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Water tables constrain height recovery of willow on Yellowstone's northern range

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dc.contributor.authorBilyeu, Danielle M., author
dc.contributor.authorCooper, David J., author
dc.contributor.authorHobbs, N. Thompson, author
dc.contributor.authorEcological Society of America, publisher
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-21T18:03:57Z
dc.date.available2016-07-21T18:03:57Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractExcessive levels of herbivory may disturb ecosystems in ways that persist even when herbivory is moderated. These persistent changes may complicate efforts to restore ecosystems affected by herbivores. Willow (Salix spp.) communities within the northern range in Yellowstone National Park have been eliminated or degraded in many riparian areas by excessive elk (Cervus elaphus L.) browsing. Elk browsing of riparian willows appears to have diminished following the reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupis L.), but it remains uncertain whether reduced herbivory will restore willow communities. The direct effects of elk browsing on willows have been accompanied by indirect effects from the loss of beaver (Castorcanadensis Kuhl) activity, including incision of stream channels, erosion of fine sediments, and lower water tables near streams historically dammed by beaver. In areas where these changes have occurred, lowered water tables may suppress willow height even in the absence of elk browsing. We conducted a factorial field experiment to understand willow responses to browsing and to height of water tables. After four years of protection from elk browsing, willows with ambient water tables averaged only 106 cm in height, with negligible height gain in two of three study species during the last year of the experiment. Willows that were protected from browsing and had artificially elevated water tables averaged 147 cm in height and gained 19 cm in the last year of the experiment. In browsed plots, elevated water tables doubled height gain during a period of slightly reduced browsing pressure. We conclude that water availability mediates the rate of willow height gain and may determine whether willows grow tall enough to escape the browse zone of elk and gain resistance to future elk browsing. Consequently, in areas where long-term beaver absence has resulted in incised stream channels and low water tables, a reduction in elk browsing alone may not be sufficient for recovery of tall willow stands. Because tall willow stems are important elements of habitat for beaver, mitigating water table decline may be necessary in these areas to promote recovery of historical willow–beaver mutualisms.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumarticles
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationBilyeu, Danielle M., David J. Cooper, and N. Thompson Hobbs. Water Tables Constrain Height Recovery of Willow on Yellowstone's Northern Range. Ecological Applications 18, issue 1 (January 2008) 80-92. https://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-0212.1.
dc.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-0212.1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/173669
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofFaculty Publications
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Shoot Level Spring Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173654
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Shoot Level Fall Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173653
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Plant Level Fall Current Annual Growth And Height on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173649
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Stem Level Spring Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173652
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Stem Level Fall Current Annual Growth on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2002 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173651
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Plant Level Spring Current Annual Growth and Height on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173650
dc.relation.referencesHobbs, Tom, Dan Kotter. Willow Browse Intensity and Spring/Fall Production on Experimental Plots in Yellowstone's Northern Range, 2003 - 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/173648
dc.rights©2008 Ecological Society of America.
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectalternative stable states
dc.subjectbeaver
dc.subjectbrowsing
dc.subjectelk
dc.subjecthydrogeomorphic change
dc.subjectrestoration ecology
dc.subjectriparian vegetation
dc.subjecttrophic cascade
dc.subjectwater availability
dc.subjectwillow
dc.subjectwolf
dc.titleWater tables constrain height recovery of willow on Yellowstone's northern range
dc.typeText

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