Compound Influences of River Damming and Beavers on Riparian Cottonwoods: A Comparative Study Along the Lardeau and Duncan Rivers, British Columbia, Canada

Herbison, Brenda; Rood, Stewart B.

doi:10.1007/s13157-015-0685-8

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In addition to erosion of forest patches, flood‐related mortality of shrubs and trees within stands was evidenced by both declines in live stem density and by a high proportion of standing dead trees (especially for red cedar and Russian olive) showing signs of recent mortality (e.g., dead canopy but intact bark and retention of fine twigs; Dixon, Boever, Danzeisen, Merkord, et al, ). Hence, mortality likely resulted from several factors in connection with the flood of 2011, including direct effects of physical disturbance (erosion of surfaces and physical damage to trees), root anoxia from prolonged inundation (Bendix & Stella, ; Kozlowski, ), and interactions between flooding and herbivores (e.g., beaver gaining greater access to flooded stands; Andersen & Cooper, ; Breck, Wilson, & Andersen, , ; Herbison & Rood, ; Marks & Canham, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a large flood on woody vegetation along the regulated Missouri River, USA

et al. 2018

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In 2011, a large, long‐duration flood occurred on the regulated Missouri River following six decades without flooding. This study evaluated the effects of the flood on riparian forest structure and composition. In 2012, 168 forest sites sampled in 2006–2009 were resampled on five floodplain segments between Montana and Missouri, with 80 sampled again in 2013–2014. Changes in riparian forest area over 2006–2012, by age class and segment, were assessed using aerial imagery and GIS. Repeated‐measures analysis of variance was used to examine (a) the initial effects of the flood (preflood to 2012) on tree and shrub stem densities, (b) postflood (2012–2014) changes in stem density, and (c) species‐level responses for cottonwood (Populus deltoides), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). Across the study area, forest area declined 6–38% among age classes, with the greatest declines in the youngest classes. Tree density declined 19–49% across segments from preflood to 2012 but did not change significantly from 2012 to 2014. Shrub density declined 52–89% across segments from preflood to 2012, with 73–78% declines in the two youngest age classes, but increased by 42% from 2012 to 2014. Cottonwood and Russian olive, but not red cedar, showed partial recovery in the shrub/sapling layer, increasing from 2012 to 2014. Although flooding is important for floodplain forest health, the 2011 flood had mixed effects, with significant mortality of native floodplain trees and shrubs and only limited cottonwood recruitment. The initial decline in invasive species (Russian olive and red cedar), however, suggests that flooding may be an effective management tool.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a large flood on woody vegetation along the regulated Missouri River, USA

et al. 2018

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“…Willows dominated the lower, wetter portions of the delta‐backwater, while cottonwood dominated higher surfaces where soils were drier and flooding was of shorter duration. Spatial segregation between cottonwood and willow stands also was observed along the Duncan River–Kootenay Lake reservoir delta in British Columbia, Canada (Herbison and Rood ). Willows will likely remain a prominent feature of the downstream portions of the White River delta‐backwater, while cottonwood establishment will be limited on lower delta‐backwater surfaces that are frequently inundated by the reservoir and/or where groundwater levels remain high during the growing season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Emerging reservoir delta‐backwaters: biophysical dynamics and riparian biodiversity

Volke

Johnson

Dixon

et al. 2019

Ecological Monographs

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Deltas and backwater‐affected bottomlands are forming along tributary and mainstem confluences in reservoirs worldwide. Emergence of prograding deltas, along with related upstream hydrogeomorphic changes to river bottomlands in the backwater fluctuation zones of reservoirs, signals the development of new and dynamic riparian and wetland habitats. This study was conducted along the regulated Missouri River, USA, to examine delta‐backwater formation and describe vegetation response to its development and dynamics. Our research focused specifically on the delta‐backwater forming at the confluence of the White River tributary and Lake Francis Case reservoir. Objectives of the research were to: (1) describe and analyze the process of delta‐backwater formation over space and time; (2) determine by field sampling and GIS mapping how vegetation has responded to development of the delta‐backwater; and (3) compare the woody plant communities of the delta‐backwater to those along free‐flowing and regulated remnant river reaches. In response to base level changes caused by reservoir filling, the thalweg of the lower 31 km of the original White River channel and adjacent floodplain aggraded by up to 12 m between 1954 and 2011. The overall channel slope flattened from 0.70 to 0.29 m/km. Riparian Populus–Salix forests increased in area by nearly 50% during the post‐dam period by colonizing new deltaic and floodplain deposits. Many of the native woody species found along natural and regulated river reaches were also found on the delta‐backwater. Woody species sorted along a fluvial to delta gradient; wetland affiliated species (Salix spp., Typha spp.) dominated the delta‐backwater near the reservoir while riparian species (Populus, Fraxinus) dominated in upstream portions of the delta‐backwater. This habitat complex supports young stands of native riparian vegetation now in decline in remnant reaches protected from flooding.

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“…Second, around 1900, beaver populations were severely reduced through trapping (Fitch, 2016). This removed another limiting factor (Herbison & Rood, 2015). Third, the fire regime was altered.…”

Section: Flood Pulses and Floodplain Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floodplain forest dynamics: Half‐century floods enable pulses of geomorphic disturbance and cottonwood colonization along a prairie river

Philipsen

Romuld

Rood

2020

River Research & Apps

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In dry ecoregions, trees are restricted to river valley floodplains where river water supplements the limited local precipitation. Around the Northern Hemisphere, cottonwoods, riparian poplars, are often predominant trees in floodplain forests and these ecological specialists require floods that create and saturate sand and gravel bars, enabling seedling recruitment. By pairing the interpretation of aerial photographs at approximately decade intervals with dendrochronology, we explored the coordination between river floods, geomorphic disturbance and colonization of plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) over eight meanders along the Red Deer River in the semi‐arid prairie of western Canada. This river has a relatively natural flow regime and minimal human alteration through the World Heritage Site of Dinosaur Provincial Park. We found that the 50‐year flood of 1954 increased channel migration and produced extensive accretion with downstream expansion of meander lobes and some channel infilling, which was followed by prolific cottonwood colonization. Those processes accompanied the major flood, while bank erosion and cottonwood losses were more gradual and continuous over the past half‐century. Results indicated even greater floodplain and woodland development after an earlier 100‐year flood in 1915. Each flood produced an arcuate band of mature cottonwoods and there were five to seven progressively older woodland bands across the floodplain, with each cottonwood age grouping increasing by about a half‐century. The 700 m wide floodplain was progressively reworked by the river through pulses of channel movement and floodplain and woodland development over approximately 250 years and correspondingly, the oldest cottonwoods were about 250 years old.

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Compound Influences of River Damming and Beavers on Riparian Cottonwoods: A Comparative Study Along the Lardeau and Duncan Rivers, British Columbia, Canada

Cited by 6 publications

References 40 publications

Effects of a large flood on woody vegetation along the regulated Missouri River, USA

Effects of a large flood on woody vegetation along the regulated Missouri River, USA

Emerging reservoir delta‐backwaters: biophysical dynamics and riparian biodiversity

Floodplain forest dynamics: Half‐century floods enable pulses of geomorphic disturbance and cottonwood colonization along a prairie river

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