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Riparian Restoration on California's Coast November 3, 2005 Research and Adaptive Management Integral to all components Recognition of uncertainty Research approaches in stream Commitment to monitor and learn corridor assessment and


  1. Riparian Restoration on California's Coast November 3, 2005 Research and Adaptive Management Integral to all components – Recognition of uncertainty Research approaches in stream – Commitment to monitor and learn corridor assessment and restoration – Willingness to adjust actions based on findings Rich Hunter Research Coordinator Circuit Rider Productions, Inc. Research and Adaptive Management Research Applications • Assessment – Establish baseline conditions Assessment – Build guiding image from historical context • Planning – Articulation of goals (no single fixed invariable endpoint) • Design Monitoring Planning – Experiments testing effectiveness of techniques – Application of assessment & planning data • Implementation Implementation Design – Logistical needs administration • Monitoring – Species and/or community responses “learning to manage by managing to learn…” – Evaluation of goals Case studies Conceptual Framework • Multiple scales of interest • Two examples at different scales – Organism – Reach – Invasive plants Landscape scale – Corridor • Organism and community level effects Stream corridor scale – Landscape • Reach scale: descriptive, comparative, – Watershed experimental • Research approaches may be scale dependent – Flow management – Broader scales: descriptive and • In-stream water supply as a function of comparative approaches land use • Landscape scale: descriptive, modeling – Finer scales: integrate experimental techniques Reach scale Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Page 1 of 6 1

  2. Riparian Restoration on California's Coast November 3, 2005 Riparian Ecosystems: Taking aim at Arundo Vulnerable to Invasion • frequent disturbance • open space for colonization • available nutrients • available moisture Plant Invaders & Riparian Systems Giant Reed ( Arundo donax) • Native to Asia • changes in plant community • Clonal: no viable seed composition and structure • Native herbivore = elephant • modification of aquatic plant and • Fire adapted insect assemblages • Water use • changes in stream temperature and • Highly invasive dissolved oxygen levels • Effects on biotic communities • influence on carbon availability • Limited research • Large economic costs Giant Reed in the Russian River Selected Arundo Research Questions Watershed: infestation extent & type • Assessment & Planning – What are the effects of Arundo and Vinca on plant communities? • Native / exotic seedling abundance – What is the distribution of Arundo along the riparian corridor ? • Design & Implementation – What are the most effective control methods for Arundo? • Monitoring Arundo infestation from the air – Does seedling recruitment differ between treatments? Main Stem – Alexander Valley Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Page 2 of 6 2

  3. Riparian Restoration on California's Coast November 3, 2005 Number of Seedlings Removal Techniques in Arundo and Vinca Invaded Habitats • Equipment removal Arundo & Vinca 40 • Herbicide: cut and paint number of seedlings Arundo Only • Hand removal Vinca Only 30 • Tarping Neither • Trade-offs: cost-effectiveness, 20 environmental impact 10 0 exotics natives species type Experiment: Arundo Control Methods and Plant Community Effects Assessing Effects Over Time • Response variables • Vegetation sampling: – Arundo biomass – Plant Abundance: seedling -- native/exotic – prior to Arundo manipulation (Fall 1998) • Treatments – 2 years after first manipulations (Summer 2000) – Control • tarp removed after one year (Fall 1999) – Repeated cutting and herbicide – Tarping • cutting and herbicide continued through summer – Repeated cutting 2000 • Replication • Response variable: – 24 2 x 2 m plots proportion change [ln(2000/1998)] – 6 blocks – 4 replicates Post-treatment seedling abundance 2.5 a Arundo biomass ab bc c Relative change [ln(2000/1998)] 0 -2.5 Control Cut & Herbicide -5 Relative change [ln(2000/1998)] Cut Only Tarp -7.5 4 b b -10 3 Arundo stem number a 2.5 2 a a ab b 0 a 1 -2.5 0 -1 -5 native exotic control cut only herbicide tarp species type treatment Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Page 3 of 6 3

  4. Riparian Restoration on California's Coast November 3, 2005 Modeling Landscape Factors to Conclusions & Next Steps Improve Flow Management Research Review • Descriptive mapping – Arundo is widespread throughout watershed and distributed in clumps • Observational comparative study – Seedling abundance in invaded habitats is low • Experimental manipulation – Tarping may be more effective than cut & herbicide – No recruitment differences detected Planned research – Energy use / environmental impact in different restoration designs – More non-toxic effective control techniques – Stem node viability and composting – Active vs. passive revegetation Project Setting: Russian River Watershed Assessment of Landscape-scale Factors • 3885 square kilometer basin • Sonoma and Mendocino counties • What factors outside the riparian • 95% of the Russian River watershed is zone are influencing aquatic and riparian habitat? in private ownership – Land use • 34 fish species: Dramatic changes – Water use – steelhead, coho, chinook are federally-listed in California • Streamside landowners increasingly • Landscape scale committed to preserving/restoring – Descriptive research habitat – “Secondary” research / modeling • Increased interest in collaboration • Applications between agencies, the community and – Improve understanding of broader landowners scaled processes Russian River Healdsburg, CA – i.e. River flow management Russian River Riparian Corridors Russian River Riparian Corridors 1942 Riparian Habitat Landuse and Landuse Change • High level of natural and human disturbance 1990 Riparian Habitat • Dramatic land use changes similar to 2000 Riparian Habitat many coastal California communities Loss of Riparian Habitat Between 1942 and 2000 • Agricultural conversions Middle Reach, Russian River, California 1400 Acres of Riperian Habitat – Orchard > Vineyard 1200 1000 • Urban growth 800 600 400 Changes in Land Use Between 1942 and 1990 Middle Reach, Russian River, California 200 0 3500 1940 1990 2000 3000 Year 2500 1942 Acres 2000 1990 1500 1000 500 0 Total Orchard Vineyard Urban Gravel Riparian mining Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Page 4 of 6 4

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