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<br />ij~~_~ >9~' ~JED 8:11 <br /> <br />r,~b <br /> <br />r" ,31 <br /> <br />n:ltrHlonal statuS of the ripv1an habitat, Wilich 1s directly relat.oed to the <br />produc~Jvity of th~ ve6etation (Nils~on 1984). <br /> <br />~i lssor. I s ot;serva t ie/ns srgg':Ost tb~t,. reJuccd annu,~l 3!;realilf::"o",s wi 1] eause new <br />riparian habitats to be e~ta.b115i-led, T~~e nct' tlabitats will be reduced and <br />poSSibly located on difteren~ substrates than before. for example. a higher <br />proportion of fIne sediments is present on the uppermost terraces or <br />s~teamb~nks. This s~il cedlu~ ~il1 support a dtfferent riparian co~~unity than <br />t.ha soil Mp.dtWll closer' to the main strear:. C"han:1el. which wIll be composed of <br />coarse~ ~aterlals. veg~tation will beco~e established cn the new habitats, but <br />because of the different envIronnent and r~du~eC aC"ea, cO!:lp~t1tlon intensity <br />will increase, re5ult1ng in cifferent con~unity Inter- and Intrarelationships. <br />'the net effect. \0111 be a reduction!n abundance, and possibly even jeopardize <br />their sur',j'ival. <br /> <br />Eas~~~n Colorado <br /> <br />An aerial pho:.og!'3phy a.nalysis of the .status and tl"enc of vegetation within <br />riparL\n habi tJal;.S ,",35 conducte'J on the South ?!.atte and Arkansas Rivers of <br />ea3t~r:"! Colorado. it w)s deter:::!r:ed t.hat diversions along these rivers <br />cont.rlbute1 t-,O a 'tear: 10$3 of cottonw:lcd sta.nds dudng a 31-yea:o interval <br />(Snyder an;: Miller 19Q1). AU si:;;e classes decreas~d along, both river.s, <br />althouth th~ ch'lnges ale,ng tr.e S-.Jut.h Platte River were not statistically <br />signif1.::<:tnt. Cl",af'\ges in cottom..occt stand censity were also evident. both <br />$tatistlcally significant an~ non-~i~~lficant, <br /> <br />5:1yder and Hiller ronclude that "tt".e data cleady indicate there is rea",on for <br />(;Qno:-err.. especially -a.l(J:":g t-h~ lO:.lE!r Arkiwsas Rive:". There, degra.dation has <br />:<:.::-..:rred to the @.1ter:t U:~t. !'e;.i st.ands of (:ottom:oods re".ain in the lo;.;er <br /> <br />sel,;t~'.:r. of I:.he ri..e:,.1l <br />