Linking stream flow and groundwater to avian habitat in a desert riparian system

摘要: Increasing human populations have resulted in aggressive water development arid regions. This typically results altered stream flow regimes, reduced annual volumes, changes fluvial disturbance groundwater levels, and subsequent shifts ecological patterns processes. Balancing demands for with environmental requirements to maintain functioning ecosystems requires quantitative linkages between streams ecosystem attributes. Streams the Sonoran Desert provide important habitat vertebrate species, including resident migratory birds. Habitat structure, food, nest-building materials, which are concentrated riparian areas, provided directly or indirectly by vegetation. We measured vegetation, surface water, bird occurrence along Cherry Creek, a perennial tributary of Salt River central Arizona, USA. The purpose this work was develop an integrated model groundwater-vegetation-habitat structure by: (1) characterizing structural provisioning attributes vegetation through developing index (BHI), (2) validating utility our BHI relating it community composition, (3) determining plant species that best explain variability BHI, (4) predictive models link availability arid-land stream, (5) simulating effects regime levels their consequences communities. Riparian forest shrubland cover types were correctly classified 83% observations as function depth table. Groundwater decline decreased magnitude caused significant from shrublands. Variability explained deciduous tree primarily Populus fremontii, Platanus wrightii, Salix gooddingii. distributions these well stream. Bird diversity richness significantly higher sites indices. linkage groundwater, complexity, communities has implications management flows.