Decline of riparian forests has been attributed to hydrologic modifications to river flows. However, little is known about the physiological and structural adjustments of riparian forests subject to modified flow regimes, and the potential for forest restoration using historic flow regimes is poorly understood. In this paired river study, we compared hydrology, water relations, and forest structure in cottonwood-dominated floodplains of the regulated Green River to those of the unregulated Yampa River. We measured floodplain groundwater levels, soil water availability, cottonwood xylem pressure (Ψxp), and leaf-level stomatal conductance (gs) to assess current impacts of river regulation on the water status of adult...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation,
Journal Citation;
Tags: Ecosystems,
Springer New York,
canopy dieback,
cottonwood,
riparian, All tags...
river regulation,
root dieback,
structural adjustments,
water rela- tions, Fewer tags
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