Treesearch

Riparian ecosystems in the Central Arizona Highlands, and throughout the Southwest in general, provided the necessary water for humans, livestock, and agricultural crops during settlement by Europeans in the late 1800s. Other resources available in these moist environments included wildlife and fish, livestock and wildlife forage, and shade. Trees were often used for fuel, poles, and building materials. As human population increased in the early 1950s, demands for increased water supplies often dominated management of riparian ecosystems, which resulted in the destruction of many riparian...

The 51 papers in this proceedings include an introductory keynote paper on ecotones and hybrid zones and a final paper describing the mid-symposium field trip as well as collections of papers on ecotones and hybrid zones (15), population biology (6), community ecology (19), and community rehabilitation and restoration (9). All of the papers focus on wildland shrub ecosystems; 14 of the papers deal with one aspect or another of sagebrush (subgenus Tridentatae of Artemisia) ecosystems. The field trip consisted of descriptions of biology, ecology, and geology of a big sagebrush (Artemisia...

A series of first-generation habitat-relationships models for 83 bird species were detected in a 3-year study on point counts conducted in association with the USDA Forest Service's Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program. The models depict probabilities of detection for each of the bird species on 100-m-radius, 10-minute point counts conducted across a series of major vegetation cover types. Based on these models, some bird species appear to be restricted in their habitat distribution to: (1) postfire, standing-dead forests, (2) relatively uncut, older forests, (3) harvested forest...

This publication will enrich public understanding about the important contributions to science made at this and other outdoor laboratories. Coram, and other long-range research sites, provide scientific knowledge to assist resource professionals with the development of sound land management principles. This knowledge ensures healthy, sustainable, and productive ecosystems while meeting social and economic needs. Major research at Coram includes the regeneration of young forests and the interaction of flora, fauna, and water to a wide range of forest treatments. Ongoing studies include:...

Since 1991, 53 acres of roadside vegetation and soil were removed along sections of the historic Going-to-the-Sun Road during road rehabilitation activities. Restoration strategies used indigenous plant material to re-establish plant cover, prevent erosion, compete with exotics, and improve aesthetics. From several hundred collections, simple seed mixes were created that included early colonizers and late seral species. Native forbs, shrubs, and trees were propagated as bareroot and containerized material. Grass was grown as seed and increased to larger quantities with offsite seed...

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in this issue: 1999 Symposium Highlights Five Years of Learning; The Past Six Years (1994-1999); The “Spotlight”...highlighting researchers at work: Mick Harrington; It’s All in the Family - Sibling Ecosystem Management Research Projects;...

Annual erosion rates were measured for 2 years at experimental road plots in Western Oregon. Sediment production was compared between years on 16 plots with graded road treads, and bare cutslopes and ditches. Sediment production declined in the second year by 72%, indicating a substantial decline in sediment availability. The relative influences of precipitation, vegetation regrowth and surface armoring were examined. Precipitation differences between years were assessed by comparing annual erosion from 6 plots with vegetation removed from cutslopes and ditches before each transport...

Low-volume roads are recognized as one of the primary sources of sediment in many watersheds. The authors have carried out research on the details of the complex soil erosion processes occurring on low-volume roads for more than 10 years. An overview of their research summarizes the results of numerous past and ongoing field and computer modeling studies on road erosion processes and the effects of road design on road erosion. The authors have found that insloping and outsloping effects on roads are often overshadowed by the effects of rutting. Most soil erosion on roads is from concentrate...

Low-volume roads can be a major source of sediment to streams in forest watersheds. For soil erosion from roads to be economically mitigated, the processes that cause erosion need to be understood. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), a physically based erosion and sedimentation model, was used for predicting erosion from forest roads that can be described as hillslopes. Watershed applications of WEPP predicted erosion and sedimentation values for insloping roads that can be described as microwatersheds. How well WEPP models insloping roads through a sensitivity analysis and...

Over the past century, sport fish have been introduced into most of the naturally fishless lakes in U.S. wilderness areas. Fish introductions have changed entire lake ecosystems and communities, often with detrimental impacts to native fish and amphibians. However, people who enjoy fishing have come to expect fish in these lakes as part of their wilderness experiences. Wilderness managers must make difficult and controversial decisions about how to balance this recreational opportunity with preservation of the native fauna and flora threatened. The Leopold Institute supports several...