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Riparian Ecosystems - Our Living Resources
290
For further information:
David E. Busch South Florida Natural Resources Center National Park Service Everglades National Park 4001 State Rd. 9336 Homestead, FL 33034 Surface Cover
Changes in the
Rio Grande
Floodplain,
1935-89
by
James E. Roelle
National Biological Service
Warren W. Hagenbuck
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Johnson, W.C., R.L. Burgess, and W.R. Kearnmerer. 1976.
Forest overstory vegetation and environment on the
Missouri River floodplain in North Dakota. Ecological
Monographs 46:59-84.
Knopf, FL., and T.E. Olson. 1984. Naturalization of
Russian-olive: implications to Rocky Mountain wildlife.
Wildlife Society Bull. 12:289-298.
Knopf, FL., and M.L. Scott. 1990. Altered flows and creat­
ed landscapes in the Platte River headwaters, 1840-1990.
Pages 47-70 in J.M. Sweeney, ed. Management of
dynamic ecosystems. North Central Section, The
Wildlife Society, West Lafayette, IN. 180 pp.
Malanson, G.P. 1993. Riparian landscapes. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, England. 296 pp.
Noble, M.G. 1979. The origin of Populus deltoides and
Salix interior zones on point bars along the Minnesota
River. American Midland Naturalist 102(1):59-67.
Olson, T.E., and FL. Knopf. 1986. Naturalization of
Russian-olive in the western United States. Western
Journal of Applied Forestry 1:65-69.
Parker, LM., S.K Mertens, and D.W. Schemske. 1993.
Distribution of seven native and two exotic plants in a
tallgrass prairie in southeastern Wisconsin: the impor­
tance of human disturbance. American Midland
Naturalist 130:43-55.
Rejmanek, M. 1989. Invasibility of plant communities.
Pages 369-388 in J.A. Drake, H.A. Mooney, F. di Castri,
R.H. Groves, F.l. Kruger, M. Rejmanek, and M.
Williamson, eds. Biological invasions: a global perspec­
tive. Wiley, Chichester, England. 525 pp.
Rood, S.B., and 1.M. Mahoney. 1990. Collapse of riparian
poplar forests downstream from dams in western
prairies: probable causes and prospects for mitigation.
Environmental Management 14:451-464.
Rosenberg, K.V., R.D. Ohmart, W.e. Hunter, and B.W.
Anderson. 1991. Birds of the lower Colorado River
Valley. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. 416 pp.
Sacchi, C.F., and P.W Price. 1992. The relative roles of abi­
otic and biotic factors in seedling demography of arroyo
R
iparian (streamside) vegetation communi­
ties provide valuable habitat for wildlife,
particularly in the arid and semi-arid Southwest,
where such communities make up less than 1%
of the landscape (Knopf et a1. 1988).
Agricultural conversion, urban and suburban
expansion, water development, recreation, and
invasion by non-native species such as Russian
olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and saltcedar
(Tamarix spp.) have severely reduced the extent
and quality of these habitats. Despite such
impacts, the floodplain of the Rio Grande in
central New Mexico supports one of the most
extensive cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
gallery forests (bosque) remaining in the
Southwest (Howe and Knopf 1991), and inter­
est in ensuring the long-term health and viabili­
ty of native communities along the Rio Grande
has been steadily increasing (Crawford et a1.
1993). This article documents changes between
1935 and 1989 in cover types of the floodplain
of the Rio Grande in central New Mexico.
Study Area
The study area covers the historical flood­
plain of the Rio Grande from Velarde, New
willow (Salix lasiolepis: Salicaceae). American J
of Botany 79(4):395-405.
ourna]
Scott, M.L., J.M. Friedman, and G.T. Auble. 1994. Fluv.
process and the establishment of bottomland t Ia]
Geomorphology. In press.
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Scott, M.L., M.A. Wondzell, and G.T. AUble. 199
Hydrograph characteristics relevant to the establish 3.
and growth of western rip?rian vegetation. Pages ~;~~
246 In H.J. Morel-Seytoux, ed. P.roceedings of th
Thirteenth Annual American Geophysical u. e
D10Q
Hydrology Days. Hydrology Days Publications
Atherton, CA. 432 pp.
'
Sigafoos, R:S. 1964. .~otanical evidence of floods and
flood-plam depOSItIOn. U.S. Geological Surv
P.rofessional Paper 485A. 35 pp.
ey
Smith, S.D., A.B. Wellington, J.L. Nachlinger, and C.A
Fox. 1991. Functional responses of riparian vegetation ~
streamflow diversion in the eastern Sierra NeVada
Ecological Applications 1:89-97.
Stromberg, J.C. 1993. Fremont cottonwood-Goodding wil.
low riparian forests: a review of their ecology, threats
and recovery potential. Journal of the Arizona.Nevad~
Academy of Science 26:97-110.
Stromberg, J.e., D.T. Patten, and B.D. Richter. 1991. Flood
Hows and dynamics of Sonoran riparian forests. Rivers
2(3):221-235.
Stromberg, J.e., I.A. Tress, S.D. Wilkins, and S.D. Clark.
1992. Response of velvet mesquite to groundwater
decline. Journal of Arid Environments 23:45-58.
Vitousek, P.M. 1990. Biological invasions and ecosystem
processes: towards an integration of population biology
and ecosystem studies. Oikos 57:7-13.
Williams, G.P., and M.G. Wolman. 1984. Downstream
effects of dams on alluvial rivers. U.S. Geological Survey
P.rofessional Paper 1286. 83 pp.
Younker, G.L., and e.w. Andersen. 1986. Mapping meth·
ods and vegetation changes along the lower Colorado
River between Davis Dam and the border with Mexico.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, NY. 22 pp.
Mexico, to the narrows at Elephant Butte
Reservoir, New Mexico, a distance of nearly
250 river mi (402 km; Figure). The historical
floodplain in this reach encompasses more than
95,000 ha (nearly 236,000 acres); about 9,650
ha (24,000 acres) were omitted from the analy­
sis because 1989 photography was unavailable.
Classification
Wetlands were classified according to the
system used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's (USFWS) National Wetlands
Inventory (Cowardin et a1. 1979). Wooded
riparian (nonwetland) areas were classified
according to an unpublished system developed
by the USFWS and the Arizona Riparian
Council. The remaining uplands were classified
according to a system developed by the U.S.
Geological Survey (Anderson et a1. 1976).
These classification systems provided more
than 160 cover classes, an unmanageable num­
ber for an analysis of change. Thus, we aggr~­
gated the original classes in our geographiC
information system (GIS) into 11 broader type.s.
Expansion of saltcedar is of great concern In
the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico, and
Our Living Resources ­ Riparian Ecosystems
Texas
saltcedar from other scrub-shrub
types would have been desirable. Unfortunately,
saltcedar could not be distinguished from other
scrub-shrub types on the 1935 photography
used to classify the area and was therefore
included in the riparian scrub-shrub and wet­
land scrub-shrub classes.
Major changes in surface cover occurred on
the floodplain of the Rio Grande between 1935
and 1989 (Table). Five of eight wetland or
. . types declined by about 17,000 ha
acres), including 5,453 ha (1 3,475
acres) of river or artificial channel; 4,015 ha
(9,921 acres) of wet meadow, marsh, or pond;
2,638 ha (6,5 19 acres) of riparian scrub-shrub;
2,507 ha (6,195 acres) of riparian forest; and
2,482 ha (6,133 acres) of wetland scrub-shrub.
Upland range also declined by 5,217 ha (1 2,891
acres).
.The largest gains occurred in urban (11,389
ha, 28,143 acres) and agricultural (5,395 ha;
13,331 acres) cover types . Only three wetland
1935
32
· 10,673
5,527
9,070
7,804
-0
4,683
5,178
19,614
20,1 79
3,006
Area (ha)
1989
2,584
5:220
1,512
6,588
5,166
1,197
6,462
2,671
25,009
14,962
14,395
Change
+2,552
-5,453
-4,015
-2,482
-2,638
+1,197
+1,n9
-2,507 .
+5,395
' -5,217
+1 1,389
or riparian cover types (lake, wetland forest,
and dead forest or scrub-shrub) increased.
Higher water levels in Elephant Butte Reservoir
and construction of Cochiti Reservoir, New
Mexico, produced a gain of 2,552 ha (6,306
acres) of lake. Wetland forests increased by
1,779 ha (4,396 acres). Most of this increase
occurred between the levees and the stream
channel, which has become narrower and
straighter because of levee construction and
channel stabilization. Dead forest or scrub­
shrub increased by 1,197 ha (2,958 acres). Most
of this mortality was at the upper end of
Elephant Butte Reservoir because of high water
in the mid-1980's.
The total forested area (wetland plus ripari­
an) declined only slightly between 1935 (9,861
ha; 24,367 acres) and 1989 (9,133 ha; 22,568
acres), but this does not mean that concern for
the long-term future of the woodlands is unwar­
ranted. Only about 27% of the area forested in
1935 still supports forests, indicating that sig­
nificant changes have occurred even in cases
where the net change in area has been small. As
noted before, much of the cottonwood forest is
now confined between the levees and the river
channel. The flow regime of the Rio Grande,
however, has been altered significantly (e.g.,
lower peak flows) since most of these stands
were established, and conditions favorable for
germination and establishment of cottonwood
now occur only rarely. Russian olive and
saltcedar are likely to continue to replace cot­
tonwood, especially under current hydrologic
conditions (Howe and Knopf 1991).
References
Anderson, J.R, E.E. Hardy, J.T. Roach, and R.E. Witmer.
1976. A land use and land cover classification system for
use with remote sensor data. U.S . Geological Survey
Professional Paper 964. 27 pp.
Cowardin, L.M., VC. Carter, FC Golet, and E.T LaRoe.
1979. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats
of the United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
FWS/OBS 79/8 1. 131 pp.
Rio Grande floodplain.
291
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292
Riparian Ecosystems - Our Living Resources
For further information:
James E. Roelle
National Biological Service
Midcontinent Ecological Science
Center
4512 McMurry Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Crawford, C.S., A.C. Cully, R. Leutheuser, M.S. Sifuentes,
L.H. White, and J.P. Wilber. 1993. Middle Rio Grande
ecosystem: bosque biological management plan.
Biological Interagency Team, U.S . Fish and Wildlife
Service, Albuquerque, NM. 291 pp.
Howe, W.H., and FL. Knopf. 1991. On the imminent
decline of Rio Grande cottonwoods in central New
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Knopf, FL. , R.R. Johnson, T. Rich, FB. SamsQ
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United States. Wilson Bull. 100(2):272_287.sterns in Ibe