12.10 Tree-Ring Records of Variation in Flow and Channel Geometry

Merigliano, Michael F.; Friedman, Jonathan M.; Scott, Michael L.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-374739-6.00319-5

Cited by 13 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…We also modeled the abundance of P. deltoides relative to Elaeagnus and Tamarix to more directly test our hypotheses on relative abundance. Because P. deltoides is long-lived (Merigliano et al 2013), presence of old trees may reflect hydrologic events prior to the 30-yr period of streamflow records examined in this study. Taking advantage of the fact that cottonwood age can be visually estimated from size and bark characteristics (Merigliano et al 2013), we separately quantified abundance of trees older and younger than 30 yr, and separately modeled the abundance of P. deltoides stands in these two age-classes.…”

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of invasive and native riparian woody plants across the western USA in relation to climate, river flow, floodplain geometry and patterns of introduction

et al. 2015

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Management of riparian plant invasions across the landscape requires understanding the combined influence of climate, hydrology, geologic constraints and patterns of introduction. We measured abundance of nine riparian woody taxa at 456 stream gages across the western USA. We constructed conditional inference recursive binary partitioning models to discriminate the influence of eleven environmental variables on plant occurrence and abundance, focusing on the two most abundant non‐native taxa, Tamarix spp. and Elaeagnus angustifolia, and their native competitor Populus deltoides. River reaches in this study were distributed along a composite gradient from cooler, wetter higher‐elevation reaches with higher stream power and earlier snowmelt flood peaks to warmer, drier lower‐elevation reaches with lower power and later peaks. Plant distributions were strongly related to climate, hydrologic and geomorphic factors, and introduction history. The strongest associations were with temperature and then precipitation. Among hydrologic and geomorphic variables, stream power, peak flow timing and 10‐yr flood magnitude had stronger associations than did peak flow predictability, low‐flow magnitude, mean annual flow and channel confinement. Nearby intentional planting of Elaeagnus was the best predictor of its occurrence, but planting of Tamarix was rare. Higher temperatures were associated with greater abundance of Tamarix relative to P. deltoides, and greater abundance of P. deltoides relative to Elaeagnus. Populus deltoides abundance was more strongly related to peak flow timing than was that of Elaeagnus or Tamarix. Higher stream power and larger 10‐yr floods were associated with greater abundance of P. deltoides and Tamarix relative to Elaeagnus. Therefore, increases in temperature could increase abundance of Tamarix and decrease that of Elaeagnus relative to P. deltoides, changes in peak flow timing caused by climate change or dam operations could increase abundance of both invasive taxa, and dam‐induced reductions in flood peaks could increase abundance of Elaeagnus relative to Tamarix and P. deltoides.

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Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of invasive and native riparian woody plants across the western USA in relation to climate, river flow, floodplain geometry and patterns of introduction

et al. 2015

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“…Correlating these event histories with specific deposits described in stratigraphic sections adjacent to the excavated trees provided a remarkable means of documenting event horizons in floodplain stratigraphic records (Friedman et al, 2005Dean et al, 2011;Merigliano et al, 2013). By excavating trees and analyzing anatomical variations in selected samples, the timing of burial events was determined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By excavating trees and analyzing anatomical variations in selected samples, the timing of burial events was determined. Correlating these event histories with specific deposits described in stratigraphic sections adjacent to the excavated trees provided a remarkable means of documenting event horizons in floodplain stratigraphic records (Friedman et al, 2005Dean et al, 2011;Merigliano et al, 2013). Despite its promise and potential, however, limitations with this approach have also been noted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Event‐scale floodplain accretion revealed through tree‐ring analysis of buried plains cottonwoods, Powder River, MT, USA

Metzger

Pizzuto

Trampush

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Six plains cottonwoods along the axis of a meander were excavated to determine if dendrochronology could identify the year and location of germination and date past overbank sedimentation events. Samples from all excavated trees showed clear anatomical changes associated with burial, including increased vessel size, decreased definition of annual ring boundaries, and decreased ring widths. Some of these burial signatures were created by deposition of only a few centimeters of sediment, and most burial events were detected by multiple samples from the same tree. Four of the trees germinated at or near the upper surfaces of bar deposits, while two germinated within thin overbank deposits draped over bar deposits, indicating that germination is closely associated with bars. Dates and inferred thicknesses of overbank sedimentation events are consistent with repeated topographic surveys and data obtained from cesium‐137 (137Cs) analyses. However, the record of overbank sedimentation extracted from the trees does not entirely reflect the history of past peak discharges documented by stream gaging, largely because individual trees are progressively less likely to be flooded through time as the river migrates farther away. Germination dates and locations closely track past positions of the river channel. Germination elevations and the elevations of the tops of point bars appear to be decreasing with time as the bend migrates, implying vertical incision by Powder River at a rate of 7.1 ± 4.3 mm/yr. The rate of floodplain growth determined by elevation changes decreases progressively through time, ultimately reaching an apparent plateau after 0.8–1.3 m of vertical accretion. While similar patterns of vertical accretion have previously been interpreted as resulting from decreasing flood probability with increasing floodplain elevation, distance from the channel is also a first‐order control on vertical floodplain growth. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Age dating cottonwoods, particularly large stems, can be challenging because of the difficulty in locating and identifying the earliest annual rings. Thus, a one‐ to three‐year underestimate (+1–3 years) is often assumed when giving the actual ring count (Merigliano et al, ; Scott et al, ). This and the relatively high elevation of this stem make it likely that a flood on the Green in 1884 emplaced this and other cottonwoods on this alluvial surface.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term cottonwood establishment along the Green River, Utah, USA

Scott

Miller

2017

Ecohydrology

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Cottonwood (Populus spp.) riparian forest and woodlands provide valuable ecological goods and services, especially in arid and semiarid regions of North America. Successful establishment and survival for cottonwoods requires bare, moist alluvium that is relatively safe from fluvial disturbance. These are restrictive requirements in dry regions. Cottonwoods can survive for three to four centuries and thus may provide a long‐term record of specific fluvial and geomorphic events. We used C14 analysis and ring counts of cottonwood stems to document a long‐term record of cottonwood establishment. We related this record to the century‐long gage record at Green River, Utah along with historical photos and paleoflood records. Radiometric carbon dating and ring counts suggest some cottonwood stems established on high alluvial deposits following large floods as early as the late 1600s through the late 1800s. Cottonwoods also established on inset floodplain surfaces following sustained decreases in peak flows resulting from climatic drought and the closing of Flaming Gorge Dam. Finally, establishment occurred on both higher post‐dam flood deposits as well as low, active channel surfaces following floods and during a series of low flow years. With continued peak‐flow reduction, cottonwood recruitment will likely be restricted to spatially limited, lower elevation surfaces and subjected to competition from an array of herbaceous and woody riparian species.

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12.10 Tree-Ring Records of Variation in Flow and Channel Geometry

Cited by 13 publications

References 66 publications

Distribution of invasive and native riparian woody plants across the western USA in relation to climate, river flow, floodplain geometry and patterns of introduction

Distribution of invasive and native riparian woody plants across the western USA in relation to climate, river flow, floodplain geometry and patterns of introduction

Event‐scale floodplain accretion revealed through tree‐ring analysis of buried plains cottonwoods, Powder River, MT, USA

Long‐term cottonwood establishment along the Green River, Utah, USA

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