Small mammal use of a desert riparian island and its adjacent scrub habitat

Szaro, Robert C.; Belfit, Scott C.

doi:10.5962/bhl.title.98803

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The structural characteristics of mature riparian forests determine, in part, the ecological interactions that take place in and near them (Geier and Best, 1980;Malanson, 1993). Although the nature of the overstory has received the most attention in restoration or rehabilitation efforts (e.g., Anderson and Ohmart, 1985) (p. 52), both this study and others (Szaro and Belfit, 1987;Nelson and Andersen, in press) suggest the nature of the understory vegetation may be a critical determinant of desert riparian animal community structure. Thus, managers attempting to re-establish cottonwood/willow forest in order to restore or retain either biodiversity or riparian functional processes should consider the early establishment of some of the biological and structural features associated with mature First Bottom forests: canopy gaps and areas of native understory grasses and forbs, large standing and down woody debris, and microtopographic variation.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Rodent use of anthropogenic and ‘natural’ desert riparian habitat, lower Colorado River, Arizona

Andersen

Nelson

1999

Regul. Rivers: Res. Mgmt.

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The role of native trees, Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and Goodding willow (Salix gooddingii), in structuring the riparian small mammal assemblage on rivers in the American desert southwest is unclear. It is unknown, for example, whether these trees directly or indirectly provide the food or shelter necessary for the presence of any species. Because of the rapid and widespread decline of gallery forest, due in part to river regulation, the retention of remnant stands and replacement of lost stands are major regional conservation issues. To elucidate small mammal–forest linkages, we compared patterns of macrohabitat use among terrestrial small mammals at two rehabilitated and one unmanipulated alluvial floodplain site along the highly regulated lower Colorado River. We also compared current patterns to the Colorado River faunal associations Joseph Grinnell documented in 1910, prior to significant flow regulation. We used grid‐based, capture‐mark‐recapture techniques at two revegetation sites, each a mosaic of six distinct macrohabitats, including planted cottonwood/willow, to associate species with specific macrohabitats. We also trapped a ‘reference’ grid containing naturally regenerating cottonwood and willow at a site on the lower Bill Williams River floodplain. Despite very poor development of cottonwood plantings at one of the revegetated sites, each supported at least nine species and harbored all seven species that Grinnell associated with areas flooded nearly every year. The set of species Grinnell associated with cottonwood/willow stands (Peromyscus maniculatus, Reithrodontomys megalotis, and Sigmodon arizonae) was trapped at both revegetation sites but entirely absent at the reference site. The Bill Williams site may be inaccessible to Sigmodon, but the absence of the other two species is probably a consequence of differences in floodplain structure and functioning among the study sites as well as between the Bill Williams site and historic Colorado River riparian areas. Our data suggest the richness of the native lower Colorado River riparian small mammal assemblage is unrelated to the presence or absence of cottonwood/willow trees, but does depend in part upon the presence or absence of dense herbaceous vegetation. Resource managers attempting to rehabilitate degraded desert riverine ecosystems need to consider understory as well as overstory plant species in revegetation efforts. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Rodent use of anthropogenic and ‘natural’ desert riparian habitat, lower Colorado River, Arizona

Andersen

Nelson

1999

Regul. Rivers: Res. Mgmt.

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“…In recent decades, the 3D distribution of plant canopies has been increasingly studied using remote sensing techniques. Originally mostly used in forestry, airborne LiDAR is now proving to be a cost‐effective tool to study ecological structure and function in forests (Davies, Tambling, Kerley, & Asner, 2016; Evans, Davies, Goossens, & Asner, 2017; Jung, Kaiser, Böhm, Nieschulze, & Kalko, 2012; Miller, Budy, & Schmidt, 2010; Seavy, Viers, & Wood, 2009; Szaro & Belfit, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using LiDAR to assess transitions in riparian vegetation structure along a rural‐to‐urban land use gradient in western North America

et al. 2020

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Riparian forests are essential for stream ecological processes in arid and semiarid regions, however, they are often highly altered by the rapid expansion of urban areas. To maintain riparian ecosystems services, it is important to better understand the effects of urbanization on riparian forests. We quantified the three‐dimensional (3D) structure and woody species composition of a riparian corridor in Utah, USA, to evaluate patterns of vegetation along stream reaches that flow through distinct hydrologic domains (with gaining and losing reaches) and through a rapid rural‐to‐urban gradient. By using LiDAR imaging and field observations, we explore the extent to which the riparian vegetation structure follows patterns of topography linked to energy and water subsidies and patterns of human influence along the stream. Whereas natural reaches of Red Butte Creek were characterized by native vegetation and typical riparian species (e.g., Betula occidentalis), urbanized reaches had higher numbers of introduced plants (e.g., Acer platanoides) and more upland species (e.g., Quercus gambelii). Urban reaches were also characterized by exceptionally high trees (>18 m) in older residential neighbourhoods. In the natural area, canopy height was negatively correlated with height above the river (HAR). Additionally, we found higher cover and taller canopies on north‐facing aspects. These results show that LiDAR data, in combination with ground observations, can reveal strong influences of hydrology as well as land use in different canopy layers of riparian forests. We suggest that the decision making of individual landowners shapes vegetation beyond natural hydrological patterns, with implications for riparian forest management and restoration.

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Small mammal use of a desert riparian island and its adjacent scrub habitat

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

Rodent use of anthropogenic and ‘natural’ desert riparian habitat, lower Colorado River, Arizona

Rodent use of anthropogenic and ‘natural’ desert riparian habitat, lower Colorado River, Arizona

Using LiDAR to assess transitions in riparian vegetation structure along a rural‐to‐urban land use gradient in western North America

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