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<br />Biorogical issues. comment to SWSlJ August 2004
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<br />laubhan, M.K." and L4H. Fredrickson, 1997, Wetlands of the Great Plains: Habitat Characteristics
<br />and Vertebrate Aggregations.. Pp. 2()..-48 in Knopf, F.L. and F.B. Samson, Eds.. 1997.
<br />Ecoloov and Conservation of Great Plains Vertebrates. New York: Springer.
<br />Lewis, W .M., Ed~J 2003, Water and Climate in the Western U.S" Boulder: University Press of
<br />Colorado.
<br />luecke, D. et al., 2003. What the Current Drouoht Means for the Future of Water Manaaement in
<br />Colorado.. Available on..line from Trout Unlimited, <www..cotrout.org>)
<br />MacDonneUt Lawrence J., Charles W. Howe and Kathleen A. Millert 1994) Water Banks in the
<br />West. Natural Resources law Center, University of Colorado School of Law.
<br />Madden, E.M., R.K. MurphYt A.J. Hansen, and l. Murray, 2000, Models for Guiding Management
<br />of Prairie Bird Habitat in Northwestern North Dakota. AmeriCan Midland Naturalist 144: 377-
<br />392. Prairie birds. in Ilsteep dectinelJ, require the fun mosaic of successional types of
<br />environments to maintain fu" diversity, with dwerse management indications..
<br />McGranahan, D~A.J 1999, Natural Amenities Drive Rurar PODulation Chanae. USDA Economic
<br />- Research Service. Agricultural Economic Report No. 781, Sap. 1999..
<br />Miner, M.W., andT~D. Nudds, 1996, Prairie landscape Change and Flooding in the Mississippi
<br />River Valley. ConseJVation Bioloav 10(3): 847..853. Interesffng piece of the big picture
<br />because it compares the Canadian and U.S. land use changes with differing results in flow
<br />rates.. Increased flooding in the Mississippi Valley "may be at least parlially related to
<br />extensive changes in agricunuralland use resulting in reduction of natural upland vegetation
<br />and wetland drainage" (abstract p. 847). Competing explanations include climate change
<br />(would have had same effect both sides of border), channel morphology change, and
<br />landscape change; they find the last
<br />Murkint H.R.J E"J. Murkin and J..P. Ball. 1997. Avian Habitat Selection and Prairies Wetland
<br />Dynamics: a 10..Year Experiment.. Ecolooical AnDlications. 74(4): 1144-1159. C/osely-
<br />observed demonstration of the importance of the variety of mosaic of wetlands types for
<br />different habitat values for different species, with temporal dimensions as well.
<br />Nadeaut T., and S.G. Leibowitz, 2003, Isolated Wetlands: An Introduction to the Speciallssue~
<br />Wetlands 23(3): 471-474. Note: issue recommended for reviews of several topics.. Important
<br />pointJor SWSI concerns breadth of support for treatment of "isolated- wetlands as actually not
<br />isolated as part of habitats and resources used; they are not biologically isolated. Also
<br />important that private decisions control resources now much more appreciated.
<br />Nadler, C.T., and S.A. Schumm, 1981) Metamorphosis of South Platte and Arkansas Rivers..
<br />Eastern Colorado. Phvsical Geoaraohv 2= 95-115. This is not a vegetation studYI nor oriented
<br />to biological ;nterests~ but it is he basic study of channel mOlphofogy responses to water
<br />management changes. By 1895 there were 20 major irrigation diversions on t~e Arkansas,
<br />and more on the South Platte, raising water tables, increasing late season fJows1 and
<br />dramatically increasing the riverine woody vegetation as wide, braided streams became
<br />narrowed, deeper channels, sinuous but no longer meandering as they had~ The -rivers..;
<br />have undergone dramatic historic changes that are so extensive that they can be termed a
<br />metamorphosis.... the complete change of river morphology.. . · (P. 95.) The Arkansas had
<br />lost 80% of its wiC#h near Bent's Old Fort by 1952; below John Martin sediment deliveries
<br />were reduced by 86% beginning in 1944~ The role of invasive tamarisk is also bigk in root
<br />support of banks, increased roughness and sediment capture as well as phreatophyticwater
<br />consumption and competition with the native vegetation.. Using historic observations, the
<br />South Platte was estimated to have been reduced to almost a tenth of its former width before
<br />widening again a Jittle,-
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<br />Interestingly, Nadler and Schumm (p. 111) commented that, .When the South Plane and
<br />Arkansas Rivers changed from intermittent to perennial flow due to irrigation return flow, the
<br />change was analogous to a climatic change. Vegetation became denser and flow became
<br />perennial. If What does this suggest for potential actual climate change in the future?
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<br />National Research Council~ 1992; Water Transfers: Efficiency. Eauitv and Environment.
<br />Washington: National Academy Press.
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