Title: Woody Riparian Vegetation Patterns in the Upper Mimbres Watershed, Southwestern New Mexico
Abstract: tifically-based monitoring and modeling that can be used to inform adaptive management. This paper provides analysis of a data set from a woody riparian vegetation survey completed on United States Forest Service grazing allotments and two preserves managed by The Nature Conservancy within the upper Mimbres Watershed in southwestern New Mexico. Data were collected from 17 sites using line intercept transects. The first three components from a principal components analysis were plotted against stream direction, channel type, elevation, and grazing history. Elevation correlated with changes in dominance of the most abundant species and with abundance of the less common species. Grazing history plotted against the third principal component showed a slight effect of grazing on the less common species and the other physical characteristics showed very little or no correlation with the three principal components. Four riparian species exhibited higher coverage in ungrazed sites as compared to grazed sites. The analysis reveals landscape processes that dominate vegetative communities of the watershed and riparian species that may be sensitive to livestock grazing. Knowledge of these processes and sensitive species can be used to improve the conceptual model of the system and-improve conservation management. RESUMEN-Los ecosistemas riparios se reconocen como uno de los ecosistemas terrestres mas importantes en terminos de su productividad y biologia, especialmente en areas aridas y semiaridas como en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos. Estos ecosistemas tambien son reconocidos por su elevado grado de amenaza como resultado de actividades de origen antropog6nico. Un elemento importante para futuros esfuerzos de restauraci6n, estara basado en el monitoreo y el modelamiento que puedan ser usados dentro de un manejo adaptativo de estos ecosistemas. Este trabajo
Publication Year: 2000
Publication Date: 2000-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 6
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