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Abstract
In Utah, and much of the Intermountain West, riparian forests make up a small percentage of the landscape but provide disproportionately large ecological functions and societal values. Since the early 1800s, Utah’s riparian forests have experienced shifts in natural disturbance regimes, changes in flow regimes and water tables, changes in vegetation composition and structure, introduction of exotic plant and animal species, and land use conversion. Today, managers need science-based guidance to assess ecological integrity, detect causes of degradation, and select appropriate methods for restoration of ecosystem processes and functions as well as the structure and composition of riparian forests. In this document, we provide a step-by-step process for making decisions about riparian forest restoration. These steps include (1) identification of forest vegetation types and hydrogeomorphic valley types, (2) identification of symptoms of degraded ecological integrity, (3) determination of stressors causing degradation, (4) selection of the appropriate management response(s) based on the symptoms and stressors present, and (5) selection of appropriate methods for collecting baseline data and monitoring management results. This process will assist managers in improving the ecological integrity and resilience in the face of current and future stressors.
Keywords
riparian,
forest,
disturbance regimes,
restoration,
resilience,
water quality,
vegetation types,
species diversity,
invasive species,
beaver,
watershed condition
Citation
Anderson, Marisa; Goeking, Sara A.; Gragg, Jimi; Green, Shane A.; Jones, Allison; O’Brien, Mary; Tart, David. 2024. Guidelines for riparian forest restoration in Utah. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-430. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 223 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-430.
