Alluvial wetland ecosystems are vital as biodiversity hotspots but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors and drought. These pressures are especially acute in arid and semi-arid regions, where eco-hydrologic connectivity is fragile and recovery is slow.
Abstract: Developing and restoring moisture retaining areas or patches in arid Southwest landscapes has gained importance in recent decades. Arroyos, specifically those on high desert plateaus, may through cost-effective restoration provide a resilient hydro- ecological niche during uncertain precipitation and prolonged droughts. This research addresses two questions related to this role: 1. what are the microclimatic differences between an arroyo and the adjacent upland and the relationships between soil moisture and reduced sun and wind exposure; and 2.
Efforts to restore ecosystems often focus on reintroducing apex predators to re-establish coevolved relationships among predators, herbivores and plants. The preponderance of evidence for indirect effects of predators on terrestrial plant communities comes from ecosystems where predators have been removed. Far less is known about the consequences of their restoration. The effects of removal and restoration are unlikely to be symmetrical because removing predators can create feedbacks that reinforce the effects of predator loss.
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“All water is connected,” the Lake said. “All water is in constant communication with all other water . . . The waters of the world are one – one consciousness holding the world in liquid embrace. What you do to any part of the waters affects them all.” Starhawk
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