Terrain-based Predictive Modeling of Riparian Vegetation in a Northern Rocky Mountain Watershed

Shoutis, Levia Nima.; Patten, Duncan T.; McGlynn, B. L.

doi:10.1007/s13157-010-0047-5

Cited by 18 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Our analysis was similar to that of Shoutis et al. () who used digitally‐derived terrain variables to predict riparian vegetation extent and composition for different sites within a single mountain watershed in the northern Rocky Mountains.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Influences of watershed geomorphology on extent and composition of riparian vegetation

Engelhardt

Weisberg

Chambers

2011

J Vegetation Science

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Question How strongly do watershed morphometry and geology influence the extent and composition of vegetation along riparian corridors? Location Eighteen upland watersheds in central Nevada, USA. Methods Watershed (drainage basin) morphometry and geology were derived from digital data sets (DEMs and geologic maps). Riparian corridors were classified into five vegetation types (riparian forest, riparian shrub, wet/mesic meadow, dry meadow and shrub dry meadow) using high‐resolution aerial photography. Regression and multivariate analyses were used to relate geomorphic characteristics to riparian vegetation extent and composition. Results Riparian extent ranged from 0.4% to 3.6% of watershed area, was positively related to percentage intrusive bedrock and drainage density, and was negatively related to percentage carbonate bedrock and relative stream power. Riparian forest and shrub types occupied more than 75% of the riparian corridor in 12 of 18 watersheds; meadow types comprised a smaller proportion. Watershed size, topography and geology were important in predicting riparian composition. Riparian forest and shrub types were more abundant in small, rugged watersheds of high relief. Meadow types were more abundant in large, low gradient and less rugged watersheds. The importance of woody vegetation increased with more volcanic and intrusive bedrock, whereas meadow vegetation increased with increasing alluvium, carbonate and metasedimentary rock types. Conclusions Watershed geomorphology significantly constrains extent and abundance of woody versus herbaceous vegetation within the riparian corridor. Watershed variables related to riparian vegetation are likely indicators of run‐off regimes or water and sediment transport. Consideration of relationships between watershed‐scale geomorphology and riparian vegetation can improve prediction and inform restoration efforts.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Influences of watershed geomorphology on extent and composition of riparian vegetation

Engelhardt

Weisberg

Chambers

2011

J Vegetation Science

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“…This is in opposition to the common assumption that all riparian zones, having shallow GW tables, are generally discharge areas (Burt et al 2002), especially those along small streams (Shoutis et al 2010). Importantly, we identified sites of riparian GW discharge from models describing downslope GW accumulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Groundwater discharge creates hotspots of riparian plant species richness in a boreal forest stream network

Kuglerová

Jansson

Ågren

et al. 2014

Ecology

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Groundwater discharge creates hotspots of riparian plant species richness in a boreal forest stream network. Abstract. Riparian vegetation research has traditionally focused on channel-related processes because riparian areas are situated on the edge of aquatic ecosystems and are therefore greatly affected by the flow regime of streams and rivers. However, due to their low topographic position in the landscape, riparian areas receive significant inputs of water and nutrients from uplands. These inputs may be important for riparian vegetation, but their role for riparian plant diversity is poorly known. We studied the relationship between the influx of groundwater (GW) from upland areas and riparian plant diversity and composition along a stream size gradient, ranging from small basins lacking permanent streams to a seventh-order river in northern Sweden. We selected riparian sites with and without GW discharge using a hydrological model describing GW flow accumulation to test the hypothesis that riparian sites with GW discharge harbor plant communities with higher species richness. We further investigated several environmental factors to detect habitat differences between sites differing in GW discharge conditions. Vascular plant species richness was between 15% and 20% higher, depending on the spatial scale sampled, at riparian sites with GW discharge in comparison to non-discharge sites, a pattern that was consistent across all stream sizes. The elevated species richness was best explained by higher soil pH and higher nitrogen availability (manifested as lower soil C/N ratio), conditions which were positively correlated with GW discharge. Base cations and possibly nitrogen transported by groundwater may therefore act as a terrestrial subsidy of riparian vegetation. The stable isotopes 15 N and 13 C were depleted in soils from GW discharge compared to non-discharge sites, suggesting that GW inputs might also affect nitrogen and carbon dynamics in riparian soils. Despite the fact that many flows of water and nutrients reaching streams are filtered through riparian zones, the importance of these flows for riparian vegetation has not been appreciated. Our results demonstrated strong relationships between GW discharge, plant species richness and environmental conditions across the entire stream size gradient, suggesting that both river hydrology and upland inputs should be considered to fully understand riparian vegetation dynamics. Ecology

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“…This metric was selected to quantify the typical distance of overland flow and shallow subsurface flow to the nearest stream channel. A final landscape metric derived from SAGA, riparian area (expressed as proportion of total basin area and termed ripct), was calculated by including all cells contributing to a given stream cell within an elevation <0.65 m above the stream cell to define the extent of the riparian area [ Shoutis et al , 2010; Schelker et al , 2011]. An elevation of 0.65 m was chosen because this value best identified the break in slope between the near‐flat riparian area and adjacent hillslopes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape controls on total and methyl Hg in the upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA

et al. 2012

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[1] Approaches are needed to better predict spatial variation in riverine Hg concentrations across heterogeneous landscapes that include mountains, wetlands, and open waters. We applied multivariate linear regression to determine the landscape factors and chemical variables that best account for the spatial variation of total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in 27 sub-basins across the 493 km 2 upper Hudson River basin in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. THg concentrations varied by sixfold, and those of MeHg by 40-fold in synoptic samples collected at low-to-moderate flow, during spring and summer of 2006 and 2008. Bivariate linear regression relations of THg and MeHg concentrations with either percent wetland area or DOC concentrations were significant but could account for only about 1/3 of the variation in these Hg forms in summer. In contrast, multivariate linear regression relations that included metrics of (1) hydrogeomorphology, (2) riparian/wetland area, and (3) open water, explained about 66% to >90% of spatial variation in each Hg form in spring and summer samples. These metrics reflect the influence of basin morphometry and riparian soils on Hg source and transport, and the role of open water as a Hg sink. Multivariate models based solely on these landscape metrics generally accounted for as much or more of the variation in Hg concentrations than models based on chemical and physical metrics, and show great promise for identifying waters with expected high Hg concentrations in the Adirondack region and similar glaciated riverine ecosystems.

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Terrain-based Predictive Modeling of Riparian Vegetation in a Northern Rocky Mountain Watershed

Cited by 18 publications

References 53 publications

Influences of watershed geomorphology on extent and composition of riparian vegetation

Influences of watershed geomorphology on extent and composition of riparian vegetation

Groundwater discharge creates hotspots of riparian plant species richness in a boreal forest stream network

Landscape controls on total and methyl Hg in the upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA

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