The goal of the project is to understand how changes in the vegetation immediately adjacent to a stream, known as the riparian buffer, impact stream geomorphology and the fish community. This goal will be accomplished by 1) quantifying the spatial distribution of stream geomorphological characteristics over 2 kilometers of White Clay Creek across a transition between +150 year old woods, +20 year old woods, and a meadow; 2) testing for the stability of stream geomorphology within each riparian vegetation type between the summer of 2011 and the spring of 2012 when two large floods occurred; and 3) testing for connections between stream geomorphology and fish community abundance and biomass between the three riparian vegetation types.
Four data sets currently exist or will exist by the summer of 2012 to support this project. An ultra-high resolution LIDAR point cloud survey (10-20 points per square meter interpolated to a 0.25 m DEM) was measured by the National Center for Laser Airborne Mapping (NCALM) on the terrestrial landscape and tree canopy over the entire watershed during leaf off and leaf on conditions in 2010. This data set forms the foundation for all geomorphic characterization. In 2011 fish abundance and biomass were measured in 15 contiguous sub-reaches of approximately 20 m each for a total of 300 meters within and 900 meters among all three riparian types. In the summer of 2011 each of these sub-reaches was mapped at transects approximately 4 meters apart. Across each transect stream width, depth, substrate type and current velocity were measured. In the spring of 2012 we repeated this mapping survey using a Total Station Survey and crew that recorded the same parameters excluding the velocity measurements. In addition, the second survey located and categorized wood debris deposits/accumulations within and adjacent to the stream channel.
We would like this project to produce maps of the stream width and water depth, substrate, habitat type (i.e. pool, riffle, run), current velocity, and wood accumulations for each riparian buffer type as well building maps of fish abundance and biomass within each 20m sub-reach. We believe that many of these habitat attributes might be quantifiable from the LIDAR point cloud after be ground-truthed or “trained” by the on-the-ground surveys. In order to understand the impacts of riparian vegetation on stream geomorphology we would like tests to be performed for differences in critical attributes of the stream geomorphology (e.g., mean and variance of stream width and depth, and pool/riffle structure) among the three riparian vegetation types. We would also like tests to be performed for changes in stream width and depth at each transect within each riparian vegetation type before and after two large floods.
The maps and reports from this project will be incorporated into scientific publications written by scientists at the Stroud Water Research Center as well as in communications with fellow scientists and funding agencies. The results will also be used to guide future research efforts.
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