On the Imminent Decline of Rio Grande Cottonwoods in Central New Mexico

Howe, William H.; Knopf, Fritz L.

doi:10.2307/3671924

Cited by 169 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…have been replaced by exotic saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis Lour. ; Howe and Knopf 1991). Therefore, for successful restoration of such areas, it is often recommended to induce conditions that mimic the natural ecosystem processes (Attiwill 1994;Grumbine 1994;Hobbs and Norton 1996;Fule et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seedling competition between native cottonwood and exotic saltcedar: implications for restoration

2008

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Altered hydrology of southwestern United States rivers has led to a decline in native cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Areas historically dominated by cottonwood have been replaced by invasive saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis). Restoration of historic hydrology through periodic flooding of riparian areas has been a means of restoring native species. However, due to similarity in germination requirements of cottonwoods and saltcedars, flooding may create an unwanted increase in the number of saltcedar seedlings. Therefore, we evaluated competitive aspects of these cooccurring species in an extant riparian habitat in the arid southwestern US. We measured effects of competition between cottonwood and saltcedar seedlings and among cottonwood seedlings during the first growing season following seedling establishment in 360, 0.5 9 0.5-m plots at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. We used five interspecific density treatments and five intraspecific density treatments. Cottonwood seedling biomass and height were twice that of saltcedar seedlings across all density treatments. As density of cottonwood increased, intraspecific competition increased in severity and biomass of cottonwood seedlings decreased. At 4 plants/0.25 m 2 , cottonwood seedlings had the greatest biomass; whereas, survival was highest at 10 plants/ 0.25 m 2 . Our results support greenhouse studies and suggest that if favorable germination conditions are established for cottonwood in floodplains, saltcedar seedlings that cogerminate could be outcompeted by native cottonwood seedlings.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seedling competition between native cottonwood and exotic saltcedar: implications for restoration

2008

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“…Modification of peak flows was associated with decreased cottonwood and Willow cover at several streams (Cooper et al, 1999;Merritt and Poff, 2010;Mortenson and Weisberg, 2010). Decreases in peak discharge have limited the extent of recruitment of cottonwoods and Goodding's willow below dams at the Rio Grande, the Green River, and the Colorado River (Howe and Knopf, 1991;Birken and Cooper, 2006;Webb et al, 2007). Dams and diversions have also lowered the water table in areas away from the active channel, thereby causing mortality of established trees Dewine and Cooper, 2007;Coble and Kolb, 2013).…”

Section: Consequences Of Hydrological Change For Riparian Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riparian trees and aridland streams of the southwestern United States: An assessment of the past, present, and future

Smith

Finch

2016

Journal of Arid Environments

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a b s t r a c tRiparian ecosystems are vital components of aridlands within the southwestern United States. Historically, surface flows influenced population dynamics of native riparian trees. Many southwestern streams has been altered by regulation, however, and will be further affected by greenhouse warming. Our analysis of stream gage data revealed that decreases in volume of annual discharge and mean peak discharge and a shift to earlier peak discharge will occur in the Southern Rockies region of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. These changes will likely decrease rates of reproduction and survival of cottonwood (Populus fremontii and Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii), Goodding's willow (Salix gooddingii), and boxelder (Acer negundo), which rely on surface flows to stimulate germination and recharge groundwater aquifers. Streams in the Central Highlands of Arizona and New Mexico will likely see reductions in annual discharge volume, which could limit reproduction and survival of the above taxa and Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii). These effects may be exacerbated by demands of expanding urban areas and agricultural operations, but could also be ameliorated by increasing water use efficiency and environmental mitigation. These factors must be considered, along with climate projections, when planning for conservation of riparian trees and the animal communities they support.

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“…In the Southwest, particularly, saltcedar has replaced more benign native phreatophytes such as cottonwoods and willows (Busch and Smith 1995). In some areas, water management practices and dam construction have dropped fl oodplain water tables and stopped recurring scouring of river banks, thus further reducing the competitiveness of native woody species (Howe and Knopf 1991). With its extremely high transpiration rate and capability for osmotic adjustment, saltcedar, once established, can depress the water table by itself, giving the species an added competitive advantage over native phreatophytes because of its higher water use effi ciency (Davenport et al 1982, Busch andSmith 1995).…”

Section: Saltcedarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rangeland resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000 USDA Forest Service RPA Assessment

Mitchell¹

2000

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On the Imminent Decline of Rio Grande Cottonwoods in Central New Mexico

Cited by 169 publications

References 14 publications

Seedling competition between native cottonwood and exotic saltcedar: implications for restoration

Seedling competition between native cottonwood and exotic saltcedar: implications for restoration

Riparian trees and aridland streams of the southwestern United States: An assessment of the past, present, and future

Rangeland resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000 USDA Forest Service RPA Assessment

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