Rocky Mountain Research Station Publications
RMRS Online Publication - Journal
Articles, External Publications, and Special Reports
Impacts of non-native plant removal on
vertebrates along the Middle Rio Grande (New Mexico)
Bateman, Heather L.; Chung-MacCoubrey, Alice; Finch, Deborah M.; Snell, Howard L.; Hawksworth, David L. 2008. Impacts of non-native plant removal on vertebrates along the Middle Rio Grande (New Mexico). Ecological Restoration. 26(3): 193-195.
The Middle Rio Grande and its riparian forest in central New Mexico are the focus of restoration activities to reverse or lessen negative anthropogenic impacts. The riparian forest is the largest gallery cottonwood (Populus deltoides) forest in the Southwest (Hink and Ohmart 1984). Historically, the river was free to meander across the floodplain, creating a dynamic system in which riparian vegetation establishment on riverbanks alternated with periods of scouring floods (Crawford et al. 1993). The establishment of non-native invasive plants has compounded the impacts of an altered hydrology, which has been changed through channelization and water diversion. Non-native saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and the accumulation of woody debris along the river have increased the risk of wildfire and suppressed native seed germination (Howe and Knopf 1991, Busch and Smith 1995).
Keywords: restoration, non-native plant, Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, cottonwood (Populus deltoides) forest, saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
About PDFs: For best results, do not open the PDF in your Web browser. Right-click on the PDF link to download the PDF file directly to your computer. Click here for more PDF help.
Download Article
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2008_bateman_h001.pdf
PDF File Size: 655 K
Title: RMRS Other
Publications: Impacts of non-native plant removal on vertebrates
along the Middle Rio Grande (New Mexico)
Electronic Publish Date: September 25, 2008
Last Update: September
25, 2008