RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RIPARIAN COMMUNITY COMPOSITION, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, AND STREAMFLOW PERMANENCE ALONG HEADWATER STREAMS ON THE COLORADO PLATEAU.
Saved in:
| Title: | RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RIPARIAN COMMUNITY COMPOSITION, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, AND STREAMFLOW PERMANENCE ALONG HEADWATER STREAMS ON THE COLORADO PLATEAU. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Meeks, Taylor1 (AUTHOR), Cook, Avery1 (AUTHOR), Manning, Aspen1 (AUTHOR) aspenmanning@suu.edu, Spinney, Jamie1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Southwestern Naturalist. Jun2026, Vol. 70 Issue 2, p1-14. 14p. |
| Subjects: | Riparian areas, Streamflow, River channels, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah), Remote sensing, Habitats, Topography, Botany, Biodiversity |
| Geographic Terms: | Utah |
| Abstract (English): | Headwater streams provide biodiversity, nutrients, and water to downstream river networks. The riparian communities of headwater streams differ greatly from the surrounding uplands, even along streams with little to no flow, providing habitat and other ecosystem services. This research compares the riparian plant communities of two headwater streams in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, one perennial (Deer Creek) and one ephemeral (Long Canyon). We used remote sensing analysis, field collection of vegetation and soil data, and statistical analysis to determine the spatial distribution of riparian species and the environmental drivers of variations in riparian biodiversity and tree biomass. We observed significant differences in the riparian communities of the two streams, and variation in the environmental influences on vegetation. Along Deer Creek, remote sensing analysis revealed dense riparian vegetation throughout the study area, and sparse and patchy vegetation in Long Canyon. Percent sand was the primary control on tree biomass along Deer Creek, whereas valley width was more important in Long Canyon. Along Deer Creek, soil depth, elevation, and valley width were strong influences on biodiversity, whereas in Long Canyon, biodiversity was most influenced by elevation. This research provides evidence that riparian vegetation responds to different environmental factors in perennial and ephemeral headwater streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (Spanish): | Arroyos cabecera proveen biodiversidad, nutrientes, y agua a las redes fluviales río abajo. Las comunidades ribereñas de los arroyos cabecera difieren considerablemente de las tierras altas circundantes, incluso a lo largo de arroyos con escaso o nulo caudal, proporcionando hábitat y otros servicios ecosistémicos. Esta investigación compara las comunidades ribereñas de dos arroyos cabecera en el Monumento Nacional Grand Staircase-Escalante en Utah, uno perenne (Deer Creek) y otro efímero (Long Canyon). Usamos análisis de percepción remota, recolección de datos en el campo de vegetación y datos del suelo, en conjunto con análisis estadísticos para determinar la distribución espacial de las especies ribereñas y los factores ambientales que explican las variaciones en la biodiversidad ribereña y la biomasa arbórea. Observamos diferencias significativas en las comunidades ribereñas de los dos arroyos y variación en los factores ambientales sobre la vegetación. A lo largo de Deer Creek, el análisis de percepción remota reveló una vegetación ribereña densa en toda el área de estudio, mientras que en Long Canyon la vegetación era escasa y dispersa. El porcentaje de arena fue el principal factor que controló la biomasa arbórea a lo largo de Deer Creek, mientras que en Long Canyon fue más importante el ancho del valle. En Deer Creek, la profundidad del suelo, la altitud y lo ancho del valle influyeron fuertemente en la biodiversidad, mientras tanto en Long Canyon, la biodiversidad estuvo principalmente influenciada por la altitud. Esta investigación proporciona evidencia de que la vegetación ribereña responde a diferentes factores ambientales en arroyos cabecera perennes y efímeros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Southwestern Naturalist is the property of Southwestern Association of Naturalists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
Be the first to leave a comment!
