Inventory and characterization of the riparian zone (wetlands) at Buffalo National River

Sagers, Cynthia; Lyon, Jonathan

The economic, ecological and recreational significance of the 220 km (132 mi) riparian corridor within the Buffalo National River (BNR) is of great interest to managers of this diverse resource. Recent interest in applying ecosystem management to forest systems has necessitated a fresh look at the tools and methods in use to assess existing patterns of plant community structure and diversity. The purpose and objective of the study described in this report was to initiate a series of vegetation studies that could be integrated with existing research and management information on the riparian vegetation in the BNR. Defining the compositional and spatial attributes of the riparian corridor were at the core of our research efforts. We used multivariate analysis and ordination techniques to characterize the composition and distribution of woody and herbaceous vegetation within the BNR. Given the spatial complexity of woody and herbaceous species distribution and composition within the BNR, the delineation of distinct vegetation boundaries (e.g., riparian versus mesic) remains problematic. The lack of any consistent delineation between plant assemblages limits the value of designating specific management zones based on any single landscape attribute (e.g., topography, soil type). Managing larger landscape units based on comprehensive vegetation analyses (e.g., functional types) rather than management zones based on limited vegetation analyses, may be a more effective management strategy in this spatially complex landscape. Stratifying sampling by vegetation layer in vegetation analyses can allay ecosystem management concerns by providing managers with a synoptic view of vegetation structure and composition. Furthermore, because not all vegetation is responding in a homogeneous manner to underlying gradients, specific habitat conditions can be altered to favor specific species and also to maintain diversity across a changing mosaic. Functional type results can thus be integrated into management, protection, and restoration strategies. A landscape management approach based on integrated vegetation analyses is also more likely to buffer the impacts of successional processes (temporal complexity) that is altering, and will continue to alter, the composition of existing assemblages and the abundance and distribution of species.

Inventory and characterization of the riparian zone (wetlands) at Buffalo National River

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