Challenges Facing Riparian Ecosystems

1
Challenges Facing Riparian Ecosystems

• Stan Culling

2
Introduction

• Riparian areas defined
• Complexity of riparian vegetation
• Most productive areas of a region
• High edge to area ratio

3
Biotic Importance

• Microhabitat diversity provide
• Nesting sites
• Thermal cover
• Migration routes
• Water
• Food
• Cover

4
Loss of Riparian Habitat

• Increased water temperatures
• Reduced channel stabilization
• Increases fluctuation and intensity of flow and
  flood regimes
• Results in loss of species diversity

5
Types of Change and Results

• Challenges to the integrity of these lotic
  systems include
• Devegetation
• Silviculture
• Agriculture
• Grazing
• Urbanization
• Water projects
• Dams
• Channelization
• Hydro-electric generation
• Recreation

6
Types of Change and Results Cont

• Short-term catastrophic disturbances
• Floods
• Logging
• Construction
• Point source pollution

7
Types of Change and Results Cont

• Sustained disturbances
• Agriculture
• Grazing
• Logging

8
Livestock Impacts

• 273 million acres grazed on public lands
• 150 million acres grazed on Government land
• High densities of cattle in or around riparian
  zones
• Seek out cover,water,forage

9
Livestock Impacts Cont

• Sings of cattle damage
• Vegetation reduction
• Wider,shallower streams
• Increased nutrient and sediment loads
• Bacterial outbreaks
• Bank trampling
• Increases soil compaction
• Inhibits root growth
• Increases runoff
• Decreases water availability to plants

10
Management

• Managed separately
• Different stocking rates and periods
• Implementation of fencing
• Seasonality of grazing and herding
• Monitoring

11
Management Cont

• Results of various management
• Decreased channel width
• Increased bank stabilization
• Re-growth of native vegetation
• Decrease in fine sediment
• Decrease in temperature