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- Title
Scales of observation of riparian forests and distribution of suspended detritus in a prairie river
- Authors
Covich, Alan P.; Johnson, Sherri L.
- Abstract
1. Detrital inputs from riparian forests can provide the main sourceof energy to aquatic consumers in stream communities. However, the supply of coarse organic detritus to stream communities is difficult to predict. Patchy riparian inputs and connectivity between reaches have complicated studies and disrupted patterns of the distribution of suspended coarse particulate organic matter within streams and rivers. 2. In this study we emphasize the importance of spatial and temporal scales in determining potential distribution of instream leaf litter. Although large pulses of detritus are transported by streams during storm flows, the main supply of benthic leaf litter used by shredders and of suspended particulate organic matter used by filter feedersis transported during prolonged periods of baseflow. The local, fine-scale distribution of this organic matter is determined by the location and continuity of leaf litter sources (riparian vegetation) and specific features of channel roughness (such as woody debris, roots and rocks). 3. Viewing riparian vegetation at several scales results invariable conclusions regarding the amount of potential source area of leaf detritus. The percentage of suspended whole leaves at sites inthe Little Washita River, Oklahoma, U.S.A. was best explained by thepercentage of riparian forest cover in 500 m and 1000 m reaches upstream of the sites, as viewed by remote sensing imagery. The amount ofleaf fragments was best explained by distance downstream along the longitudinal gradient. Ash-free dry mass of suspended coarse particulate matter did not correlate with any measures of riparian cover. 4. Our results suggest that leaves originate over longer reach lengths than those generally considered as source areas. Scale is an important consideration in studies of riparian patterns and related instream processes because of the need to integrate point dynamics as well as upstream influences.
- Subjects
FORESTS &; forestry; RIVER ecology
- Publication
Freshwater Biology, 1997, Vol 37, Issue 1, p163
- ISSN
0046-5070
- Publication type
Article