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
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
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
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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