Riparian Forest Restoration Along Large Rivers: Initial Results from the Sacramento River Project

Abstract

Restoration of riparian vegetation along large rivers is complicated by the patchiness of the habitat and byconflicts with the societal need to control flooding. The Sacramento River Project, led by The Nature Conservancy in northern California, is testing whether it is possible to restore native forest along a large river without removing flood control. We conducted a posthoc analysis of monitoring data collected by the project on 1-4-year old plantings of 10 native trees and shrubs at five sites. Two questions of general interest were: Can one identify types of species or sites that are especially suitable for restoration in such riparian habitats? To what degree must sites be treated as mosaics of patches, with different types of patches that are suited to different species? Plant performance as measured by height was better in species of Salicaceae or in species planted as cuttings than in species of other families or in species planted as seedings or seeds. Three within-site factors, land form, soil depth to a buried layer of sand or gravel, and soil texture, affected the growth of several species, indicating that sites do need to be treated as patchy. However, there was little evidence that different species performed better on different types of patches. Instead, areas with deep or fine soils seemed to be favorable for a number of species. Results suggest that it is feasible to re-establish native trees and shrubs along large, regulated rivers, at least at certain sites for an initial period of several years with the aid of weed control and irrigation. Shallowly buried layers or lenses of gravel or sand are a hidden, fine-scale factor that can reduce plant growth on river terraces.

Survival of Saplings in Recovery of Riparian Vegetation of Pandeiros River (MG)

“…The soil analysis for this area, according to Braga (2011), found high levels of phosphorus and a higher proportion of clay in these plots. Several authors discuss the positive influence of soil on plant establishment (Alpert et al, 1999;Gurevitch et al, 2009). These same authors cite the importance of phosphorus as a limiting nutrient for the development of plants, as a constituent in several molecules and in cell membranes, acting directly on plant metabolism, and essential for the initial development of seedlings.…”

California Central Valley Water Rights in a Changing Climate

“…Water demands during this time of the year are relatively low and historically much of this "excess" flow has gone out to sea while also providing important geomorphological and ecological functions for the Delta and riverine systems (Stevens and Miller 1983;Alpert et al 1999;Kimmerer 2002). Water rights holders who divert during these seasons are likely to see the reliability of their water rights increase.…”

Effectiveness of Integrated Indigenous-Technocrat Model in Restoring Controversial Forest Reserve Hotspot: The Case of Nkanya and Lusewa Rivers in Domasi Area, Zomba District

“…Similar studies have revealed that weed control, irrigation and plants' biotic responses to physical factors such as water, light and nutrients are crucial in re-establishing native trees and shrubs along rivers in the initial years [2], [3]. Similarly, planted trees in Malawi have displayed low survivorship both in the customary and public lands due to poor seedling quality, disturbance regimes, improper planting and lack of post-planting care.…”