Southwestern Woody Riparian Vegetation and Succession: An Evolutionary Approach

Abstract

Interrelationships between flooding and climax woody vegetation in riparian ecosystems of the desert Southwest are discussed. The lack of succession in woody desert upland and desert riparian plant communities results from opposite stresses, the former from aridity, the latter from flooding. Today's "wet riparian big five" are northern tree species of hydroriparian and mesoriparian (wet riparian) ecosystems; remnants of the Arcto-Tertiary Geoflora. The "dry riparian big five" are tree or subtree constituents of xeroriparian ecosystems occurring as Madro-Tertiary remnants at the northern extremes of their ranges. Human activities have interrupted normal flood regimes of Southwest rivers, resulting in desertification and endangering native riverine ecosystems.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the California riparian systems conference: protection, management, and restoration for the 1990s; 1988 September 22-24; Davis, CA.

Citation

Johnson, R. Roy; Bennett, Peter S.; Haight, Lois. 1989. Southwestern Woody Riparian Vegetation and Succession: An Evolutionary Approach. In: Abell, Dana L., Technical Coordinator. 1989. Proceedings of the California Riparian Systems Conference: protection, management, and restoration for the 1990s; 1988 September 22-24; Davis, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-110. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 135-139