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This volume is a state-of-knowledge synthesis of monitoring and research conducted on the Upper Verde River (UVR) of Arizona. It contains information on the history, hydrology, soils, geomorphology, vegetation, and fish fauna of the area that can help land managers and other scientists in successfully conducting ecosystem management and future monitoring and research in this important Southwest river ecosystem. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the UVR's location, vegetation, climate, soils, and watersheds. A historical and pictorial perspective of the UVR is presented in Chapter 2. The hydrology of the watershed and its current physical condition are covered in Chapters 3 and 4. Geomorphic relationships of the UVR channels are described in Chapter 5. The woody and herbaceous vegetation of the UVR are presented in Chapters 6 and 7. Water quality status and issues of the river are discussed in Chapter 8. The status of the fish fauna and other aquatic organisms are described in Chapter 9. Chapters 10 through 12 present summaries of information resources, research recommendations, a summary of this volume, and conclusions. You may order additional copies of this publication by sending your mailing information in label form through one of the following media. Please specify the publication title and series number. Publishing Services

This study examined the effects of two types of parent material, sandstone and limestone, on the response of vegetation growth after the 1990 Dude Fire in central Arizona. The operating hypothesis of the study was that, given the right conditions, severe wildfire can trigger vegetation type conversion. Overall, three patterns emerged: (1) oak density increased by 413% from unburned sites to burned sites, with the highest densities occurring on sandstone soils; (2) weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula Nees), a very aggressive non-native grass species seeded after the fire, now makes up 81% of the total herbaceous cover in the burned area; and (3) bare ground cover is 150% higher and litter cover is 50% lower in the burned area. Soil analysis was not definitive enough to differentiate impacts between parent materials however it was useful in quantifying the long-term impact of the fire on soils. The results of this study support the idea that catastrophic fire events can trigger vegetation type conversion and that perennial, non-native species used in rehabilitation efforts can persist within the ecosystem for long periods of time. Hence, the recovery period needed for the Dude Fire site to revert back to a pine-oak dominated forest could be on the scale of many decades to centuries.