Topic 19: Riparian Ecology
Announcements:
Riparian ecosystems blitz
Thursday this week - EXAM 2!!
Questions? Study Guide linked on Website & in Moodle
LAB tomorrow - Riparian Ecology & Ethnobotany!
Meet @ Rotary Park on Animas River (same as Aquatic Lab) @ 1:40 -- carpool, bike, walk...
Extra Credit opportunity: Talk,
"Forests, Fens & Medicinal Plants" by MSI staff; 6:30 pm on W 11/20 CSWS
Lyceum
type 1 pg summary of talk incl. relevance to this class, turn by following
class session
ANIMAL PRES - Mason & Cody
Learning Goals for Days:
Riparian Ecology:
dominant species at different elevations – what are they?
define “phreatophyte”
what does it mean to say a desert creek is “hoisted 100 feet into the air?”
importance to wildlife
importance of disturbance & river flow dynamics
Role of Disturbance:
dependence of cottonwood on stream dynamics
stream meanders, erosion, cottonwood seedlings on point bars, timing of
seed release
where are point bars formed? what are they?
stream systems – natural dynamics & floods
be able to identify the features of a river valley in cross-section:
flood plain, point bar, bank full, channel
what kinds of events create these landscape features?
“bimodal” precipitation patterns in the SW
role of different types of storm systems in generating floods
what kinds of “flood” events happen at different times of the year in the
SW?
how do different kinds of floods affect vegetation dynamics?
Human Impacts on Riparian Systems: (HCN Articles, Tamarisk)
o Dams – change in disturbance regime
how do dams affect the function of river systems?
what impact does this have on native species?
o Invasion of exotic species
what are the main invasive exotics in SW riparian systems?
what conditions favor their survival & spread?
o Interactions among all the above variables
what is the end result in SW river systems?
What are some possible solutions to invasive exotics, & how well do they work?