Laserfiche WebLink
<br />INTROWCTION <br />Proposed sand mining along Coal Creels east of Aurora, Colorado will lower <br />the water table in riparian forests daninated by cottonwood trees (POpulus <br />deltoides ssp. sar4entii). This research is proposed to develop a scientific <br />understanding on the effects of this water table drop on the cottonwood trees. <br />Stu~9y sites will be selected to detect early warning signs of <br />deterioration of the condition of cottonwoods. 'Pao study sites will be <br />chosen, ~~ treatment site on land to be mined and a control site on land that <br />will not soon be mined. The use of control and treatment sites is a standard <br />scientific practice and will help us understand changes in cottonwood that are <br />due to the natural dynamics of weather, insect pests etc. versus those due <br />strictly to the drop in water table. <br />hin"P'riODS <br />The two study sites will be several hectares (one hectares is 100 meters <br />x 100 metiers) in size. 'Iwo transects of ground water wells will be installed <br />at each e;tudy site. These transects will consist of six wells each and will <br />run perpendicular to Coal Creek. One transect will be at the northern and one <br />at the southern side of each study site. Along each transect three wells will <br />be installed on each side of the Creek. Of these three, one will be installed <br />in the upland grass dune area, and two within the cottonwood stands or <br />floodplai.n area. <br />Five to ten permanent plots, each 25x50 meters in size will be <br />established within each study site where large cottonwood trees currently <br />exist. Nhere seedling cottonwoods exist smaller plots 5x10 m in size will be <br />established. within each plot the crnposition of the vegetation and basal <br />area of trees will be recorded and measured. Tree cores will be taken to <br />determine the age of individual trees. <br />2 <br />