2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/26/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES OF A TALLGRASS WATERSHED 10 YEARS AFTER WOODY RIPARIAN VEGETATION REMOVAL | Virtual Platform

ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES OF A TALLGRASS WATERSHED 10 YEARS AFTER WOODY RIPARIAN VEGETATION REMOVAL

Woody riparian plant expansion is occurring worldwide. We removed 30-m and 10-m wide strips of woody vegetation parallel to the main and tributary channels, respectively, over 4.8 km stream length in an entire native tallgrass prairie watershed. The stream and terrestrial treatment watershed burned every two years and was compared with one- and four year-burn frequency watersheds nearby with before-after control impact design. Woody removal was maintained by mechanical cutting for a decade following the initial 2010 removal. We found strong increases in stream water nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the first 3 years which then returned. Allochthonous inputs to the stream channel decreased 5-fold and mosses decreased significantly in the removal reaches over the decade. Both hydrologic signals and water isotope signatures exhibited directional temporal changes regardless of treatment. Terrestrial plant communities did not return to the native prairie state. There were distinct shifts in ecosystem state with some temporary and others occurring over 5-10 years. We find that woody expansion in grassland riparian zones is likely inexorable without significant human intervention beyond annual burning.

Restoration
Carbon cycle
Hydroscapes

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Presenters/Authors

Walter Dodds (), Kansas State University, wkdodds@ksu.edu;