River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA
Abstract Historical records indicate that gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) were extirpated from the upper Gallatin River Basin in the early 1900s. Following the removal of these large carnivores, elk ( Cervis elaphus ) began to increasingly browse streamside vegetation in the winter range, causing widesp...
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crwiley:10.1002/esp.1362 2024-09-30T14:33:34+00:00 River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA Beschta, Robert L. Ripple, W. J. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.1362 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fesp.1362 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/esp.1362 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Earth Surface Processes and Landforms volume 31, issue 12, page 1525-1539 ISSN 0197-9337 1096-9837 journal-article 2006 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1362 2024-09-11T04:16:23Z Abstract Historical records indicate that gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) were extirpated from the upper Gallatin River Basin in the early 1900s. Following the removal of these large carnivores, elk ( Cervis elaphus ) began to increasingly browse streamside vegetation in the winter range, causing widespread loss of formerly extensive willow ( Salix spp.) communities. Historical aerial photographs and chronosequences of ground photographs were used to characterize general changes in vegetation and channel morphology over time. In August of 2004, riparian vegetation and channel cross‐sections were surveyed along three reaches of the upper Gallatin River. Reach A was located upstream of the elk winter range (control reach) whereas reaches B and C (treatment reaches) were located within the elk winter range. Willow cover on floodplains averaged 85 per cent for reach A, but only 26 per cent and 5 per cent for reaches B and C, respectively. The average return period of calculated bankfull discharges was 3·1 yrs for reach A but increased to 32·4 yrs and 10·6 yrs for reaches B and C, respectively. The long‐term loss of streamside vegetation allowed channels to generally increase in hydraulic capacity ( via increases in width, incision or both) and decrease their hydrologic connectivity with adjacent floodplains. This study documents, perhaps for the first time, the resultant impacts to riparian vegetation functions and stream channel characteristics following the extirpation of a large mammalian carnivore. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Wiley Online Library Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 31 12 1525 1539 |
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English |
description |
Abstract Historical records indicate that gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) were extirpated from the upper Gallatin River Basin in the early 1900s. Following the removal of these large carnivores, elk ( Cervis elaphus ) began to increasingly browse streamside vegetation in the winter range, causing widespread loss of formerly extensive willow ( Salix spp.) communities. Historical aerial photographs and chronosequences of ground photographs were used to characterize general changes in vegetation and channel morphology over time. In August of 2004, riparian vegetation and channel cross‐sections were surveyed along three reaches of the upper Gallatin River. Reach A was located upstream of the elk winter range (control reach) whereas reaches B and C (treatment reaches) were located within the elk winter range. Willow cover on floodplains averaged 85 per cent for reach A, but only 26 per cent and 5 per cent for reaches B and C, respectively. The average return period of calculated bankfull discharges was 3·1 yrs for reach A but increased to 32·4 yrs and 10·6 yrs for reaches B and C, respectively. The long‐term loss of streamside vegetation allowed channels to generally increase in hydraulic capacity ( via increases in width, incision or both) and decrease their hydrologic connectivity with adjacent floodplains. This study documents, perhaps for the first time, the resultant impacts to riparian vegetation functions and stream channel characteristics following the extirpation of a large mammalian carnivore. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Beschta, Robert L. Ripple, W. J. |
spellingShingle |
Beschta, Robert L. Ripple, W. J. River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
author_facet |
Beschta, Robert L. Ripple, W. J. |
author_sort |
Beschta, Robert L. |
title |
River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
title_short |
River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
title_full |
River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
title_fullStr |
River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
title_full_unstemmed |
River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA |
title_sort |
river channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern yellowstone national park, usa |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.1362 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fesp.1362 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/esp.1362 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms volume 31, issue 12, page 1525-1539 ISSN 0197-9337 1096-9837 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1362 |
container_title |
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1525 |
op_container_end_page |
1539 |
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1811637415223230464 |