecological sampling. The final data consisted of 12 geospatial datasets: LULC within 25 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 100 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 150 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 250 meters of the stream segment (polygon); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation LULC at the reach scale (arc); stream reaches (arc); longitudinal LULC at the reach scale (arc); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation LULC at the segment scale (arc); stream segments (arc); and longitudinal LULC at the segment scale (arc).

Watershed influences on the structure and function of riparian wetlands associated with headwater streams - Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

PubMed

Whigham, D F; Walker, C M; Maurer, J; King, R S; Hauser, W; Baird, S; Keuskamp, J A; Neale, P J

2017-12-01

Riparian wetlands are dynamic components of landscapes. Located between uplands and aquatic environments, riparian habitats intercept sediments and nutrients before they enter aquatic environments. They are a source of organic matter and nutrients to aquatic systems, and they provide important habitat for animals, often serving as corridors for the movement of animals between habitats in fragmented landscapes. In this project, we focused on the structure and function of riparian wetlands associated with headwater streams in Alaska that serve as nursery habitats for juvenile salmonids. We asked whether or not the structure and function of headwater wetlands differed between watersheds with and without nitrogen-fixing Alder (Alnus spp.). We found that the aboveground biomass of riparian vegetation was higher in the watershed with Alder, but the largest differences were in the litter layer and belowground where vegetation in the watershed with no Alder had significantly higher root biomass. Interstitial water chemistry also differed between the study sites with significantly higher inorganic N and significantly different characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter at the site with Alder on the watershed. The biomass of litter that hung over the creek bank was less at the site with Alder on the watershed and an in situ decomposition experiment showed significant differences between the two systems. Results of the research demonstrates that watershed characteristics can impact the ecology of headwater streams in ways that had not been previously recognized. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial-structural analysis of leafless woody riparian vegetation for hydraulic considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weissteiner, Clemens; Jalonen, Johanna; Järvelä, Juha; Rauch, Hans Peter

2013-04-01

Woody riparian vegetation is a vital element of riverine environments. On one hand woody riparian vegetation has to be taken into account from a civil engineering point of view due to boundary shear stress and vegetation drag. On the other hand it has to be considered from a river ecological point of view due to shadowing effects and as a source of organic material for aquatic habitats. In hydrodynamic and hydro-ecological studies the effects of woody riparian vegetation on flow patterns are usually investigated on a very detailed level. On the contrary vegetation elements and their spatial patterns are generally analysed and discussed on the basis of an integral approach measuring for example basal diameters, heights and projected plant areas. For a better understanding of the influence of woody riparian vegetation on turbulent flow and on river ecology, it is essential to record and analyse plant data sets on the same level of quality as for hydrodynamic or hydro-ecologic purposes. As a result of the same scale of the analysis it is possible to incorporate riparian vegetation as a sub-model in the hydraulic analysis. For plant structural components, such as branches on different topological levels it is crucial to record plant geometrical parameters describing the habitus of the plant on branch level. An exact 3D geometrical model of real plants allows for an extraction of various spatial-structural plant parameters. In addition, allometric relationships help to summarize and describe plant traits of riparian vegetation. This paper focuses on the spatial-structural composition of leafless riparia woddy vegetation. Structural and spatial analyses determine detailed geometric properties of the structural components of the plants. Geometrical and topological parameters were recorded with an electro-magnetic scanning device. In total, 23 plants (willows, alders and birches) were analysed in the study. Data were recorded on branch level, which allowed for the development of a 3D geometric plant model. The results are expected to improve knowledge on how the architectural system and allometric relationships of the plants relate to ecological and hydrodynamic properties.

Evaluating Connectivity for two mid-sized mammals Across Riparian Corridors using Wildlife Crossing Monitoring and Species Distribution Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, S.

2016-12-01

The movement of wildlife can be constrained by river renovation projects owing to the presence of artificial structures. This study evaluates lateral connectivity, the ability to cross from habitat on one side of the river, through riparian vegetation, embankments, and the river to the other, of two mammal species, the leopard cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura) and water deer (Hydropotes inermis). We used 34 months of monitoring on 250 m stream segments on the Seom river, in South Korea to model the lateral connectivity of the stream between suitable habitats on either side of the steam. Habitat suitability within the landscape was determined using species distribution modelingand was used to determine where we thought the animals would want to pass across the river. We compared the predicted crossing locations to observed crossings.We assessed lateral connectivity suitability with maximum entropy and logistic regression models, and species' presences detected from snow tracking, heat sensor cameras, and scat or other signs, as well as landscape variables. Leopard cats prefer upland forest, while water deer prefer the forest edge and riparian corridor. For both target species, the best riparian habitats were characterized by the presence of vegetation cover on the embankment and by at least one side of an embankment being adjacent to farmland or forest cover. The lateral connectivity for the two target species showed different requirements. Water deer cross through large culverts with an openness ratio of 0.7 or under bridges, whereas leopard cats utilized drainage pipes and culvert boxes with a much smaller openness ratio. Stream reaches located close to a river tributary had the highest connectivity values, and areas modeled as good habitat for both species thatlink watershed and riparian habitats showed high connectivity values. Artifacts such as steep banks, concrete embankments, and adjacent roads were found to degrade the lateral connectivity of wildlife. These outcomes can be used to identify suitable riparian wildlife habitats of mammals, to evaluate lateral connectivity of riparian corridors for mammals, and to develop criteria for river conservation and restoration in highly urbanized developing countries. [

Fish functional traits correlated with environmental variables in a temperate biodiversity hotspot.

PubMed

Keck, Benjamin P; Marion, Zachary H; Martin, Derek J; Kaufman, Jason C; Harden, Carol P; Schwartz, John S; Strange, Richard J

2014-01-01

The global biodiversity crisis has invigorated the search for generalized patterns in most disciplines within the natural sciences. Studies based on organismal functional traits attempt to broaden implications of results by identifying the response of functional traits, instead of taxonomic units, to environmental variables. Determining the functional trait responses enables more direct comparisons with, or predictions for, communities of different taxonomic composition. The North American freshwater fish fauna is both diverse and increasingly imperiled through human mediated disturbances, including climate change. The Tennessee River, USA, contains one of the most diverse assemblages of freshwater fish in North America and has more imperiled species than other rivers, but there has been no trait-based study of community structure in the system. We identified 211 localities in the upper Tennessee River that were sampled by the Tennessee Valley Authority between 2009 and 2011 and compiled fish functional traits for the observed species and environmental variables for each locality. Using fourth corner analysis, we identified significant correlations between many fish functional traits and environmental variables. Functional traits associated with an opportunistic life history strategy were correlated with localities subject to greater land use disturbance and less flow regulation, while functional traits associated with a periodic life history strategy were correlated with localities subject to regular disturbance and regulated flow. These are patterns observed at the continental scale, highlighting the generalizability of trait-based methods. Contrary to studies that found no community structure differences when considering riparian buffer zones, we found that fish functional traits were correlated with different environmental variables between analyses with buffer zones vs. entire catchment area land cover proportions. Using existing databases and fourth corner analysis, our results support the broad application potential for trait-based methods and indicate trait-based methods can detect environmental filtering by riparian zone land cover.

Fish Functional Traits Correlated with Environmental Variables in a Temperate Biodiversity Hotspot

PubMed Central

Keck, Benjamin P.; Marion, Zachary H.; Martin, Derek J.; Kaufman, Jason C.; Harden, Carol P.; Schwartz, John S.; Strange, Richard J.

2014-01-01

The global biodiversity crisis has invigorated the search for generalized patterns in most disciplines within the natural sciences. Studies based on organismal functional traits attempt to broaden implications of results by identifying the response of functional traits, instead of taxonomic units, to environmental variables. Determining the functional trait responses enables more direct comparisons with, or predictions for, communities of different taxonomic composition. The North American freshwater fish fauna is both diverse and increasingly imperiled through human mediated disturbances, including climate change. The Tennessee River, USA, contains one of the most diverse assemblages of freshwater fish in North America and has more imperiled species than other rivers, but there has been no trait-based study of community structure in the system. We identified 211 localities in the upper Tennessee River that were sampled by the Tennessee Valley Authority between 2009 and 2011 and compiled fish functional traits for the observed species and environmental variables for each locality. Using fourth corner analysis, we identified significant correlations between many fish functional traits and environmental variables. Functional traits associated with an opportunistic life history strategy were correlated with localities subject to greater land use disturbance and less flow regulation, while functional traits associated with a periodic life history strategy were correlated with localities subject to regular disturbance and regulated flow. These are patterns observed at the continental scale, highlighting the generalizability of trait-based methods. Contrary to studies that found no community structure differences when considering riparian buffer zones, we found that fish functional traits were correlated with different environmental variables between analyses with buffer zones vs. entire catchment area land cover proportions. Using existing databases and fourth corner analysis, our results support the broad application potential for trait-based methods and indicate trait-based methods can detect environmental filtering by riparian zone land cover. PMID:24676053

Consequences of land use cover change and precipitation regimes on water quality in a tropical landscape: the case of São Paulo, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro Piffer, P.; Reverberi Tambosi, L.; Uriarte, M.

2017-12-01

One of the most pressing challenges faced by modern societies is ensuring a sufficient supply of water considering the ever-growing conflict between environmental conservation and expansion of agricultural and urban frontiers worldwide. Land use cover change have marked effects on natural landscapes, putting key watershed ecosystem services in jeopardy. We investigated the consequences of land use cover change and precipitation regimes on water quality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, a landscape that underwent major changes in past century. Water quality data collected bi-monthly between 2000 and 2014 from 229 water monitoring stations was analyzed together with 2011 land use cover maps. We focused on six water quality metrics (dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, turbidity, total dissolved solids and fecal coliforms) and used generalized linear mixed models to analyze the data. Models were built at two scales, the entire watershed and a 60 meters riparian buffer along the river network. Models accounted for 46-67% of the variance in water quality metrics and, apart from dissolved oxygen, which reflected land cover composition in riparian buffers, all metrics responded to land use at the watershed scale. Highly urbanized areas had low dissolved oxygen and high fecal coliforms, dissolved solids, phosphorus and nitrogen levels in streams. Pasture was associated with increases in turbidity, while sugarcane plantations significantly increased nitrogen concentrations. Watersheds with high forest cover had greater dissolved oxygen and lower turbidity. Silviculture plantations had little impact on water quality. Precipitation decreased dissolved oxygen and was associated with higher levels of turbidity, fecal coliforms and phosphorus. Results indicate that conversion of forest cover to other land uses had negative impacts on water quality in the study area, highlighting the need for landscape restoration to improve watersheds ecosystem services.

A tool for cost-effectiveness analysis of field scale sediment-bound phosphorus mitigation measures and application to analysis of spatial and temporal targeting in the Lunan Water catchment, Scotland.

PubMed

Vinten, Andy; Sample, James; Ibiyemi, Adekunle; Abdul-Salam, Yakubu; Stutter, Marc

2017-05-15

The cost-effectiveness of six edge-of-field measures for mitigating diffuse pollution from sediment bound phosphorus (P) runoff from temperate arable farmland is analysed at catchment/field scales. These measures were: buffer strips, permanent grassland in the lowest 7% of arable fields, dry detention bunds, wetlands, and temporary barriers such as sediment fences. Baseline field P export was estimated using export coefficients (low risk crops) or a modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (high risk crops). The impact of measures was estimated using simple equations. Costs were estimated from gross margin losses or local data on grants. We used a net cost:benefit (NCB) factor to normalise the costs and impacts of each measure over time. Costs minimisation for target impact was done using PuLP, a linear programming module for Python, across 1634 riparian and non-riparian fields in the Lunan Water, a mixed arable catchment in Eastern Scotland. With all measures in place, average cost-effectiveness increases from £9 to £48/kg P as target P mitigation increases from 500 to 2500kg P across the catchment. Costs increase significantly when the measures available are restricted only to those currently eligible for government grants (buffers, bunds and wetlands). The assumed orientation of the average field slope makes a strong difference to the potential for storage of water by bunds and overall cost-effectiveness, but the non-funded measures can substitute for the extra expense incurred by bunds, where the slope orientation is not suitable. Economic discounting over time of impacts and costs of measures favours those measures, such as sediment fences, which are strongly targeted both spatially and temporally. This tool could be a useful guide for dialogue with land users about the potential fields to target for mitigation to achieve catchment targets. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Explaining linkages (and lack of) between riparian vegetation biodiversity and geomorphic complexity in restored streams of northern Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polvi, Lina; Maher Hasselquist, Eliza; Nilsson, Christer

2014-05-01

Ecological theory suggests that species richness and habitat heterogeneity are positively correlated; therefore stream restoration often relies on increasing geomorphic complexity to promote biodiversity. However, past studies have failed to demonstrate a link between post-restoration biodiversity and geomorphic complexity. These studies have usually relied on only one metric for quantifying complexity, rather than a holistic metric for complexity that represents several aspects of the channel morphology, and have based their observations in catchments with widespread land-use impacts. We use a geomorphic complexity gradient based on five geomorphic aspects (longitudinal, cross-sectional, planform, sediment texture, and instream wood) to determine whether streams with higher levels of complexity also have greater riparian vegetation biodiversity. We also compare biodiversity values with the potential complexity of reaches based on the large-scale controls of valley and channel gradient and the presence of large glacial legacy sediment (boulders). We focus on tributary channels in boreal forests of northern Sweden, where stream modification associated with log-floating from the 1850s to the 1960s created highly simplified channels. Driven by concerns for fish, restoration began in the 1970s by returning large cobbles and boulders into the main channel from the channel edge, and evolved into 'demonstration restoration,' placing very large boulders and trees into the channel, reopening side channels, and constructing fish spawning areas. We evaluate 22 reaches along tributaries of the Vindel River in northern Sweden with four restoration statuses: channelized, restored, demonstration restored, and unimpacted. Detailed morphologic, sediment, and instream wood data allow calculation of 29 metrics of geomorphic complexity, from which a complexity gradient was identified using multivariate statistics. The percent cover of riparian vegetation was identified in 0.5 x 0.5 m plots at three elevations above the low water stage (0, 40, and 80 cm) along five transects; additionally, we determined which species were present within the entire riparian zone (60 m long reach, up to 80 cm elevation). Three metrics of biodiversity were calculated on the plot level (richness, Shannon's diversity index, and evenness); only richness could be examined at the reach scale. There are significant relationships between riparian vegetation biodiversity and the overall complexity gradient at the medium elevation and, based on some metrics, at the low elevation. However, these relationships are not fully explanatory or always linear, explaining up to ~40% of the variability and often being logarithmic. We conclude that reach-scale restoration of increasing complexity in a catchment without significant land-use impacts can have positive effects on biodiversity. However, there are several limiting factors in addition to channel complexity that affect the recovery of riparian zones after restoration: the potential complexity of a reach based on large-scale controls, time since restoration—which is a disturbance in itself, buffer distance to timber harvesting, distance and connectivity to colonist sources, and upland species (e.g., spruce trees) that have managed to colonize when the riparian zone was separated from the channel.

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: 2010 US Census Housing Unit and Population Density

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the population and housing unit density within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds based on 2010 US Census data. Densities are calculated for every block group and watershed averages are calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment(see Data Sources for links to NHDPlusV2 data and Census Data). This data set is derived from The TIGER/Line Files and related database (.dbf) files for the conterminous USA. It was downloaded as Block Group-Level Census 2010 SF1 Data in File Geodatabase Format (ArcGIS version 10.0). The landscape raster (LR) was produced based on the data compiled from the questions asked of all people and about every housing unit. The (block-group population / block group area) and (block-group housing units / block group area) were summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description). Using a riparian buffer(see Process Steps), statistics were generated for areas within each catchment that are within 100 meters of the stream reach in an attempt to evaluate for the riparian zone.

Freedom space for rivers: An economically viable river management concept in a changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffin-Bélanger, Thomas; Biron, Pascale M.; Larocque, Marie; Demers, Sylvio; Olsen, Taylor; Choné, Guénolé; Ouellet, Marie-Audray; Cloutier, Claude-André; Desjarlais, Claude; Eyquem, Joanna

2015-12-01

The freedom space concept applies hydrogeomorphic principles to delineate zones that are either frequently flooded or actively eroding, or that include riparian wetlands. Freedom space limits mapped for three rivers in southern Quebec (Canada) were assessed to determine whether they would still be valid under a future climate using a sensitivity analysis approach with numerical models predicting mobility of meanders (RVRMeander) and flood stage (HEC-RAS). The freedom space limits were also used in a cost-benefit analysis over a 50-year period where costs consist of loss or limitations to the right of farming and construction in this zone, whereas benefits are avoided costs for existing or future bank stabilization structures and avoided costs of flooding in agricultural areas. The economic value of ecosystem services provided by riparian wetlands and increased buffer zones within the freedom space were also included in the analysis. Results show that freedom space limits would be robust in future climate, and show net present values ranging from CDN0.7 to 3.7 million for the three rivers, with ratios of benefits over costs ranging between 1.5:1 and 4.8:1. River management based on freedom space is thus beneficial for society over a 50-year period.

Duck Valley Habitat Enhancement and Protection, 2001-2002 Progress Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, Mattie H.; Sellman, Jake

The Duck Valley Indian Reservation's Habitat Enhancement project is an ongoing project designed to enhance and protect critical riparian areas, natural springs, the Owhyee River and its tributaries, and native fish spawning areas on the Reservation. The project commenced in 1997 and addresses the Northwest Power Planning Council's measures 10.8C.2, 10.8C.3, and 10.8C.5 of the 1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The performance period covers dates from April 2001 through August 2002.

Grand Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project, 2008 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGowan, Vance R.; Morton, Winston H.

2009-07-01

On July 1, 1984 the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife entered into an intergovernmental contract to initiate fish habitat enhancement work in the Joseph Creek subbasin of the Grande Ronde River Basin in northeast Oregon. In 1985 the Upper and Middle Grande Ronde River, and Catherine Creek subbasins were included in the contract, and in 1996 the Wallowa River subbasin was added. The primary goal of 'The Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project' is to create, protect, and restore riparian and instream habitat for anadromous salmonids, thereby maximizing the opportunities for natural fishmore » production within the basin. This project originally provided for implementation of Program Measure 703 (C)(1), Action Item 4.2 of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC, 1987), and continues to be implemented under revisions of the Fish and Wild Program as offsite mitigation for mainstem fishery losses caused by the Columbia River hydro-electric system. All work conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and partners is on private lands and therefore requires considerable time be spent developing rapport with landowners to gain acceptance, and continued cooperation with this program throughout 10-15 year lease periods. Both passive and active restoration treatment techniques are used. Passive regeneration of habitat, using riparian exclosure fencing and alternate water sources, is the primary method to restore degraded streams when restoration can be achieved primarily through changes in management. Active restoration techniques using plantings, bioengineering, site-specific instream structures, or whole stream channel alterations are utilized when streams are more severely degraded and not likely to recover in a reasonable timeframe. Individual projects contribute to and complement ecosystem and basin-wide watershed restoration efforts that are underway by state, federal, and tribal agencies, and coordinated by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (Project. No. 199202601). Work undertaken during 2008 included: (1) completing 1 new fencing project in the North Fork John Day subbasin that protects 1.82 miles of stream and 216.2 acres of habitat, and 1 fencing project in the Wallowa subbasin that protects an additional 0.59 miles of stream and 42.5 acres of habitat; (2) constructing 0.47 miles of new channel on the Wallowa river to enhance habitat, restore natural channel dimensions, pattern and profile and reconnect approximately 18 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat; (3) planting 10,084 plants along 0.5 miles of the Wallowa Riverproject; (4) establishing 34 new photopoints on 5 projects and retaking 295 existing photopoint pictures; (5) monitoring stream temperatures at 10 locations on 5 streams and conducting other monitoring activities; (6) completing riparian fence, water gap and other maintenance on 116.8 miles of project fences; and (7) completed a comprehensive project summary report to the Independent Scientific Review panel (ISRP) that provided our conclusions regarding benefits to focal species, along with management recommendations for the future. Since initiation of this program 57 individual projects have been implemented, monitoring and maintained along 84.9 miles of anadromous fish bearing streams, that protect and enhance 3,564 acres of riparian and instream habitat.« less

Accelerating Science with the NERSC Burst Buffer Early User Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhimji, Wahid; Bard, Debbie; Romanus, Melissa

NVRAM-based Burst Buffers are an important part of the emerging HPC storage landscape. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently installed one of the first Burst Buffer systems as part of its new Cori supercomputer, collaborating with Cray on the development of the DataWarp software. NERSC has a diverse user base comprised of over 6500 users in 700 different projects spanning a wide variety of scientific computing applications. The use-cases of the Burst Buffer at NERSC are therefore also considerable and diverse. We describe here performance measurements and lessons learned from the Burstmore » Buffer Early User Program at NERSC, which selected a number of research projects to gain early access to the Burst Buffer and exercise its capability to enable new scientific advancements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time a Burst Buffer has been stressed at scale by diverse, real user workloads and therefore these lessons will be of considerable benefit to shaping the developing use of Burst Buffers at HPC centers.« less

Employing citizen science to study defoliation impacts on arthropod communities on tamarisk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Audrey L.

The invasive tamarisk tree is widespread across the southwestern landscape of the United States and has been dominant in regulated river reaches, outcompeting native vegetation and impacting trophic webs in riparian ecosystems. The changes in riparian habitat and recreation opportunities along southwestern rivers, like the San Juan River in Utah, led to the implementation of a biocontrol program in the form of the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.). It is unknown what the long term effects on riparian ecosystems are as a result of the beetles' defoliation of tamarisk each summer. This study sought to identify the current arthropod community composition and abundance over one growing season on the San Juan River between Bluff and Mexican Hat, UT and second, to involve the public in this research through a citizen science component. I found that non-native insects, including the tamarisk leaf beetle, dominated the arboreal arthropod communities within the tamarisk and there are relatively few native arthropods residing in tamarisk throughout the summer season. Foliation levels (the quantity of leaves in the canopy of tamarisk) were inconclusive predictors of arthropod abundances but varied by species and by feeding guild. This may indicate that the defoliation of the tamarisk is not necessarily negatively impacting trophic interactions in tamarisk. I incorporated youth participants on educational river rafting trips to assist in data collection of arthropods from tamarisk trees as a way to educate and bring attention to the issue of invasive species in the Southwest. After completing my own citizen science project and after doing a literature review of other, similar citizen science projects, I found that striving for both rigorous scientific data and quality educational programming is challenging for a small scale project that does not target broad spatial, geographic, or temporal data. Citizen science project developers should clearly identify their objectives and spend time developing and evaluating both the data quality and the educational quality of citizen science programs to achieve credibility in both realms.

Demographic histories of adaptively diverged riparian and non-riparian species of Ainsliaea (Asteraceae) inferred from coalescent analyses using multiple nuclear loci.

PubMed

Mitsui, Yuki; Setoguchi, Hiroaki

2012-12-28

Understanding demographic histories, such as divergence time, patterns of gene flow, and population size changes, in ecologically diverging lineages provide implications for the process and maintenance of population differentiation by ecological adaptation. This study addressed the demographic histories in two independently derived lineages of flood-resistant riparian plants and their non-riparian relatives [Ainsliaea linearis (riparian) and A. apiculata (non-riparian); A. oblonga (riparian) and A. macroclinidioides (non-riparian); Asteraceae] using an isolation-with-migration (IM) model based on variation at 10 nuclear DNA loci. The highest posterior probabilities of the divergence time parameters were estimated to be ca. 25,000 years ago for A. linearis and A. apiculata and ca. 9000 years ago for A. oblonga and A. macroclinidioides, although the confidence intervals of the parameters had broad ranges. The likelihood ratio tests detected evidence of historical gene flow between both riparian/non-riparian species pairs. The riparian populations showed lower levels of genetic diversity and a significant reduction in effective population sizes compared to the non-riparian populations and their ancestral populations. This study showed the recent origins of flood-resistant riparian plants, which are remarkable examples of plant ecological adaptation. The recent divergence and genetic signatures of historical gene flow among riparian/non-riparian species implied that they underwent morphological and ecological differentiation within short evolutionary timescales and have maintained their species boundaries in the face of gene flow. Comparative analyses of adaptive divergence in two sets of riparian/non-riparian lineages suggested that strong natural selection by flooding had frequently reduced the genetic diversity and size of riparian populations through genetic drift, possibly leading to fixation of adaptive traits in riparian populations. The two sets of riparian/non-riparian lineages showed contrasting patterns of gene flow and genetic differentiation, implying that each lineage showed different degrees of reproductive isolation and that they had experienced unique evolutionary and demographic histories in the process of adaptive divergence.

SELECTION OF RIPARIAN REACHES FOR RESTORATION AND PROTECTION WITHIN EROSION-PRONE LANDSCAPES. (R827149)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWAL ALLOCATION AND TRADING SYSTEMS FOR TRADITIONALLY RIPARIAN AREAS. (R824804)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Duck Valley Habitat Enhancement and Protection, 2000 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dodson, Guy; Pero, Vincent

The Duck Valley Indian Reservations' Habitat Enhancement project is an ongoing project designed to enhance and protect the critical riparian areas, natural springs, and native fish spawning areas on the Reservation. The project was begun in 1997 with the hiring of a fisheries biologist and the creation of a new department for the Tribes. The project's goals are to protect and enhance the springs, Owyhee River, its tributaries, and to develop a database that can be used by other fisheries professionals which includes information on water quality and fish composition, health, abundance, and genetic makeup. One habitat portion of themore » project is a focus on protection the numerous springs that provide clean, cool water to the Owyhee River. This will be accomplished through enclosure fences of the spring heads and water troughs to provide clean cool drinking water for wildlife and livestock. Another habitat portion of the project involves protecting headwater areas of streams with native fish populations. This is accomplished through enclosure fencing and riparian plantings on any eroded or degraded banks in the enclosure area. Finally, we monitor and evaluate the areas protected and enhanced. This is accomplished through biological sampling for temperature, Oxygen, sedimentation, and measurements of water depth, bank height and undercut, and width of stream. With the habitat and biological indices we will be able to evaluate how well protective measures are doing, and where to focus future efforts.« less

Demographic histories of adaptively diverged riparian and non-riparian species of Ainsliaea (Asteraceae) inferred from coalescent analyses using multiple nuclear loci

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Understanding demographic histories, such as divergence time, patterns of gene flow, and population size changes, in ecologically diverging lineages provide implications for the process and maintenance of population differentiation by ecological adaptation. This study addressed the demographic histories in two independently derived lineages of flood-resistant riparian plants and their non-riparian relatives [Ainsliaea linearis (riparian) and A. apiculata (non-riparian); A. oblonga (riparian) and A. macroclinidioides (non-riparian); Asteraceae] using an isolation-with-migration (IM) model based on variation at 10 nuclear DNA loci. Results The highest posterior probabilities of the divergence time parameters were estimated to be ca. 25,000 years ago for A. linearis and A. apiculata and ca. 9000 years ago for A. oblonga and A. macroclinidioides, although the confidence intervals of the parameters had broad ranges. The likelihood ratio tests detected evidence of historical gene flow between both riparian/non-riparian species pairs. The riparian populations showed lower levels of genetic diversity and a significant reduction in effective population sizes compared to the non-riparian populations and their ancestral populations. Conclusions This study showed the recent origins of flood-resistant riparian plants, which are remarkable examples of plant ecological adaptation. The recent divergence and genetic signatures of historical gene flow among riparian/non-riparian species implied that they underwent morphological and ecological differentiation within short evolutionary timescales and have maintained their species boundaries in the face of gene flow. Comparative analyses of adaptive divergence in two sets of riparian/non-riparian lineages suggested that strong natural selection by flooding had frequently reduced the genetic diversity and size of riparian populations through genetic drift, possibly leading to fixation of adaptive traits in riparian populations. The two sets of riparian/non-riparian lineages showed contrasting patterns of gene flow and genetic differentiation, implying that each lineage showed different degrees of reproductive isolation and that they had experienced unique evolutionary and demographic histories in the process of adaptive divergence. PMID:23273287

RIPARIAN TREE SEEDLING DISTRIBUTION ON WISCONSIN RIVER SANDBARS: CONTROLS AT DIFFERENT SPATIAL SCALES. (R826600)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STREAM RESTORATION AT USEPA

EPA Science Inventory

Numerous stream and riparian restoration projects are being undertaken across the nation at a variety of scales and for disparate reasons. Unfortunately, there are very few studies associated with these restoration efforts which provide a consistent and practical methodology to e...

The influence of riparian vegetation on the energy input of the rivers Lafnitz and Pinka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzapfel, Gerda; Rauch, Hans Peter; Weihs, Philipp; Trimmel, Heidelinde; Formayer, Herbert; Leitner, Patrick; Graf, Wolfram; Melcher, Andreas; Dossi, Florian

2013-04-01

In Central Europe freshwater ecosystems have to deal with a loss of habitat structures due to channelisation and standardisation. Unimpaired streams and rivers are very rare, which leads to a few, remaining populations of sensitive invertebrate species which are severely fragmented. This progress is mainly noticed in lowland rivers in agricultural intensely used areas, where habitat degradation and pollution affect the ecosystems. Additional pressures on the freshwater systems will be expected due to climate change effects. In the Austrian Lowlands, an increase of air temperature about 2-2.5 °C is predicted till 2040. This will in turn lead to the highest increase in water temperature in the lowland rivers of the "Hungarian Plains", Ecoregion 11 on which the impacts of climate change will most likely be highest in Austria. Global warming on its own may lead to severe changes in aquatic ecosystems. Human impacts increase the negative effects even more. Main factors for a sustainable survival of benthic invertebrates and fishes are closely connected with parameters like water temperature, the availability of oxygen and nutrients, or radiation and nutrients for primary production which are closely related to climate. Natural bank vegetation reduces the influx of solar radiation as well as it forms a microclimate of its own and could provide very important niches for terrestrial and aquatic stages. Riparian areas with trees provide direct shade for the water body and thus avoiding the corresponding increase in water temperature. Wide riparian wooded areas can even decrease evaporation and increase the relative air humidity, which contributes to reducing water temperature. Input of deadwood like trees or logs represents essential habitats for invertebrates and fish assemblages. Its presence is one essential drivers of bed-morphology creating heterogeneous instream habitat patterns. In the framework of the project BIO_CLIC the potential of riparian vegetation to mitigate effects of climate change on biological assemblages of small and medium sized running waters will be investigated. The results support river managers in implementing integrative guidelines for sustainable river restoration towards climate change adaptation, ecological services and socio-economic consequences. In this paper the influence of riparian vegetation on the energy input of rivers will be highlighted. As a first step in field works habitat characteristics will be examined and described. First results show riparian vegetation datasets for different riparian vegetation types with 3D spatial distribution of vegetation, riparian vegetation composition and radiation attenuation coefficients for different vegetation types.

17. Photocopy of original plan, September 1936. W.P.A. NEW JERSEY/ ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. Photocopy of original plan, September 1936. W.P.A. NEW JERSEY/ DIVISION WOMEN'S & PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS/ELIZABETH C. D. VANN, DIRECTOR/RIPARIAN & STREAM SURVEY OP. 165-22-6999/PROJECT 10-197: PLAN OF DUNDEE DAM SHOWING STRUCTURES-SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS (On file at Hackensack Water Company) - Dundee Canal, Headgates, Guardlock & Uppermost Section, 250 feet northeast of Randolph Avenue, opposite & in line with East Clifton Avenue, Clifton, Passaic County, NJ

Sampling and modeling riparian forest structure and riparian microclimate

Treesearch

Bianca N.I. Eskelson; Paul D. Anderson; Hailemariam Temesgen

2013-01-01

Riparian areas are extremely variable and dynamic, and represent some of the most complex terrestrial ecosystems in the world. The high variability within and among riparian areas poses challenges in developing efficient sampling and modeling approaches that accurately quantify riparian forest structure and riparian microclimate. Data from eight stream reaches that are...

Effects of land cover, topography, and built structure on seasonal water quality at multiple spatial scales.

PubMed

Pratt, Bethany; Chang, Heejun

2012-03-30

The relationship among land cover, topography, built structure and stream water quality in the Portland Metro region of Oregon and Clark County, Washington areas, USA, is analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted (GWR) multiple regression models. Two scales of analysis, a sectional watershed and a buffer, offered a local and a global investigation of the sources of stream pollutants. Model accuracy, measured by R(2) values, fluctuated according to the scale, season, and regression method used. While most wet season water quality parameters are associated with urban land covers, most dry season water quality parameters are related topographic features such as elevation and slope. GWR models, which take into consideration local relations of spatial autocorrelation, had stronger results than OLS regression models. In the multiple regression models, sectioned watershed results were consistently better than the sectioned buffer results, except for dry season pH and stream temperature parameters. This suggests that while riparian land cover does have an effect on water quality, a wider contributing area needs to be included in order to account for distant sources of pollutants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Propagating native Salicaceae for riparian restoration on the Hopi reservation in Arizona

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; David R. Dreesen; Jeremy R. Pinto; R. Kasten Dumroese

2006-01-01

The USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Hopi Tribe Office of Range Management have been working together on native plant restoration projects in northeastern Arizona. The aggressive exotic plants, Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L. [Elaeagnaceae]) and salt-cedar (Tamarix ramosissima...

78 FR 12714 - Intermountain Region, Payette National Forest, New Meadows Ranger District, Idaho; Lost Creek...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-25

... vegetation management and road system modifications and maintenance. DATES: Comments concerning the project..., especially in streams occupied by ESA-listed fishes and in designated critical habitat; (5) reduce road-related accelerated sediment and other road related impacts; (6) restore riparian vegetation and...

76 FR 11506 - Notice of Public Meetings: Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council, Nevada

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

... the Secretary of the Interior, through the BLM, on a variety of planning and management issues... review of proposals, the National Landscape Conservation System, wild horse and burro, wild lands designation, minerals/energy, recreation, the Seven Mile project, landscape scale restoration, riparian...

MINEBANK RUN PROJECT AS AN APPROACH FOR RESTORING DEGRADED URBAN WATERSHEDS AND RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Elevated nitrate levels in streams and groundwater pose human and ecological threats. Minebank Run, an urban stream in Baltimore MD, will be restored in 2004/2005 using various techniques including reshaping stream banks to reconnect stream channel to flood plain, stream bank r...

A New Approach to Flood Protection Design and Riparian Management

Treesearch

Philip B. Williams; Mitchell L. Swanson

1989-01-01

Conventional engineering methods of flood control design focus narrowly on the efficient conveyance of water, with little regard for environmental resource planning and natural geomorphic processes. Consequently, flood control projects are often environmentally disastrous, expensive to maintain, and even inadequate to control floods. In addition, maintenance programs...

BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND METABOLIC RESPONSES TO THE FLOOD PULSE IN A SEMIARID FLOODPLAIN

EPA Science Inventory

This paper describes a research project on the Rio Grande River, a large river system draining significant areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mexico. The goal of the research was to evaluate the role of spring floods in connecting large rivers to their riparian z...

Terrestrail indicators and measurements: Selection process and preliminary recommendations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this project is to identify a small set of core indicators and measurements that can be applied across rangeland, forest and riparian ecosystems managed by the BLM. A set of core indicators quantified using standardized measurements allows data to be integrated across field office, ...

Off-Stream Watering Systems and Partial Barriers as a Strategy to Maximize Cattle Production and Minimize Time Spent in the Riparian Area

PubMed Central

Rawluk, Ashley A.; Crow, Gary; Legesse, Getahun; Veira, Douglas M.; Bullock, Paul R.; González, Luciano A.; Dubois, Melanie; Ominski, Kim H.

2014-01-01

Simple Summary The implementation of off-stream waterers (OSW) may reduce the amount of time cattle spend in riparian areas, thus minimizing impacts such as removal of vegetation, soil compaction, and deterioration in water quality. Furthermore, when used with natural barriers as a partial exclusion method, these management strategies may offer a cost-effective alternative to completely excluding cattle via streambank fencing. This study was conducted to determine the impact of OSW and barriers on animal performance and watering behavior. The presence of OSW had no significant effect on cow and calf weights averaged over the grazing season. Although the results were not consistent over the periods and locations, the data provided some indication of the efficacy of the natural barriers on deterring cattle from the riparian area. Cattle watered at the OSW when available, but they did not use the OSW exclusively. The observed inconsistency may, in part, be attributed to the environmental conditions present during this field trial. Abstract A study was conducted in 2009 at two locations in Manitoba (Killarney and Souris), Canada to determine the impact of off-stream waterers (OSW) with or without natural barriers on (i) amount of time cattle spent in the 10 m buffer created within the riparian area, referred to as the riparian polygon (RP), (ii) watering location (OSW or stream), and (iii) animal performance measured as weight gain. This study was divided into three 28-day periods over the grazing season. At each location, the pasture—which ranged from 21.0 ha to 39.2 ha in size—was divided into three treatments: no OSW nor barriers (1CONT), OSW with barriers along the stream bank to deter cattle from watering at the stream (2BARR), and OSW without barriers (3NOBARR). Cattle in 2BARR spent less time in the RP in Periods 1 (p = 0.0002), 2 (p = 0.1116), and 3 (p < 0.0001) at the Killarney site compared to cattle in 3NOBARR at the same site. Cattle in 2BARR at the Souris site spent more time in the RP in Period 1 (p < 0.0001) and less time in Period 2 (p = 0.0002) compared to cattle in 3NOBARR. Cattle did use the OSW, but not exclusively, as watering at the stream was still observed. The observed inconsistency in the effectiveness of the natural barriers on deterring cattle from the riparian area between periods and locations may be partly attributable to the environmental conditions present during this field trial as well as difference in pasture size and the ability of the established barriers to deter cattle from using the stream as a water source. Treatment had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on cow and calf weights averaged over the summer period. These results indicate that the presence of an OSW does not create significant differences in animal performance when used in extensive pasture scenarios such as those studied within the present study. Whereas the barriers did not consistently discourage watering at the stream, the results provide some indication of the efficacy of the OSW as well as the natural barriers on deterring cattle from the riparian area. PMID:26479006

Riparian ecotone: A functional definition and delineation for resource assessment

Treesearch

E. S Verry; C. A Dolloff; M. E. Manning

2004-01-01

We propose a geomorphic basis for defining riparian areas using the term: riparian ecotone, discuss how past definitions fall short, and illustrate how a linked sequence of definition, delineation, and riparian sampling are used to accurately assess riparian resources on the ground. Our riparian ecotone is based on the width of the valley (its floodprone area width)...

Influence of local riparian cover and watershed runoff potential on invertebrate communities in agricultural streams in the Minnesota River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

ZumBerge, Jeremy Ryan; Perry, James A.; Lee, Kathy E.

2003-01-01

While it is difficult to determine the relative influence of watershed runoff potential and local riparian cover, invertebrate communities may be more strongly influenced by local wooded riparian cover than by watershed runoff potential. Invertebrate community measures indicate greater degradation at the open riparian cover, high runoff potential sites and less degradation at the wooded riparian cover, low runoff potential sites. In addition, differences between streams with wooded riparian cover and sites with open riparian cover were greater in watersheds with high runoff potential. The variance explained by riparian cover and runoff potential is relatively independent of other land-use effects. Wooded riparian cover influences invertebrate community composition by its relation to the other physical environmental variables. This study indicates that wooded riparian cover may be effective in maintaining stream biotic integrity in watersheds dominated by agricultural land use.

Using a remote sensing/GIS model to predict southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding habitat along the Rio Grande, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatten, James R.; Sogge, Mark K.

2007-01-01

Introduction The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; hereafter SWFL) is a federally endangered bird (USFWS 1995) that breeds in riparian areas in portions of New Mexico, Arizona, southwestern Colorado, extreme southern Utah and Nevada, and southern California (USFWS 2002). Across this range, it uses a variety of plant species as nesting/breeding habitat, but in all cases prefers sites with dense vegetation, high canopy, and proximity to surface water or saturated soils (Sogge and Marshall 2000). As of 2005, the known rangewide breeding population of SWFLs was roughly 1,214 territories, with approximately 393 territories distributed among 36 sites in New Mexico (Durst et al. 2006), primarily along the Rio Grande. One of the key challenges facing the management and conservation of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher is that riparian areas are dynamic, with individual habitat patches subject to cycles of creation, growth, and loss due to drought, flooding, fire, and other disturbances. Former breeding patches can lose suitability, and new habitat can develop within a matter of only a few years, especially in reservoir drawdown zones. Therefore, measuring and predicting flycatcher habitat - either to discover areas that might support SWFLs, or to identify areas that may develop into appropriate habitat - requires knowledge of recent/current habitat conditions and an understanding of the factors that determine flycatcher use of riparian breeding sites. In the past, much of the determination of whether a riparian site is likely to support breeding flycatchers has been based on qualitative criteria (for example, 'dense vegetation' or 'large patches'). These determinations often require on-the-ground field evaluations by local or regional SWFL experts. While this has proven valuable in locating many of the currently known breeding sites, it is difficult or impossible to apply this approach effectively over large geographic areas (for example, the middle Rio Grande). The SWFL Recovery Plan (USFWS 2002) recognizes the importance of developing new approaches to habitat identification, and recommends the development of drainage-scale, quantitative habitat models. In particular, the plan suggests using models based on remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology that can capture the relatively dynamic habitat changes that occur in southwestern riparian systems. In 1999, Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) developed a GIS-based model (Hatten and Paradzick 2003) to identify SWFL breeding habitat from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery and 30-m resolution digital elevation models (DEMs). The model was developed with presence/absence survey data acquired along the San Pedro and Gila rivers, and from the Salt River and Tonto Creek inlets to Roosevelt Lake in southern Arizona (collectively called the project area). The GIS-based model used a logistic regression equation to divide riparian vegetation into 5 probability classes based upon characteristics of riparian vegetation and floodplain size. This model was tested by predicting SWFL breeding habitat at Alamo Lake, Arizona, located 200 km from the project area (Hatten and Paradzick 2003). The GIS-based model performed as expected by identifying riparian areas with the highest SWFL nest densities, located in the higher probability classes. In 2002, AGFD applied the GIS-based model throughout Arizona, for riparian areas below 1,524 m (5,000 ft) elevation and within 1.6 km of perennial or intermittent waters (Dockens et al. 2004). Overall model accuracy (using probability classes 1-5, with class 5 having the greatest probability of nesting activity) for predicting the location of 2001 nest sites was 96.5 percent; accuracy decreased when fewer probability classes were defined as suitable. Map accuracy, determined from errors of commission, increased in higher probability classes in a fashion similar to errors of omission. Map accuracy, li

Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment Final Report 2006.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

May, Christopher W.; McGrath, Kathleen E.; Geist, David R.

2008-02-04

The Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment was funded to address degradation and loss of spawning habitat for chum salmon (Onchorhynchus keta) and fall Chinook salmon (Onchoryhnchus tshawytscha). In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed lower Columbia River chum salmon as a threatened Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Grays River watershed is one of two remaining significant chum salmon spawning locations in this ESU. Runs of Grays River chum and Chinook salmon have declined significantly during the past century, largely because of damage to spawning habitat associated with timber harvest andmore » agriculture in the watershed. In addition, approximately 20-25% of the then-remaining chum salmon spawning habitat was lost during a 1999 channel avulsion that destroyed an important artificial spawning channel operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Although the lack of stable, high-quality spawning habitat is considered the primary physical limitation on Grays River chum salmon production today, few data are available to guide watershed management and channel restoration activities. The objectives of the Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment project were to (1) perform a comprehensive watershed and biological analysis, including hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological assessments; (2) develop a prioritized list of actions that protect and restore critical chum and Chinook salmon spawning habitat in the Grays River based on comprehensive geomorphic, hydrologic, and stream channel assessments; and (3) gain a better understanding of chum and Chinook salmon habitat requirements and survival within the lower Columbia River and the Grays River. The watershed-based approach to river ecosystem restoration relies on a conceptual framework that describes general relationships between natural landscape characteristics, watershed-scale habitat-forming processes, aquatic habitat conditions, and biological integrity. In addition, human land-use impacts are factored into the conceptual model because they can alter habitat quality and can disrupt natural habitat-forming processes. In this model (Figure S.1), aquatic habitat--both instream and riparian--is viewed as the link between watershed conditions and biologic responses. Based on this conceptual model, assessment of habitat loss and the resultant declines in salmonid populations can be conducted by relating current and historical (e.g., natural) habitat conditions to salmonid utilization, diversity, and abundance. In addition, assessing disrupted ecosystem functions and processes within the watershed can aid in identifying the causes of habitat change and the associated decline in biological integrity. In this same way, restoration, enhancement, and conservation projects can be identified and prioritized. A watershed assessment is primarily a landscape-scale evaluation of current watershed conditions and the associated hydrogeomorphic riverine processes. The watershed assessment conducted for this project focused on watershed processes that form and maintain salmonid habitat. Landscape metrics describing the level of human alteration of natural ecosystem attributes were used as indicators of water quality, hydrology, channel geomorphology, instream habitat, and biotic integrity. Ecological (watershed) processes are related to and can be predicted based on specific aspects of spatial pattern. This study evaluated the hydrologic regime, sediment delivery regime, and riparian condition of the sub-watersheds that comprise the upper Grays River watershed relative to their natural range of conditions. Analyses relied primarily on available geographic information system (GIS) data describing landscape characteristics such as climate, vegetation type and maturity, geology and soils, topography, land use, and road density. In addition to watershed-scale landscape characteristics, the study area was also evaluated on the riparian scale, with appropriate landscape variables analyzed within riparian buffers around each stream or river channel. Included in the overall watershed assessment are field habitat surveys and analyses of the physical and hydrological characteristics of primary chum and fall Chinook salmon spawning areas and spawning habitat availability and use. This assessment is a significant step in a comprehensive program to ensure the survival and recovery of Columbia River chum salmon in its most productive system and builds on existing recovery planning efforts for these ESA-listed salmonids within the Grays River and the lower Columbia River. This assessment also provides a basis for the recovery of other fish species in the Grays River, including coho salmon, winter steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey.« less

Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment, 2006 Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

May, Christopher; Geist, David

2007-04-01

The Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment was funded to address degradation and loss of spawning habitat for chum salmon (Onchorhynchus keta) and fall Chinook salmon (Onchoryhnchus tshawytscha). In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed lower Columbia River chum salmon as a threatened Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Grays River watershed is one of two remaining significant chum salmon spawning locations in this ESU. Runs of Grays River chum and Chinook salmon have declined significantly during the past century, largely because of damage to spawning habitat associated with timber harvest andmore » agriculture in the watershed. In addition, approximately 20-25% of the then-remaining chum salmon spawning habitat was lost during a 1999 channel avulsion that destroyed an important artificial spawning channel operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Although the lack of stable, high-quality spawning habitat is considered the primary physical limitation on Grays River chum salmon production today, few data are available to guide watershed management and channel restoration activities. The objectives of the Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment project were to (1) perform a comprehensive watershed and biological analysis, including hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological assessments; (2) develop a prioritized list of actions that protect and restore critical chum and Chinook salmon spawning habitat in the Grays River based on comprehensive geomorphic, hydrologic, and stream channel assessments; and (3) gain a better understanding of chum and Chinook salmon habitat requirements and survival within the lower Columbia River and the Grays River. The watershed-based approach to river ecosystem restoration relies on a conceptual framework that describes general relationships between natural landscape characteristics, watershed-scale habitat-forming processes, aquatic habitat conditions, and biological integrity. In addition, human land-use impacts are factored into the conceptual model because they can alter habitat quality and can disrupt natural habitat forming processes. In this model (Figure S.1), aquatic habitat--both instream and riparian--is viewed as the link between watershed conditions and biologic responses. Based on this conceptual model, assessment of habitat loss and the resultant declines in salmonid populations can be conducted by relating current and historical (e.g., natural) habitat conditions to salmonid utilization, diversity, and abundance. In addition, assessing disrupted ecosystem functions and processes within the watershed can aid in identifying the causes of habitat change and the associated decline in biological integrity. In this same way, restoration, enhancement, and conservation projects can be identified and prioritized. A watershed assessment is primarily a landscape-scale evaluation of current watershed conditions and the associated hydrogeomorphic riverine processes. The watershed assessment conducted for this project focused on watershed processes that form and maintain salmonid habitat. Landscape metrics describing the level of human alteration of natural ecosystem attributes were used as indicators of water quality, hydrology, channel geomorphology, instream habitat, and biotic integrity. Ecological (watershed) processes are related to and can be predicted based on specific aspects of spatial pattern. This study evaluated the hydrologic regime, sediment delivery regime, and riparian condition of the sub-watersheds that comprise the upper Grays River watershed relative to their natural range of conditions. Analyses relied primarily on available geographic information system (GIS) data describing landscape characteristics such as climate, vegetation type and maturity, geology and soils, topography, land use, and road density. In addition to watershed-scale landscape characteristics, the study area was also evaluated on the riparian scale, with appropriate landscape variables analyzed within riparian buffers around each stream or river channel. Included in the overall watershed assessment are field habitat surveys and analyses of the physical and hydrological characteristics of primary chum and fall Chinook salmon spawning areas and spawning habitat availability and use. This assessment is a significant step in a comprehensive program to ensure the survival and recovery of Columbia River chum salmon in its most productive system and builds on existing recovery planning efforts for these ESA-listed salmonids within the Grays River and the lower Columbia River. This assessment also provides a basis for the recovery of other fish species in the Grays River, including coho salmon, winter steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey.« less

Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch

2008-01-01

The Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest presents the many facets of riparian research at the station. Included are articles about protecting the riparian habitat, the social and economic values of riparian environments, watershed restoration, remote sensing tools, and getting kids interested in the science.

Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project, Annual Report 2002-2003.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGowan, Vance

On July 1, 1984 the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife entered into an agreement to initiate fish habitat enhancement work in the Joseph Creek subbasin of the Grande Ronde River Basin in northeast Oregon. In July of 1985 the Upper and Middle Grande Ronde River, and Catherine Creek subbasins were included in the intergovernmental contract, and on March 1, 1996 the Wallowa River subbasin was added. The primary goal of 'The Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project' is to create, protect, and restore riparian and instream habitat for anadromous salmonids, thereby maximizing opportunitiesmore » for natural fish production within the basin. This project provided for implementation of Program Measure 703 (C)(1), Action Item 4.2 of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC, 1987), and continues to be implemented as offsite mitigation for mainstem fishery losses caused by the Columbia River hydro-electric system. All work conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is on private lands and therefore requires that considerable time be spent developing rapport with landowners to gain acceptance of, and continued cooperation with this program throughout 10-15 year lease periods. This project calls for passive regeneration of habitat, using riparian exclosure fencing as the primary method to restore degraded streams to a normative condition. Active remediation techniques using plantings, off-site water developments, site-specific instream structures, or whole channel alterations are also utilized where applicable. Individual projects contribute to and complement ecosystem and basin-wide watershed restoration efforts that are underway by state, federal, and tribal agencies, and local watershed councils. Work undertaken during 2002 included: (1) Implementing 1 new fencing project in the Wallowa subbasin that will protect an additional 0.95 miles of stream and 22.9 acres of habitat; (2) Conducting instream work activities in 3 streams to enhance habitat and/or restore natural channel dimensions, patterns or profiles; (3) Planting 31,733 plants along 3.7 stream miles, (4) Establishing 71 new photopoints and retaking 254 existing photopoint pictures; (5) Monitoring stream temperatures at 12 locations on 6 streams; (6) Completing riparian fence, water gap and other maintenance on 100.5 miles of project fences. Since initiation of the project in 1984 over 68.7 miles of anadromous fish bearing streams and 1,933 acres of habitat have been protected, enhanced and maintained.« less

[Research progress on the degradation mechanisms and restoration of riparian ecosystem].

PubMed

Huang, Kai; Guo, Huai-cheng; Liu, Yong; Yu, Ya-juan; Zhou, Feng

2007-06-01

Restoration and reconstruction of degraded riparian ecosystem caused by natural and anthropogenic disturbances is one of the important issues in restoration ecology and watershed ecology. The disturbances on riparian ecosystem include flow regime alteration, direct modification and watershed disturbance, which have different affecting mechanisms. Flow regime alteration affects riparian ecosystem by changing riparian soil humidity, oxidation-reduction potential, biotaliving environment, and sediment transfer; direct modification affects riparian vegetation diversity through human activities and exotic plants invasion; and watershed disturbance mainly manifests in the channel degradation, aggradation or widening, the lowering of groundwater table, and the modification in fluvial process. The assessment objects of riparian restoration are riparian ecosystem components, and the assessment indicators are shifted from ecological to synthetic indices. Riparian restoration should be based on the detailed understanding of the biological and physical processes which affect riparian ecosystem, and implemented by vegetation restoration and hydrological adjustment at watershed or landscape scale. To extend the research scales and objects and to apply interdisciplinary approaches should be the key points in the further studies on the degradation mechanisms and restoration of riparian ecosystem.

Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon Creek Watershed, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rasmussen, Lynn

2006-07-01

The ''Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in the Big Canyon Creek Watershed'' is a multi-phase project to enhance steelhead trout in the Big Canyon Creek watershed by improving salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Habitat is limited by extreme high runoff events, low summer flows, high water temperatures, poor instream cover, spawning gravel siltation, and sediment, nutrient and bacteria loading. Funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program, the project assists in mitigating damage to steelhead runs caused by the Columbia River hydroelectric dams. The project is sponsored by the Nezmore » Perce Soil and Water Conservation District. Target fish species include steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Steelhead trout within the Snake River Basin were listed in 1997 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Accomplishments for the contract period September 1, 2004 through October 31, 2005 include; 2.7 riparian miles treated, 3.0 wetland acres treated, 5,263.3 upland acres treated, 106.5 riparian acres treated, 76,285 general public reached, 3,000 students reached, 40 teachers reached, 18 maintenance plans completed, temperature data collected at 6 sites, 8 landowner applications received and processed, 14 land inventories completed, 58 habitat improvement project designs completed, 5 newsletters published, 6 habitat plans completed, 34 projects installed, 2 educational workshops, 6 displays, 1 television segment, 2 public service announcements, a noxious weed GIS coverage, and completion of NEPA, ESA, and cultural resources requirements.« less

Riparian plant composition along hydrologic gradients in a dryland river basin and implications for a warming climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Lindsay; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2017-01-01

Droughts in dryland regions on all continents are expected to increase in severity and duration under future climate projections. In dryland regions, it is likely that minimum streamflow will decrease with some perennial streams shifting to intermittent flow under climate-driven changes in precipitation and runoff and increases in temperature. Decreasing base flow and shifting flow regimes from perennial to intermittent could have significant implications for stream-dependent biota, including riparian vegetation. In this study, we asked, how do riparian plant communities vary along wet-to-dry hydrologic gradients on small (first–third order) streams? We collected data on geomorphic, hydrologic, and plant community characteristics on 54 stream sites ranging in hydrology from intermittent to perennial flow across the Upper Colorado River Basin (284,898 km2). We found that plant communities varied along hydrologic gradients from high to low elevation between streams, and perennial to intermittent flow. We identified indicator species associated with different hydrologic conditions and suggest how plant communities may shift under warmer, drier conditions. Our results indicate that species richness and cover of total, perennial, wetland, and native plant groups will decrease while annual plants will increase under drying conditions. Understanding how plant communities respond to regional drivers such as hydroclimate requires broad-scale approaches such as sampling across whole river basins. With increasingly arid conditions in many regions of the globe, understanding plant community shifts is key to understanding the future of riparian ecosystems.

Pollution Swapping in Agricultural Systems: deciding between mitigation measures with conflicting outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinton, John; Stevens, Carly

2010-05-01

Pollution swapping occurs when a mitigation option introduced to reduce one pollutant results in an increase in a different pollutant. Although the concept of pollution swapping is widely understood it has received little attention in research and policy design. This study investigated diffuse pollution mitigation options applied in combinable crop systems. They are: cover crops, residue management, no-tillage, riparian buffer zones, contour grass strips and constructed wetlands. A wide range of water and atmospheric pollutants were considered, including nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and sulphur. It is clear from this investigation that there is no single mitigation option that will reduce all pollutants and in this poster we consider how choices may be made between mitigation measures which may have a positive effect on one pollutant but a negative effect on another.

EnviroAtlas - Fresno, CA - Riparian Buffer Land Cover by Block Group

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset describes the percentage of different land cover types within 15- and 50-meters of hydrologically connected streams, rivers, and other water bodies within the Atlas Area. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Scaling Effects of Riparian Peatlands on Stable Isotopes in Runoff and DOC Mobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tetzlaff, D.; Tunaley, C.; Soulsby, C.

2016-12-01

We combined 13 months of daily isotope measurements in stream water with daily DOC and 15 minute FDOM (fluorescent component of dissolved organic matter) data at three nested scales to identify how riparian peatlands generate runoff and influence DOC dynamics in streams. We investigated how runoff generation processes in a small, riparian peatland dominated headwater catchment (0.65 km2) propagate to larger scales (3.2 km2 and 31 km2) with decreasing percentage of riparian peatland coverage. Isotope damping was most pronounced in the 0.65 km2 headwater catchment due to high water storage in the organic soils which encourage tracer mixing. At the largest scale, stream flow and water isotope dynamics showed a more flashy response. The isotopic difference between the sites was most pronounced in the summer months when stream water signatures were enriched. During the winter months, the inter-site difference reduced. The isotopes also revealed evaporative fractionation in the peatland dominated catchment, in particular during summer low flows, which implied high hydrological connectivity in form of constant seepage from the peatlands sustaining high baseflows at the headwater scale. This connectivity resulted in high DOC concentrations at the peatland site during baseflow ( 5 mg l-1). In contrast, at the larger scales, DOC was minimal during low flows ( 2 mg l-1) due to increased groundwater influence and the disconnection between DOC sources and the stream. High frequency data also revealed diel variability during low flows. Insights into event dynamics through the analysis of hysteresis loops showed slight dilution on the rising limb, the strong influence of dry antecedent conditions and a quick recovery between events at the riparian peatland site. Again, these dynamics are driven by the tight coupling and high connectivity of the landscape to the stream. At larger scales, the disconnection between the landscape units increase and the variable connectivity controls runoff generation and DOC dynamics. The results presented here suggest that the processes occurring in riparian peatlands in headwater catchments are less evident at larger scales which may have implications for the larger scale impact of peatland restoration projects.

Scaling effects of riparian peatlands on stable isotopes in runoff and DOC mobilisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tunaley, C.; Tetzlaff, D.; Soulsby, C.

2017-06-01

We combined 13 months of daily isotope measurements in stream water with daily DOC and 15 min FDOM (fluorescent component of dissolved organic matter) data at three nested scales to identify how riparian peatlands generate runoff and influence DOC dynamics in streams. We investigated how runoff generation processes in a small, riparian peatland-dominated headwater catchment (0.65 km2) propagate to larger scales (3.2 km2 and 31 km2) with decreasing percentage of riparian peatland coverage. Isotope damping was most pronounced in the 0.65 km2 headwater catchment due to high water storage in the organic soils encouraging tracer mixing. At the largest scale, stream flow and water isotope dynamics showed a more flashy response. The isotopic difference between the sites was most pronounced in the summer months when stream water signatures were enriched. During the winter months, the inter-site difference reduced. The isotopes also revealed evaporative fractionation in the peatland dominated catchment, in particular during summer low flows, which implied high hydrological connectivity in the form of constant seepage from the peatlands sustaining high baseflows at the headwater scale. This connectivity resulted in high DOC concentrations at the peatland site during baseflow (∼5 mg l-1). In contrast, at the larger scales, DOC was minimal during low flows (∼2 mg l-1) due to increased groundwater influence and the disconnection between DOC sources and the stream. High frequency data also revealed diel variability during low flows. Insights into event dynamics through the analysis of hysteresis loops showed slight dilution on the rising limb, the strong influence of dry antecedent conditions and a quick recovery between events at the riparian peatland site. Again, these dynamics are driven by the tight coupling and high connectivity of the landscape to the stream. At larger scales, the disconnection between the landscape units increases and the variable connectivity controls runoff generation and DOC dynamics. The results presented here suggest that the processes occurring in riparian peatlands in headwater catchments are less evident at larger scales which may have implications for the larger scale impact of peatland restoration projects.

Vegetation development following stream/river restoration: more natural fluvial dynamics and morphology, return of aquatic and riparian plant species?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soons, M. B.

2012-04-01

After centuries of human interventions in stream/river dynamics and morphology aimed at optimizing landscapes for agricultural and industrial purposes, new insights have inspired water managers to try and combine stream and river ecosystem functions with the conservation of biodiversity. Around the world, aquatic and riparian species have declined strongly due to pollution, destruction and fragmentation of their habitat, so that biodiversity conservation initiatives primarily focus on habitat restoration. In the past decades many stream and river restoration projects have been carried out and often hydrological dynamics and morphology have been restored to a more natural state. However, the successful restoration of aquatic and riparian habitats very often failed to result in restoration of their biodiversity. This lack of success from a biodiversity conservation perspective is usually attributed to 'dispersal limitation', meaning that the habitat may be restored, but species fail to reach the site and re-colonize it. Especially re-colonization by aquatic and riparian plant species is important, as such species function as ecosystem engineers: their presence alters fluvial dynamics and morphology, generates additional habitat heterogeneity and provides habitat and food for animal species. Following minor disturbances, re-colonization is often possible through locally remaining populations, by seeds in the seed bank or by surviving plant fragments. However, following major disturbances, colonization and establishment from other source populations are necessary. This usually occurs through dispersal of seeds (and in more aquatic species also by dispersal of vegetative fragments) into the restored wetland area. As dispersal occurs predominantly over short distances and source populations of aquatic and riparian species may be lacking in the surroundings, dispersal may be a limiting factor in the development of aquatic and riparian vegetation at a restored site. But, even if seeds have successfully dispersed into an area, local germination and establishment may also be limiting for the development of local biodiversity and/or for restoration success. However, we know surprisingly little about the crucial process of colonization. This presentation focusses on colonization by aquatic and riparian plant species. I combine the results of several studies investigating dispersal, germination and establishment. A study on restored riparian zones along mountain streams shows that several years after restoration, the species composition at the restored sites shows signs of dispersal limitation: species with nearby source populations re-colonized successfully, but species without source populations in the immediate surroundings often remained absent. A detailed study on the re-colonization of a restored riparian zone along a lowland stream reveals that many species enter the site as seeds, but relatively few of these seeds are able to germinate and establish successfully, indicating that both a strong dispersal filter and a strong environmental filter control local vegetation development and hence stream dynamics and morphological developments. While the intensity of the disturbance of local conditions has a great impact on the role of the environmental filter, dispersal clearly remains a limiting factor in many situations.

Flood effects on an Alaskan stream restoration project: the value of long-term monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Roseann V.; Karle, Kenneth F.

2009-01-01

On a nationwide basis, few stream restoration projects have long-term programs in place to monitor the effects of floods on channel and floodplain configuration and floodplain vegetation, but long-term and event-based monitoring is required to measure the effects of these stochastic events and to use the knowledge for adaptive management and the design of future projects. This paper describes a long-term monitoring effort (15 years) on a stream restoration project in Glen Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The stream channel and floodplain of Glen Creek had been severely degraded over a period of 80 years by placer mining for gold, which left many reaches with unstable and incised streambeds without functioning vegetated floodplains. The objectives of the original project, initiated in 1991, were to develop and test methods for the hydraulic design of channel and floodplain morphology and for floodplain stabilization and riparian habitat recovery, and to conduct research and monitoring to provide information for future projects in similar degraded watersheds. Monitoring methods included surveyed stream cross-sections, vegetation plots, and aerial, ground, and satellite photos. In this paper we address the immediate and outlying effects of a 25-year flood on the stream and floodplain geometry and riparian vegetation. The long-term monitoring revealed that significant channel widening occurred following the flood, likely caused by excessive upstream sediment loading and the fairly slow development of floodplain vegetation in this climate. Our results illustrated design flaws, particularly in regard to identification and analysis of sediment sources and the dominant processes of channel adjustment.

Shifts in leaf litter breakdown along a forest-pasture-urban gradient in Andean streams.

PubMed

Iñiguez-Armijos, Carlos; Rausche, Sirkka; Cueva, Augusta; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Aminael; Espinosa, Carlos; Breuer, Lutz

2016-07-01

Tropical montane ecosystems of the Andes are critically threatened by a rapid land-use change which can potentially affect stream variables, aquatic communities, and ecosystem processes such as leaf litter breakdown. However, these effects have not been sufficiently investigated in the Andean region and at high altitude locations in general. Here, we studied the influence of land use (forest-pasture-urban) on stream physico-chemical variables (e.g., water temperature, nutrient concentration, and pH), aquatic communities (macroinvertebrates and aquatic fungi) and leaf litter breakdown rates in Andean streams (southern Ecuador), and how variation in those stream physico-chemical variables affect macroinvertebrates and fungi related to leaf litter breakdown. We found that pH, water temperature, and nutrient concentration increased along the land-use gradient. Macroinvertebrate communities were significantly different between land uses. Shredder richness and abundance were lower in pasture than forest sites and totally absent in urban sites, and fungal richness and biomass were higher in forest sites than in pasture and urban sites. Leaf litter breakdown rates became slower as riparian land use changed from natural to anthropogenically disturbed conditions and were largely determined by pH, water temperature, phosphate concentration, fungal activity, and single species of leaf-shredding invertebrates. Our findings provide evidence that leaf litter breakdown in Andean streams is sensitive to riparian land-use change, with urban streams being the most affected. In addition, this study highlights the role of fungal biomass and shredder species (Phylloicus; Trichoptera and Anchytarsus; Coleoptera) on leaf litter breakdown in Andean streams and the contribution of aquatic fungi in supporting this ecosystem process when shredders are absent or present low abundance in streams affected by urbanization. Finally, we summarize important implications in terms of managing of native vegetation and riparian buffers to promote ecological integrity and functioning of tropical Andean stream ecosystems.

Hydrological landscape analysis based on digital elevation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seibert, J.; McGlynn, B.; Grabs, T.; Jensco, K.

2008-12-01

Topography is a major factor controlling both hydrological and soil processes at the landscape scale. While this is well-accepted qualitatively, quantifying relationships between topography and spatial variations of hydrologically relevant variables at the landscape scale still remains a challenging research topic. In this presentation, we describe hydrological landscape analysis HLA) as a way to derive relevant topographic indicies to describe the spatial variations of hydrological variables at the landscape scale. We demonstrate our HLA approach with four high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from Sweden, Switzerland and Montana (USA). To investigate scale effects HLA metrics, we compared DEMs of different resolutions. These LiDAR-derived DEMs of 3m, 10m, and 30m, resolution represent catchments of ~ 5 km2 ranging from low to high relief. A central feature of HLA is the flowpath-based analysis of topography and the separation of hillslopes, riparian areas, and the stream network. We included the following metrics: riparian area delineation, riparian buffer potential, separation of stream inflows into right and left bank components, travel time proxies based on flowpath distances and gradients to the channel, and as a hydrologic similarity to the hypsometric curve we suggest the distribution of elevations above the stream network (computed based on the location where a certain flow pathway enters the stream). Several of these indices depended clearly on DEM resolution, whereas this effect was minor for others. While the hypsometric curves all were S-shaped the 'hillslope-hypsometric curves' had the shape of a power function with exponents less than 1. In a similar way we separated flow pathway lengths and gradients between hillslopes and streams and compared a topographic travel time proxy, which was based on the integration of gradients along the flow pathways. Besides the comparison of HLA-metrics for different catchments and DEM resolutions we present examples from experimental catchments to illustrate how these metrics can be used to describe catchment scale hydrological processes and provide context for plot scale observations.

Impact of perceived importance of ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on willingness to pay for riparian meadow restoration in Flanders (Belgium).

PubMed

Chen, Wendy Y; Aertsens, Joris; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven; De Nocker, Leo

2014-08-01

The strategic importance of ecosystem service valuation as an operational basis for policy decisions on natural restoration has been increasingly recognized in order to align the provision of ecosystem services with the expectation of human society. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is widely used to quantify various ecosystem services. However, two areas of concern arise: (1) whether people value specific functional ecosystem services and overlook some intrinsic aspects of natural restoration, and (2) whether people understand the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules given in the contingent scenarios. Using a peri-urban riparian meadow restoration project in Flanders, Belgium as a case, we explored the impacts of residents' perceived importance of various ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on their willingness-to-pay for the proposed restoration project employing the CVM. The results indicated that people tended to value all the benefits of riparian ecosystem restoration concurrently, although they accorded different importances to each individual category of ecosystem services. A longer payment scheme can help the respondents to think more about the flow of ecosystem services into future generations. A weak temporal embedding effect can be detected, which might be attributed to respondents' concern about current financial constraints, rather than financial bindings associated with their income and perceived future financial constraints. This demonstrates the multidimensionality of respondents' financial concerns in CV. This study sheds light on refining future CV studies, especially with regard to public expectation of ecosystem services and the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules.

Impact of Perceived Importance of Ecosystem Services and Stated Financial Constraints on Willingness to Pay for Riparian Meadow Restoration in Flanders (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wendy Y.; Aertsens, Joris; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven; De Nocker, Leo

2014-08-01

The strategic importance of ecosystem service valuation as an operational basis for policy decisions on natural restoration has been increasingly recognized in order to align the provision of ecosystem services with the expectation of human society. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is widely used to quantify various ecosystem services. However, two areas of concern arise: (1) whether people value specific functional ecosystem services and overlook some intrinsic aspects of natural restoration, and (2) whether people understand the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules given in the contingent scenarios. Using a peri-urban riparian meadow restoration project in Flanders, Belgium as a case, we explored the impacts of residents' perceived importance of various ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on their willingness-to-pay for the proposed restoration project employing the CVM. The results indicated that people tended to value all the benefits of riparian ecosystem restoration concurrently, although they accorded different importances to each individual category of ecosystem services. A longer payment scheme can help the respondents to think more about the flow of ecosystem services into future generations. A weak temporal embedding effect can be detected, which might be attributed to respondents' concern about current financial constraints, rather than financial bindings associated with their income and perceived future financial constraints. This demonstrates the multidimensionality of respondents' financial concerns in CV. This study sheds light on refining future CV studies, especially with regard to public expectation of ecosystem services and the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules.

Simulating the consequences of land management.

Treesearch

Jonathan. Thompson

2007-01-01

How do you project the effects of management decisions made today on future conditions of riparian forests, stream habitat, and fish abundance in the streams and rivers of the interior Columbia Basin? Researchers at PNW Research Station have developed some novel analytical tools to help answer this question. Their work is part of the Interior Northwest Landscape...

Collecting dormant hardwood cuttings for western riparian restoration projects

Treesearch

Tara Luna; R. Kasten Dumroese; Thomas D. Landis

2006-01-01

Dormant hardwood cuttings are sections of woody stems that can develop into new plants complete with stems, leaves, and roots. Cuttings differ from seedlings because all new daughter plants that arise from cuttings are genetically identical to the parent plant. Cuttings can be long or short, depending on how they are used.

Project database file

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Collections of publically available secondary data used to develop the conclusions described in the journal article.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Faulkner , B., S. Leibowitz , T. Canfield , and J. Groves. Quantifying groundwater dependency of riparian surface hydrologic features using the exit gradient. Hydrological Processes. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, USA, 1-11, (2015).

Mud Mountain Wildlife Inventory and Habitat Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK Intern Program AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS Western Interstate Commission for...RIPARIAN ZONE CHARACTERISTICS .... .......... .26 5 SNAG SUCCESSION CHARACTERISTICS .. .. . .... ... 29 6 THREE SISTERS- GRASS MOUNTAIN AREA ...recommendations appropriate with regard to their wildlife potential. Throughout the report, essential habitat areas have been noted. Management guidelines

Riparian vegetation as an indicator of riparian condition: Detecting departures from historic condition across the North American West.

PubMed

Macfarlane, William W; Gilbert, Jordan T; Jensen, Martha L; Gilbert, Joshua D; Hough-Snee, Nate; McHugh, Peter A; Wheaton, Joseph M; Bennett, Stephen N

2017-11-01

Floodplain riparian ecosystems support unique vegetation communities and high biodiversity relative to terrestrial landscapes. Accordingly, estimating riparian ecosystem health across landscapes is critical for sustainable river management. However, methods that identify local riparian vegetation condition, an effective proxy for riparian health, have not been applied across broad, regional extents. Here we present an index to assess reach-scale (500 m segment) riparian vegetation condition across entire drainage networks within large, physiographically-diverse regions. We estimated riparian vegetation condition for 53,250 km of perennial streams and rivers, 25,685 km in Utah, and 27,565 km in twelve watersheds of the interior Columbia River Basin (CRB), USA. We used nationally available, existing land cover classification derived from 30 m Landsat imagery (LANDFIRE EVT) and a modeled estimate of pre-European settlement land cover (LANDFIRE BpS). The index characterizes riparian vegetation condition as the ratio of existing native riparian vegetation cover to pre-European settlement riparian vegetation cover at a given reach. Roughly 62% of Utah and 48% of CRB watersheds showed significant (>33%) to large (>66%) departure from historic condition. Riparian vegetation change was predominantly caused by human land-use impacts (development and agriculture), or vegetation change (native riparian to invasive or upland vegetation types) that likely resulted from flow and disturbance regime alteration. Through comparisons to ground-based classification results, we estimate the existing vegetation component of the index to be 85% accurate. Our assessments yielded riparian condition maps that will help resource managers better prioritize sites and treatments for reach-scale conservation and restoration activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Riparian rehabilitation using vegetation patches: field and laboratory investigations linking hydrology, vegetation and geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, J. F.; Gorrick, S.

2010-12-01

We present results of a riparian revegetation project on an oversized sand stream in eastern Australia. The Widden Brook in New South Wales has undergone extensive widening due to extraordinary floods in the 1950’s and is currently showing some signs of recovery. These include emergence of pool-riffle structure and stabilization of stream width, which are the result of upstream sediment control, riparian revegetation and livestock exclusion. Revegetation of a mild bend was carried out in 2004 using native plants in an arrangement that consisted of three vegetation patches. The same arrangement was tested in a reduced scale model in the laboratory, where extensive measurements of flow, sediment and bed changes provided insight into the links between hydrology, vegetation and geomorphology. Laboratory tests also included runs without vegetation and with a continuous vegetation cover. In terms of bank stability, the patches provided as much protection as the continuous vegetation. Based on the experiments, a series of analytical relationships were developed to help guide the design of vegetation patches focusing on the geomorphic stability of the whole reach instead of concentrating only on the near bank effects.

Managing grazing of riparian areas in the Intermountain Region

Treesearch

Warren P. Clary; Bert F. Webster

1989-01-01

Concern about livestock grazing in riparian habitats and its effect upon riparian-dependent resources has resulted in numerous controversies about the appropriate management approach. This document provides guidance for grazing of riparian areas in a manner that should reduce both nonpoint source pollution and potential grazing impacts on other riparian-dependent...

Biomass and carbon pools of disturbed riparian forests

Treesearch

Laura A.B. Giese; W.M. Aust; Randall K. Kolka; Carl C. Trettin

2003-01-01

Quantification of carbon pools as affected by forest ageldevelopment can facilitate riparian restoration and increase awareness of the potential for forests to sequester global carbon. Riparian forest biomass and carbon pools were quantified for four riparian forests representing different sera1 stages in the South Carolina Upper Coastal Plain. Three of the riparian...

Biomass and carbon pools of disturbed riparian forests

Treesearch

Laura A. B. Giese; W. M. Aust; Randall K. Kolka; Carl C. Trettin

2003-01-01

Quantification of carbon pools as affected by forest age/development can facilitate riparian restoration and increase awareness of the potential for forests to sequester global carbon. Riparian forest biomass and carbon pools were quantified for four riparian forests representing different seral stages in the South Carolina Upper Coastal Plain. Three of the riparian...

Hydrology and Ecology of the Colorado River Delta in the Face of Changing Climate and Land Use Practices: the Next Fifty Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagler, P. L.; Glenn, E. P.

2007-12-01

The Lower Colorado River Delta in the U.S. and Mexico is an internationally important aquatic biome, supporting fresh water and estuarine wetlands and a riparian corridor rich in avian and other wildlife. These rich ecosystems could be severely harmed by invasive species interacting with projected climate change and land use practices over the next 50 years. It is critical to measure land cover and monitor ecosystem and land use changes because these ecosystems are supported by fresh and brackish water flows originating from flood control releases and agricultural return flows in the U.S. and Mexico. Most climate models project a drying trend in the Colorado River watershed due to global warming, decreasing the frequency of flood releases to the Delta. Total basin water storage in the reservoir system is expected to be reduced by 32-40 percent, and flow volume is expected to meet demands in only 59-75 percent of years in 50 years. The frequency of spills (years in which water is released from the reservoirs to the Delta) will decrease under a global warming scenario. However, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and ENSO events will continue to introduce variability into river flows, and there will still be years in which water is spilled to the Delta. Agricultural return flows will decrease as more water is diverted from agriculture to metropolitan use in both countries. The salinity of the ground water in Mexico, which currently supports cottonwood and willow trees in the riparian corridor, is increasing at a rate of about 20 ppm per year, and in 50 years it might be too saline for cottonwoods and willows. The riparian zone may become dominated by saltcedar and other salt-tolerant shrubs, degrading the habitat for birds and other wildlife. As flows to the Delta diminish, monitoring and active restoration projects to maintain trees and wetlands will be needed to preserve habitat value.

Using a Numerical Model to Assess the Geomorphic Impacts of Forest Management Scenarios on Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, S. L.; Eaton, B. C.

2014-12-01

In-stream large wood governs the morphology of many small to intermediate streams, while riparian vegetation influences bank strength and channel pattern. Forest management practices such as harvesting and fire suppression therefore dramatically influence channel processes and associated aquatic habitat. The primary objective of this research is to compare the impacts of three common forest scenarios - natural fire disturbance, forest harvesting with a riparian buffer, and fire suppression - on the volume of in-channel wood and the complexity of aquatic habitat in channels at a range of scales. Each scenario is explored through Monte Carlo simulations run over a period of 1000 years using a numerical reach scale channel simulator (RSCS), with variations in tree toppling rate and forest density used to represent each forest management trajectory. The habitat complexity associated with each scenario is assessed based on the area of the bed occupied by pools and spawning sized sediment, the availability of wood cover, and the probability of avulsion. Within the fire scenario, we also use the model to separately investigate the effects of root decay and recovery on equilibrium channel geometry by varying the rooting depth and associated bank strength through time. The results show that wood loading and habitat complexity are influenced by the timing and magnitude of wood recruitment, as well as channel scale. The forest harvesting scenario produces the lowest wood loads and habitat complexity so long as the buffer width is less than the average mature tree height. The natural fire cycle produces the greatest wood loading and habitat complexity, but also the greatest variability because these streams experience significant periods without wood recruitment as forests regenerate. In reaches that experience recurrent fires, width increases in the post-fire period as roots decay, at times producing a change in channel pattern when a threshold width to depth ratio is exceeded, and decreases as the forest regenerates. In all cases, the effects are greatest in small to intermediate sized streams where wood is the dominant driver of channel morphology, and become negligible in large streams governed by fluvial processes.

Malheur River Wildlife Mitigation Project, Annual Report 2003.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ashley, Paul

Hydropower development within the Columbia and Snake River Basins has significantly affected riparian, riverine, and adjacent upland habitats and the fish and wildlife species dependent upon them. Hydroelectric dams played a major role in the extinction or major loss of both anadromous and resident salmonid populations and altered instream and adjacent upland habitats, water quality, and riparian/riverine function. Hydroelectric facility construction and inundation directly affected fish and wildlife species and habitats. Secondary and tertiary impacts including road construction, urban development, irrigation, and conversion of native habitats to agriculture, due in part to the availability of irrigation water, continue to affectmore » wildlife and fish populations throughout the Columbia and Snake River Basins. Fluctuating water levels resulting from facility operations have created exposed sand, cobble, and/or rock zones. These zones are generally devoid of vegetation with little opportunity to re-establish riparian plant communities. To address the habitat and wildlife losses, the United States Congress in 1980 passed the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Act) (P.L. 96-501), which authorized the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to create the Northwest Power Planning Council (Council). The Act directed the Council to prepare a program in conjunction with federal, state, and tribal wildlife resource authorities to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife species affected by the construction, inundation and operation of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin (NPPC 2000). Under the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (Program), the region's fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the public propose fish and wildlife projects that address wildlife and fish losses resulting from dam construction and subsequent inundation. As directed by the Council, project proposals are subjected to a rigorous review process prior to receiving final approval. An eleven-member panel of scientists referred to as the Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) examines project proposals. The ISRP recommends project approval based on scientific merit. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA), Council staff, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and subbasin groups also review project proposals to ensure each project meets regional and subbasin goals and objectives. The Program also includes a public involvement component that gives the public an opportunity to provide meaningful input on management proposals. After a thorough review, the Burns Paiute Tribe (BPT) acquired the Malheur River Mitigation Project (Project) with BPA funds to compensate, in part, for the loss of fish and wildlife resources in the Columbia and Snake River Basins and to address a portion of the mitigation goals identified in the Council's Program (NPPC 2000).« less

Explaining landholders' decisions about riparian zone management: the role of behavioural, normative, and control beliefs.

PubMed

Fielding, Kelly S; Terry, Deborah J; Masser, Barbara M; Bordia, Prashant; Hogg, Michael A

2005-10-01

Water quality is a key concern in the current global environment, with the need to promote practices that help to protect water quality, such as riparian zone management, being paramount. The present study used the theory of planned behaviour as a framework for understanding how beliefs influence decisions about riparian zone management. Respondents completed a survey that assessed their behavioural, normative, and control beliefs in relation to intentions to manage riparian zones on their property. The results of the study showed that, overall, landholders with strong intentions to manage their riparian zones differed significantly in terms of their beliefs compared to landholders who had weak intentions to manage their riparian zones. Strong intentions to manage riparian zones were associated with a favourable cost-benefit analysis, greater perceptions of normative support for the practice and lower perceptions of the extent to which barriers would impede management of riparian zones. It was also evident that willingness to comply with the recommendations of salient referents, beliefs about the benefits of riparian zone management and perceptions of the extent to which barriers would impede riparian zone management were most important for determining intentions to manage riparian zones. Implications for policy and extension practice are discussed.

Nutrient Dynamics in Riparian Ecosystems. Chapter 6 in Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 1: Science Synthesis and Management Implications

EPA Science Inventory

This report will be a chapter in an updated Riparian BMP manual developed by the State of WA Fish and Wildlife Dept. Jana Compton and I were asked to contribute the chapter on nutrients in riparian ecosystems based on experience and research in riparian systems. The document is...

Effects of land use practices on western riparian ecosystems

Treesearch

David J. Krueper

1993-01-01

Riparian ecosystems are among the rarest and most sensitive habitat types in the western United States. Riparian habitat is critical for up to 80% of terrestrial vertebrate species, and is especially important in the arid West. Estimates have placed riparian habitat loss at greater than 95% in most western states. Impacts to riparian ecosystems are reviewed along with...

A river system to watch: documenting the effects of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) biocontrol in the Virgin River valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bateman, Heather L.; Dudley, Tom L.; Bean, Dan W.; Ostoja, Steven M.; Hultine, Kevin R.; Kuehn, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Throughout riparian areas of the southwestern United States, non-native saltcedar (also known as tamarisk; Tamarix spp.) can form dense, monotypic stands and is often reported to have detrimental effects on native plants and habitat quality (Everitt 1980; Shafroth et al. 2005). Natural resource managers of these riparian areas spend considerable time and resources controlling saltcedar using a variety of techniques, including chemical (Duncan and McDaniel 1998), mechanical, and burning methods (Shafroth et al. 2005). Approximately one billion dollars are spent each year on river restoration projects nationally (Bernhardt et al. 2005), and a majority of these projects focus on invasive species control in the Southwest (Follstad Shah et al. 2007). A technique that has drawn much attention is the use of the saltcedar leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.), a specialist herbivore, as biological control of saltcedar (Lewis et al. 2003). Research testing was conducted with beetles housed in secure enclosures in six states in 1998 and 1999 (Dudley et al. 2001), followed by open release at some of those sites starting in 2001 (DeLoach et al. 2004). By 2005, full-scale saltcedar biocontrol was implemented in 13 states, led by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the agency that oversees biological control programs, and with the participation and support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Despite the widespread application of Diorhabda, however, only limited research has quantified the consequences (benefits and costs) on biotic communities and ecosystem services. Alterations to riparian areas caused by various non-native species control activities have the potential to affect a variety of habitat types used by wildlife (Bateman et al. 2008a); processes like water availability, fluvial deposition, and erosion; and the establishment of other non-native species (Carruthers and D'Antonio 2005, Shafroth et al. 2005, DeLoach et al. 2006). Similarly, biocontrol is expected to modify riparian ecosystems, and it is imperative to document and evaluate both the environmental benefits and the potential costs of this tamarisk management method.

Denitrification controls in urban riparian soils: implications for reducing urban nonpoint source nitrogen pollution.

PubMed

Li, Yangjie; Chen, Zhenlou; Lou, Huanjie; Wang, Dongqi; Deng, Huanguang; Wang, Chu

2014-09-01

The purpose of this research was to thoroughly analyze the influences of environmental factors on denitrification processes in urban riparian soils. Besides, the study was also carried out to identify whether the denitrification processes in urban riparian soils could control nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in urban areas. The denitrification rates (DR) over 1 year were measured using an acetylene inhibition technique during the incubation of intact soil cores from six urban riparian sites, which could be divided into three types according to their vegetation. The soil samples were analyzed to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), C/N ratio, extractable NO3 (-)-N and NH4 (+)-N, pH value, soil water content (SWC), and the soil nitrification potential to evaluate which of these factors determined the final outcome of denitrification. A nitrate amendment experiment further indicated that the riparian DR was responsive to added nitrate. Although the DRs were very low (0.099 ~ 33.23 ng N2O-N g(-1) h(-1)) due to the small amount of nitrogen moving into the urban riparian zone, the spatial and temporal patterns of denitrification differed significantly. The extractable NO3 (-)-N proved to be the dominant factor influencing the spatial distribution of denitrification, whereas the soil temperature was a determinant of the seasonal DR variation. The six riparian sites could also be divided into two types (a nitrate-abundant and a nitrate-stressed riparian system) according to the soil NO3 (-)-N concentration. The DR in nitrate-abundant riparian systems was significantly higher than that in the nitrate-stressed riparian systems. The DR in riparian zones that were covered with bushes and had adjacent cropland was higher than in grass-covered riparian sites. Furthermore, the riparian DR decreased with soil depth, which was mainly attributed to the concentrated nitrate in surface soils. The DR was not associated with the SOC, STN, C/N ratio, and pH. Nitrate supply and temperature finally decided the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of urban riparian denitrification. Considering both the low DR of existing riparian soils and the significance of nonpoint source nitrogen pollution, the substantial denitrification potential of urban riparian soils should be utilized to reduce nitrogen pollution using proper engineering measures that would collect the polluted urban rainfall runoff and make it flow through the riparian zones.

Riparian landscape management in the midstream of Ciliwung River as supporting Water Sensitive Cities program with priority of productive landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noviandi, T. U. Z.; Kaswanto, R. L.; Arifin, H. S.

2017-10-01

Nowadays, Ciliwung River is facing problem of the settlement occupation in its riparian zones. This phenomenon caused ecological damage in riparian, so it can aggravate the disaster of annual flooding in Jakarta. As an effort to control this catastrophe, riparian landscape management of Ciliwung River is needed. Based on its topography, Ciliwung River is divided into three segments, there are the upstream, the midstream, and the downstream. Data shows that riparian in the midstream is the largest area, it covers more than 60% of the total riparian area. This segment is very important to be managed in order to reduce runoff towards the downstream. The method used was comparing many standards to get the ideal riparian width in the midstream, which is 50 m for urban areas and 100 m for outside the urban areas. Next method was analyzing spatially to get riparian landscape characteristic of Ciliwung River. The result showed that 37.11% of riparian zones in the midstream had occupied by settlement. Analysis of riparian function and utilization had held by using Analytical Hierarchy Process. Priority of riparian function in the midstream of Ciliwung River is production. This can be realized with the plan of community garden or inland fisheries. Riparian landscape management in the midstream aims to support the food consumption diversification, and maximize the function of water catchment and water retention in order to support the program of Water Sensitive Cities.

Southern Arizona riparian habitat: Spatial distribution and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lacey, J. R.; Ogden, P. R.; Foster, K. E.

1975-01-01

The objectives of this study were centered around the demonstration of remote sensing as an inventory tool and researching the multiple uses of riparian vegetation. Specific study objectives were to: (1) map riparian vegetation along the Gila River, San Simon Creek, San Pedro River, Pantano Wash, (2) determine the feasibility of automated mapping using LANDSAT-1 computer compatible tapes, (3) locate and summarize existing mpas delineating riparian vegetation, (4) summarize data relevant to Southern Arizona's riparian products and uses, (5) document recent riparian vegetation changes along a selected portion of the San Pedro River, (6) summarize historical changes in composition and distribution of riparian vegetation, and (7) summarize sources of available photography pertinent to Southern Arizona.

The National Riparian Core Protocol: A riparian vegetation monitoring protocol for wadeable streams of the conterminous United States

Treesearch

David M. Merritt; Mary E. Manning; Nate Hough-Snee

2017-01-01

Riparian areas are hotspots of biological diversity that may serve as high quality habitat for fish and wildlife. The National Riparian Core Protocol (NRCP) provides tools and methods to assist natural resource professionals in sampling riparian vegetation and physical characteristics along wadeable streams. Guidance is provided for collecting basic information on...

Adaptation of the QBR index for use in riparian forests of central Ohio

Treesearch

Stephanie R. Colwell; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Although high quality riparian forests are an endangered ecosystem type throughout the world, there has been no ecological index to measure the habitat quality of riparian forests in Ohio. The QBR (qualitat del bosc de ribera, or riparian forest quality) index was developed to assess the quality of habitat in Mediterranean forested riparian areas, and we have modified...

Distribution of riparian vegetation in relation to streamflow in Pima County, Arizona

Treesearch

Julia E. Fonseca; Mike List

2013-01-01

We compared the distribution of riparian forest and woodlands relative to water resource availability for a 2.3 million-acre region for the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP). Most of Pima County’s riparian vegetation occurs along stream reaches that classify as ephemeral. Ninety percent or more of the mesquite woodlands, riparian scrub, and riparian strand...

CADDIS Volume 2. Sources, Stressors and Responses: Urbanization - Riparian/Channel Alteration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Introduction to riparian and channel alteration associated with urbanization, summary of how riparian urbanization affects channel morphology, summary of how urbanization affects riparian hydrology, overview of stream burial associated with urbanization.

Maternity roosts of bats at the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge: A preliminary report

Treesearch

Alice Chung-MacCoubrey

1999-01-01

Historic and recent changes in the structure, composition, and distribution of riparian forests have likely influenced populations of bats through their effects on habitat quality for reproductive females. This project seeks to identify natural structures used by maternity colonies, determine criteria used in the selection of these roosts, and interpret how historic...

Babocomari River Riparian Protection Project

Treesearch

Dan Robinett; Linda Kennedy

2013-01-01

The Babocomari River is a major tributary of the San Pedro River in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties, Arizona. This 140,000 acre catchment includes rolling grasslands on the Sonoita plain, oak woodlands in the Canelo Hills and the pine-oak forests of the northwestern Huachuca Mountains. The Babocomari River runs for 22 miles from its headwaters near Sonoita at 5000 feet...

77 FR 70414 - White River National Forest; Eagle County, CO; Vail Mountain Recreation Enhancements Projects EIS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-26

... engage in dispersed recreational activities (i.e., hiking, biking and camping); and (2) those who seek... Flyer Rappel Activity at Adventure Ridge Expanded Hiking and Mountain Bike Trails Riparian Experience at... harmonize with, and benefit from, the natural setting of the NFS lands within Vail's existing Forest Service...

Improving tree establishment with forage crops

Treesearch

Eric J. Holzmueller; Carl W. Mize

2003-01-01

Tree establishment in Iowa can be difficult without adequate weed control. Although herbicides are effective at controlling weeds, they may not be desirable in riparian settings and some landowners are opposed to using them. An alternative to herbicides is the use of forage crops to control weeds. A research project was established in 1998 to evaluate the influence of...

Characterization of Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) habitat in Madrean Sky Island ecosystems

Treesearch

Shelley Danzer

2005-01-01

This project characterized Mexican spotted owl (MSO) home territories on the Fort Huachuca Military Reservation (FHMR) in the Huachuca Mountains using existing data on owl occupancy, fire history, and site characteristics. Although many nest sites were found in canyon environments with riparian, mixed conifer, and oak tree components, MSO territory composition was...

Riparian soil seed banks and the potential for passive restoration of giant reed infested areas in Webb County, Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Habitat restoration projects can use seed bank information as early warning systems of patterns or degrees of habitat degradation; as changes in above ground vegetation directly impact below ground seed distribution. In multiple strategy restoration efforts, seed bank quality can be used as a decidi...

Quality issues with malaria rapid diagnostic test accessories and buffer packaging: findings from a 5-country private sector project in Africa.

PubMed

Harvey, Steven A; Incardona, Sandra; Martin, Nina; Lussiana, Cristina; Streat, Elizabeth; Dolan, Stephanie; Champouillon, Nora; Kyabayinze, Daniel J; Mugerwa, Robert; Nakanwagi, Grace; Njoki, Nancy; Rova, Ratsimandisa; Cunningham, Jane

2017-04-20

Use of antigen-detecting malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has increased exponentially over the last decade. WHO's Global Malaria Programme, FIND, and other collaborators have established a quality assurance scheme to guide product selection, lot verification, transport, storage, and training procedures. Recent concerns over the quality of buffer packaging and test accessories suggest a need to include these items in product assessments. This paper describes quality problems with buffer and accessories encountered in a project promoting private sector RDT use in five African countries and suggests steps to avoid or more rapidly identify and resolve such problems. Private provider complaints about RDT buffer vials and kit accessories were collected during supervisory visits, and a standard assessment process was developed. Using 100 tests drawn from six different lots produced by two manufacturers, lab technicians visually assessed alcohol swab packaging, blood transfer device (BTD) usability, and buffer appearance, then calculated mean blood volume from 10 BTD transfers and mean buffer volume from 10 individual buffer vials. WHO guided complaint reporting and follow-up with manufacturers. Supervisory visits confirmed user reports of dry alcohol swabs, poorly functioning BTDs, and non-uniform volumes of buffer. Lot testing revealed further evidence of quality problems, leading one manufacturer to replace buffer vials and accessories for 40,000 RDTs. In December 2014, WHO issued an Information Notice for Users regarding variable buffer volumes in single-use vials and recommended against procurement of these products until defects were addressed. Though not necessarily comprehensive or generalizable, the findings presented here highlight the need for extending quality assessment to all malaria RDT test kit contents. Defects such as those described in this paper could reduce test accuracy and increase probability of invalid, false positive, or false negative results. Such deficiencies could undermine provider confidence in RDTs, prompting a return to presumptive treatment or reliance on poor quality microscopy. In partial response to this experience, WHO, FIND, and other project partners have developed guidance on documenting, troubleshooting, reporting, and resolving such problems when they occur.

Riparian area harvesting impacts on vegetation composition and diversity

Treesearch

Katherine Elliott; James M. Vose

2016-01-01

In the southern Appalachians USA, the boundaries of riparian areas are often hard to define. Vegetation is often used as a riparian indicator and plays a key role in protecting water resources, but adequate knowledge of floristic responses to riparian disturbances is lacking. Our objective was to quantify floristic composition and diversity of the riparian communities ...

Restoration of riparian vegetation: A global review of implementation and evaluation approaches in the international, peer-reviewed literature.

PubMed

González, Eduardo; Sher, Anna A; Tabacchi, Eric; Masip, Adrià; Poulin, Monique

2015-08-01

We examined how restoration of riparian vegetation has been implemented and evaluated in the scientific literature during the past 25 years. A total of 169 papers were read systematically to extract information about the following: 1) restoration strategies applied, 2) scale of monitoring and use of reference sites, 3) metrics used for evaluation, and 4) drivers of success. Hydro-geomorphic approaches (e.g., dam operations, controlled floods, landform reconfiguration) were the most frequent, followed by active plant introduction, exotic species control, natural floodplain conversion and grazing and herbivory control. Our review revealed noteworthy limitations in the spatio-temporal approaches chosen for evaluation. Evaluations were mostly from one single project and frequently ignored the multi-dimensional nature of rivers: landscape spatial patterns were rarely assessed, and most projects were assessed locally (i.e., ≤meander scale). Monitoring rarely lasted for more than six years and the projects evaluated were usually not more than six years old. The impact of the restoration was most often (43%) assessed by tracking change over time rather than by comparing restored sites to unrestored and reference sites (12%), and few projects (30%) did both. Among the ways which restoration success was evaluated, vegetation structure (e.g., abundance, density, etc.) was assessed more often (152 papers) than vegetation processes (e.g., biomass accumulation, survival, etc.) (112 papers) and vegetation diversity (78 papers). Success was attributed to hydro-geomorphic factors in 63% of the projects. Future evaluations would benefit from incorporating emerging concepts in ecology such as functional traits to assess recovery of functionality, more rigorous experimental designs, enhanced comparisons among projects, longer term monitoring and reporting failure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of standardized visual assessments of riparian and stream condition to manage riparian bird habitat in eastern Oregon.

PubMed

Cooke, Hilary A; Zack, Steve

2009-07-01

The importance of riparian vegetation to support stream function and provide riparian bird habitat in semiarid landscapes suggests that standardized assessment tools that include vegetation criteria to evaluate stream health could also be used to assess habitat conditions for riparian-dependent birds. We first evaluated the ability of two visual assessments of woody vegetation in the riparian zone (corridor width and height) to describe variation in the obligate riparian bird ensemble along 19 streams in eastern Oregon. Overall species richness and the abundances of three species all correlated significantly with both, but width was more important than height. We then examined the utility of the riparian zone criteria in three standardized and commonly used rapid visual riparian assessment protocols--the USDI BLM Proper Functioning Condition (PFC) assessment, the USDA NRCS Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP), and the U.S. EPA Habitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS)--to assess potential riparian bird habitat. Based on the degree of correlation of bird species richness with assessment ratings, we found that PFC does not assess obligate riparian bird habitat condition, SVAP provides a coarse estimate, and HAFDS provides the best assessment. We recommend quantitative measures of woody vegetation for all assessments and that all protocols incorporate woody vegetation height. Given that rapid assessments may be the only source of information for thousands of kilometers of streams in the western United States, incorporating simple vegetation measurements is a critical step in evaluating the status of riparian bird habitat and provides a tool for tracking changes in vegetation condition resulting from management decisions.

Impact of riparian land use on stream insects of Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka state, India.

PubMed

Subramanian, K A; Sivaramakrishnan, K G; Gadgil, Madhav

2005-12-31

The impact of riparian land use on the stream insect communities was studied at Kudremukh National Park located within Western Ghats, a tropical biodiversity hotspot in India. The diversity and community composition of stream insects varied across streams with different riparian land use types. The rarefied family and generic richness was highest in streams with natural semi evergreen forests as riparian vegetation. However, when the streams had human habitations and areca nut plantations as riparian land use type, the rarefied richness was higher than that of streams with natural evergreen forests and grasslands. The streams with scrub lands and iron ore mining as the riparian land use had the lowest rarefied richness. Within a landscape, the streams with the natural riparian vegetation had similar community composition. However, streams with natural grasslands as the riparian vegetation, had low diversity and the community composition was similar to those of paddy fields. We discuss how stream insect assemblages differ due to varied riparian land use patterns, reflecting fundamental alterations in the functioning of stream ecosystems. This understanding is vital to conserve, manage and restore tropical riverine ecosystems.

Projecting avian response to linked changes in groundwater and riparian floodplain vegetation along a dryland river: A scenario analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arriana, Brand L.; Stromberg, J.C.; Goodrich, D.C.; Dixon, M.D.; Lansey, K.; Kang, D.; Brookshire, D.S.; Cerasale, D.J.

2011-01-01

Groundwater is a key driver of riparian condition on dryland rivers but is in high demand for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses. Approaches are needed to guide decisions that balance human water needs while conserving riparian ecosystems. We developed a space-for-time substitution model that links groundwater change scenarios implemented within a Decision Support System (DSS) with proportions of floodplain vegetation types and abundances of breeding and migratory birds along the upper San Pedro River, AZ, USA. We investigated nine scenarios ranging from groundwater depletion to recharge. In groundwater decline scenarios, relative proportions of tall-canopied obligate phreatophytes (Populus/Salix, cottonwood/willow) on the floodplain progressively decline, and shrubbier species less dependent on permanent water sources (e.g. Tamarix spp., saltcedar) increase. These scenarios result in broad shifts in the composition of the breeding bird community, with canopy-nesting and water-obligate birds declining but midstory nesting birds increasing in abundance as groundwater declines. For the most extreme draw-down scenario where all reaches undergo groundwater declines, models project that only 10% of the upper San Pedro floodplain would be comprised of cottonwood/willow (73% saltcedar and 18% mesquite), and abundances of canopy-nesting, water-obligate, and spring migrant birds would decline 48%, 72%, and 40%, respectively. Groundwater recharge scenarios were associated with increases in canopy-nesting birds particularly given the extreme recharge scenario (all reaches regain shallow water tables and perennial streamflow). Model outputs serve to assess the sensitivity of biotic groups to potential changes in groundwater and thus to rank scenarios based on their expected ecological impacts. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Designing and Assessing Restored Meandering River Planform Using RVR Meander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langendoen, E. J.; Abad, J. D.; Motta, D.; Frias, C. E.; Wong, M.; Barnes, B. J.; Anderson, C. D.; Garcia, M. H.; MacDonald, T. E.

2013-12-01

The ongoing modification and resulting reduction in water quality of U.S. rivers have led to a significant increase in river restoration projects over the last two decades. The increased interest in restoring degraded streams, however, has not necessarily led to improved stream function. Palmer and Allan (2005) found that many restoration projects fail to achieve their objectives due to the lack of policies to support restoration standards, to promote proven methods and to provide basic data needed for planning and implementation. Proven models of in-stream and riparian processes could be used not only to guide the design of restoration projects but also to assess both pre- and post-project indicators of ecological integrity. One of the most difficult types of river restoration projects concern reconstructing a new channel, often with an alignment and channel form different from those of the degraded pre-project channel. Recreating a meandering planform to provide longitudinal and lateral variability of flow and bed morphology to improve in-stream aquatic habitat is often desired. Channel meander planform is controlled by a multitude of variables, for example channel width to depth ratio, radius of curvature to channel width ratio, bankfull discharge, roughness, bed-material physical characteristics, bed material transport, resistance to erosion of the floodplain soils, riparian vegetation, etc. Therefore, current practices that use simple, empirically based relationships or reference reaches have led to failure in several instances, for example a washing out of meander bends or a highly unstable planform, because they fail to address the site-specific conditions. Recently, progress has been made to enhance a physically- and process-based model, RVR Meander, for rapid analysis of meandering river morphodynamics with reduced empiricism. For example, lateral migration is based on measurable physical properties of the floodplain soils and riparian vegetation versus the driving forces of the river hydrodynamics. The model can also be used in a Monte Carlo framework to statistically describe the long-term evolution of the meander planform. RVR Meander has been successfully used to evaluate migration rates of restored meandering streams and bends on the Big Sioux River, SD and Trout Creek, CA at engineering time scales. It has also been used to assess the uncertainty and risk associated with the alignment of the meandering low-flow channel of the planned diversion of the Red River of the North around the metropolitan area of Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN. Palmer MA, Allan JD. 2005. Restoring rivers, Issues in Science and Technology, Winter 2006, Published by National Academy of Sciences, 22: 40-48.