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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Vegetation Colonization Within Exposed Reservoirs Following Dam Removal On The Elwha River, Washington, Jarrett L. Schuster
Vegetation Colonization Within Exposed Reservoirs Following Dam Removal On The Elwha River, Washington, Jarrett L. Schuster
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
"Riparian ecosystems are important for ecological functioning of rivers, and are significantly impacted by dams. With over 50% of large dams in the U.S. beyond their life expectancy, dam removal is increasingly being considered to eliminate aging infrastructure and restore ecosystems. There have been few large dam removals to date, so studies assessing vegetation succession on exposed reservoir sediments are limited. My research aims to assess how environmental factors within exposed reservoirs affect vegetation succession following removal of two dams on the Elwha River, Washington. In addition, I compared patterns of vegetation among the two reservoirs and their landforms. To …
Riparian Understory Dynamics And Relationship To Dams On The Elwha River, Washington, Aaron J. Clausen
Riparian Understory Dynamics And Relationship To Dams On The Elwha River, Washington, Aaron J. Clausen
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
"Dams alter the dynamics inherent to river systems by displacing natural hydrologic and sediment regimes, which can fundamentally alter riparian ecosystem function. However, with better understanding of how dams negatively impact river systems, and as many dams approach the end of their lifespan, dam removal is being used to facilitate ecosystem restoration. Whereas researchers have successfully illustrated the negative impacts dams have on biological communities, the long-term ecological implications of dam removal are not well understood. At present, two dams are being removed along the Elwha River (Washington, USA), providing a valuable window for ecological studies concerning the effects of …