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Relationships between groundwater use, water table, and recovery of willow on Yellowstone's northern range

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dc.contributor.authorJohnston, Danielle B., author
dc.contributor.authorCooper, David J., author
dc.contributor.authorHobbs, N. Thompson, author
dc.contributor.authorEcological Society of America, publisher
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-21T18:03:58Z
dc.date.available2016-07-21T18:03:58Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.description.abstractExcessive levels of herbivory, incision of stream channels, and climate warming are believed to be responsible for the decline of woody deciduous plants in riparian zones in western North America, declines that are likely to be associated with diminished biological diversity. In the northern elk wintering range of Yellowstone National Park, USA, over browsing by elk (Cervus elaphus), lowered water tables resulting from stream incision, and loss of activity by beaver (Castor canadensis) have been implicated in the decline of willow (Salix sp.) communities. Reducing elk browsing appears sufficient for willow recovery in some areas, but where water table changes have been dramatic, recovery may be slow or absent. The importance of water table changes is disputed because experimental results demonstrate water table limitations, but water table depth has failed to explain variation in willow height at landscape scales. One explanation for this apparent discrepancy is that willows that have survived intensive browsing by elk have maintained access to groundwater despite declining water tables. Using stable isotopes of water, we examined the relationships between groundwater use, water table depth, and height of heavily browsed Salix geyeriana. Salix geyeriana groundwater use varied from 30% to 80%, and was higher later in the growing season, when soil water was less available and shoot water potentials were lower. Late season groundwater use explained 26% of the variation in total height of willows (P = 0.002), with taller plants using more groundwater. Water table depth explained only 8% of the variability in total height (P=0.051), with shorter willows having deeper water table depths. Groundwater use and water table depth were uncorrelated. Height recovery following a winter of heavy browsing was related to groundwater use, but not groundwater depth. We suggest that access to deeper water sources alleviates late season water stress, allowing for more rapid height recovery and higher total plant height. Variability in groundwater access may account for variability in height recovery at landscape scales.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumarticles
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationJohnston, D. B., D. J. Cooper, and N. T. Hobbs. Relationships Between Groundwater Use, Water Table, and Recovery of Willow on Yellowstone's Northern Range. Ecosphere 2, issue 2 (February 2011): art20. https://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00150.1.
dc.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00150.1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/173671
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofFaculty Publications
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Shoot Level Spring Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173654
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Shoot Level Fall Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173653
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Plant Level Fall Current Annual Growth And Height on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173649
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Stem Level Spring Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173652
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Stem Level Fall Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173651
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Plant Level Spring Current Annual Growth and Height on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173650
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Willow Browse Intensity and Spring/Fall Production on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173648
dc.rights©2011 Ecological Society of America.
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectbeaver
dc.subjectelk
dc.subjectrestoration ecology
dc.subjectriparian vegetation
dc.subjectSalix geyeriana
dc.subjectstable oxygen isotopes
dc.subjectwater sources
dc.subjectYellowstone
dc.titleRelationships between groundwater use, water table, and recovery of willow on Yellowstone's northern range
dc.typeText

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