In this riparian study, authors examined the treatments of aeration, nitrogen addition, revegetation and clipping to determine vegetation response and to increase understanding of grazing effects. The most important variable in the study was the depth to water table. At Emigrant Canyon, biomass in 1998, the wettest year, was nearly double that of the 1996 biomass for all treatment plots. At Corral Canyon #1, the control plot consistently had the highest water table and, during both 1996 and 1997 which were dry years, it had the greatest biomass. In contrast, during 1998 there was standing water on this plot throughout the growing season and biomass was significantly lower than in 1996. Clipping had no effect on total biomass. In contrast, nitrogen addition plus clipping increased biomass in all 3 years when treatments were compared across a single site. Aeration had no effect on above ground biomass, but was shown as an effective restoration treatment to increase root activity. The authors also note that revegetation is only a favorable restoration technique when conditions are favorable, so as to discourage the invasion of weeds.
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