Dynamics of Plains Cottonwood (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus deltoides</Emphasis>) Forests and Historical Landscape Change along Unchannelized Segments of the Missouri River,USA |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Mark?D?DixonEmail author W?Carter?Johnson Michael?L?Scott Daniel?E?Bowen Lisa?A?Rabbe |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA;(2) Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;(3) U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;(4) Department of Biology , Benedictine College, Atchison, KS 66002, USA;(5) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, MO 64106, USA |
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Abstract: | Construction of six large dams and reservoirs on the Missouri River over the last 50–75 years has resulted in major landscape
changes and alterations in flow patterns, with implications for riparian forests dominated by plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides). We quantified changes in land cover from 1892–1950s and the 1950s–2006 and the current extent and age structure of cottonwood
forests on seven segments (two reservoir and five remnant floodplain) comprising 1127 km (53 %) of the unchannelized upper
two-thirds of the Missouri River. Riparian forest area declined by 49 %; grassland 61 %; shrubland 52 %; and sandbar habitat
96 %; while agricultural cropland increased six-fold and river/reservoir surface area doubled from 1892 to 2006. Net rates
of erosion and accretion declined between the 1892–1950s and 1950s–2006 periods. Accretion exceeded erosion on remnant floodplain
segments, resulting in declines in active channel width, particularly in 1950s–2006. Across all study segments in 2006, most
cottonwood stands (67 %) were >50 years old, 22 % were 25–50 years old, and only 10 % were <25 years old. Among stands <50 years
old, the higher proportion of 25–50 year old stands represents recruitment that accompanied initial post-dam channel narrowing;
while declines in sandbar and shrubland area and the low proportion of stands <25 years old suggest declines in geomorphic
dynamism and limited recruitment under recent river management. Future conservation and restoration efforts should focus both
on limiting further loss of remnant cottonwood stands and developing approaches to restore river dynamics and cottonwood recruitment
processes. |
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