Assessing changes in structural vegetation and soil properties following riparian restoration

Hale, Robin; Reich, Paul; Daniel, Tom; Lake, Philip Spencer; Cavagnaro, Timothy R.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2017.09.036

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…While we showed that restored (treated) sites had a better riparian vegetation condition score 10 years after restoration compared to untreated sites, the scores recorded were still less than half that of healthy sites (i.e., a RARC score of 43 [37]). The 10 year timeframe appears sufficient for changes in indicators such as width of riparian canopy vegetation and canopy cover to occur, similar to that found by Hale et al [25], after a similar timeframe. The timeframe, however, may be insufficient to result in measurable changes in leaf litter, hollow bearing trees and coarse woody debris which reflect the presence of mature vegetation [47].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…We were unable to evaluate the outcomes of the restoration for instream sediment and nutrient loads because site scale water quality data were not available. It is likely, however, that the removal of livestock and the observed improvements in riparian vegetation condition have increased the ability of the riparian zone to filter and process nutrients, (see [25,26]) and thus, reduce sediment and nutrient loads in the rivers of the UMRC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While riparian restoration has attracted significant public investment [21], monitoring and evaluation of restoration programs is generally rare, especially over the longer term (i.e., >5 years) [22][23][24]; notable exceptions include Hale et al [25] and Cavagnaro [26]. The lack of monitoring has resulted in limited information on the outcomes of restoration efforts [21], like the changes in the vegetation and river geomorphological condition [27] or the return on public investment [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in Vegetation and Geomorphological Condition 10 Years after Riparian Restoration

Higgisson

Downey

Dyer

2019

Water

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Riparian restoration is an important objective for landscape managers seeking to redress the widespread degradation of riparian areas and the ecosystem services they provide. This study investigated the long-term outcomes of ‘one-off’ restoration activities undertaken in the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment, NSW, Australia. The objective of the restoration was to protect and enhance riparian vegetation and control erosion, and consequently reduce sediment and nutrient delivery into the Murrumbidgee River. To evaluate the outcomes 10 years after restoration, rapid riparian vegetation and geomorphological assessments were undertaken at 29 sites spanning the four different restoration methods used (at least five replicates per treatment), as well as at nine comparable untreated sites. We also trialed the use of aerial imagery to compare width of riparian canopy vegetation and projective foliage cover prior to restoration with that observed after 10 years. Aerial imagery demonstrated the width of riparian canopy vegetation and projective foliage cover increased in all restored sites, especially those with native plantings. The rapid assessment process indicated that 10 years after riparian restoration, the riparian vegetation was in a better condition at treated sites compared to untreated sites. Width of riparian canopy vegetation, native mid-storey cover, native canopy cover and seedling recruitment were significantly greater in treated sites compared to untreated sites. Geomorphological condition of treated sites was significantly better than untreated sites, demonstrating the importance of livestock exclusion to improve bank and channel condition. Our findings illustrate the value of ‘one-off’ restoration activities in achieving long-term benefits for riparian health. We have demonstrated that rapid assessments of the vegetation and geomorphological condition can be undertaken post-hoc to determine the long-term outcomes, especially when supported with analysis of historical aerial imagery.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in Vegetation and Geomorphological Condition 10 Years after Riparian Restoration

Higgisson

Downey

Dyer

2019

Water

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“…Riparian soils and vegetation form the foundation of numerous ecosystem services, being important for the overall biodiversity and biogeochemistry of river ecosystems (Hale et al, 2018). Specifically, riparian vegetation can promote ecological balance, biodiversity, and agricultural production by stabilizing stream banks and improving water quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vegetation plays an important role in the regulation of soil resource patterns and availability in riparian zones (Hou & Fu, 2014). The occurrence and succession of riparian vegetation are closely related to soils and other environmental factors (Hale et al, 2018;Bruno et al, 2014). For example, riparian vegetation modifies both physical and chemical properties of soils, including nutrient inputs and outputs, soil moisture, particle size, aggregation, sedimentation, and dispersion (Nielsen et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation influences soil properties along riparian zones of the Beijiang River in Southern China

Zhao

Ding

Liu

et al. 2020

PeerJ

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Riparian soils and vegetation are important factors influencing the biodiversity and biogeochemical processes of river ecosystems. Riparian soils and vegetation form the foundation for multiple ecosystem services provided by river ecosystems. However, it remains poorly understood how riparian soils and vegetation interact with one another to maintain these services. In this study, we sampled four common types of riparian vegetation associated with the Beijiang River in South China. These included forestland, bamboo forest, mixed forest, and grassland ecosystems. Specifically, we analyzed the spatial distribution of riparian soils and their response to environmental factors (i.e., coverage and height of trees, shrubs and grass, distance to river, and altitude). Our results indicate that soil properties in riparian zones were affected significantly by vegetation type. In particular, clay content, soil organic carbon, and nitrate nitrogen content were significantly correlated with vegetation type. In contrast, changes in soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus content were not associated with vegetation type. Moreover, soil physical and chemical properties interacted with one an other, as well as with vegetation characteristics. This was indicated by the significant correlation observed between soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and soil texture, with structural characteristics of the four vegetation types. We also found that height and cover of trees and shrubs were significantly correlated with soil chemical properties. However, the effects of topographic variables such as altitude and distance to river were not significant. Results from this study can thus provide a basis for the ecological restoration and land management of degraded iparian zones.

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The local responses of aquatic ecosystems to adjacent grassland conservation: Can streams of dreams exist in a degraded riverscape?

Schumann

Graeb

Pfrimmer

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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Landscape homogenization and the removal of riparian areas have altered stream ecosystems worldwide. Numerous conservation programmes attempt to improve water quality and increase instream habitat heterogeneity to elicit desired biological responses. However, the effectiveness of many conservation efforts on isolated stream fragments remains unknown, especially in grassland regions. The effects of grassland conservation practices and the re‐establishment of riparian corridors in the James River basin, South Dakota (USA) on stream water quality, habitat availability and aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages were studied in an agriculturally dominated prairie landscape. Grassland conservation efforts may have repaired riparian condition, reduced turbidity and created more diverse instream habitat complexes at conservation sites based on comparisons with paired reference reaches. Reference sites were relatively homogeneous, with prevalent siltation, bank erosion and disturbances to the riparian vegetation. Owing to significant riparian vegetation development, overhanging and aquatic vegetation, benthic detritus and woody materials were significantly more common at conservation reaches. Restoration efforts that assume ‘if you (re‐)build it, they will come’ (i.e. the ‘field of dreams’ hypothesis) underestimate other important barriers to biodiversity restoration in dynamic, grassland riverscapes. Although aquatic organisms in grassland ecosystems are adapted to rapidly inhabit available habitats, the development of niche space at conservation reaches did not directly result in colonization by aquatic life. Grassland management actions did not address stream connectivity issues or overcome land use influences elsewhere in the riverscape that may govern the responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish. Stream fragmentation and continuing, damaging land use patterns seemed to exceed the positive effects of restoring isolated stream reaches in these heavily degraded catchments. Catchment‐scale management strategies that combine reach‐level restoration actions with efforts to improve connectivity are likely to be more successful in degraded riverscapes.

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Assessing changes in structural vegetation and soil properties following riparian restoration

Cited by 34 publications

References 33 publications

Changes in Vegetation and Geomorphological Condition 10 Years after Riparian Restoration

Changes in Vegetation and Geomorphological Condition 10 Years after Riparian Restoration

Vegetation influences soil properties along riparian zones of the Beijiang River in Southern China

The local responses of aquatic ecosystems to adjacent grassland conservation: Can streams of dreams exist in a degraded riverscape?

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