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HYDROLOGIC CONNECTIVITY IN JUNIPER ENCROACHED RANGELANDS.
Author
Caruso, Philip E.
Ochoa, Carlos
Deboodt, Tim
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2017
Body

The expansion of juniper woodlands on rangelands across the western US has significantly altered existing landscapes. Regions that were historically sage steppe and grasslands have shifted to woodland ecosystems. This change has disrupted many important ecologic and hydrologic functions. Hydrologic connectivity, or, the way surface water and groundwater move through the watershed, is often poorly understood in these semi-arid regions. �Knowledge of how surface water and groundwater are moving through the landscape is important for implementing both short and long term management strategies.� This study focused on identifying hydrologic connections of two upland watersheds; one treated (juniper removed) and one untreated (juniper encroached) and the riparian valley they flow into. Our focus was primarily on the effects of juniper canopy interception, movement of water through the soil profile, and subsurface flow. �Study results show canopy interception can be as high as 70%, impacting soil moisture and potential groundwater recharge.� Additionally, results indicate increased soil moisture and shallow aquifer residence time in the treated watershed when compared to the heavily encroached untreated watershed. �Shallow groundwater response is observed through a network of monitoring wells and springs located in each watershed.� A delayed response is seen in wells located in the riparian valley compared to the watershed wells. This, along with isotope trace analysis, indicated a similar signature in both places, suggesting temporary subsurface hydrologic connections through the system.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM St. George, UT
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts