Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration
Environmental legislation in the US (i.e. NEPA) requires defining baseline conditions on current rather than historical ecosystem conditions. For ecosystems with long histories of multiple environmental impacts, this baseline method can subsequently lead to a significantly altered environment; this...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Public Library of Science
2014
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| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56598 |
| _version_ | 1855542996679786496 |
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| author | Fremier, Alexander K. Girvetz, Evan Hartunian Greco, Steven E Larsen, Eric W |
| author_browse | Fremier, Alexander K. Girvetz, Evan Hartunian Greco, Steven E Larsen, Eric W |
| author_facet | Fremier, Alexander K. Girvetz, Evan Hartunian Greco, Steven E Larsen, Eric W |
| author_sort | Fremier, Alexander K. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Environmental legislation in the US (i.e. NEPA) requires defining baseline conditions on current rather than historical ecosystem conditions. For ecosystems with long histories of multiple environmental impacts, this baseline method can subsequently lead to a significantly altered environment; this has been termed a ‘sliding baseline’. In river systems, cumulative effects caused by flow regulation, channel revetment and riparian vegetation removal significantly impact floodplain ecosystems by altering channel dynamics and precluding subsequent ecosystem processes, such as primary succession. To quantify these impacts on floodplain development processes, we used a model of river channel meander migration to illustrate the degree to which flow regulation and riprap impact migration rates, independently and synergistically, on the Sacramento River in California, USA. From pre-dam conditions, the cumulative effect of flow regulation alone on channel migration is a reduction by 38%, and 42–44% with four proposed water diversion project scenarios. In terms of depositional area, the proposed water project would reduce channel migration 51–71 ha in 130 years without current riprap in place, and 17–25 ha with riprap. Our results illustrate the utility of a modeling approach for quantifying cumulative impacts. Model-based quantification of environmental impacts allow scientists to separate cumulative and synergistic effects to analytically define mitigation measures. Additionally, by selecting an ecosystem process that is affected by multiple impacts, it is possible to consider process-based mitigation scenarios, such as the removal of riprap, to allow meander migration and create new floodplains and allow for riparian vegetation recruitment. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace56598 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| publisherStr | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace565982025-03-13T09:45:57Z Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration Fremier, Alexander K. Girvetz, Evan Hartunian Greco, Steven E Larsen, Eric W ecosystems environmental legislation environmental impact canals hydraulic structures river models ecosistema legislación medioambiental impacto ambiental canales construcciones hidráulicas ríos modelos Environmental legislation in the US (i.e. NEPA) requires defining baseline conditions on current rather than historical ecosystem conditions. For ecosystems with long histories of multiple environmental impacts, this baseline method can subsequently lead to a significantly altered environment; this has been termed a ‘sliding baseline’. In river systems, cumulative effects caused by flow regulation, channel revetment and riparian vegetation removal significantly impact floodplain ecosystems by altering channel dynamics and precluding subsequent ecosystem processes, such as primary succession. To quantify these impacts on floodplain development processes, we used a model of river channel meander migration to illustrate the degree to which flow regulation and riprap impact migration rates, independently and synergistically, on the Sacramento River in California, USA. From pre-dam conditions, the cumulative effect of flow regulation alone on channel migration is a reduction by 38%, and 42–44% with four proposed water diversion project scenarios. In terms of depositional area, the proposed water project would reduce channel migration 51–71 ha in 130 years without current riprap in place, and 17–25 ha with riprap. Our results illustrate the utility of a modeling approach for quantifying cumulative impacts. Model-based quantification of environmental impacts allow scientists to separate cumulative and synergistic effects to analytically define mitigation measures. Additionally, by selecting an ecosystem process that is affected by multiple impacts, it is possible to consider process-based mitigation scenarios, such as the removal of riprap, to allow meander migration and create new floodplains and allow for riparian vegetation recruitment. 2014-06-25 2015-01-30T18:04:34Z 2015-01-30T18:04:34Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56598 en Open Access Public Library of Science Fremier, Alexander K.; Girvetz, Evan H.; Greco, Steven E.; Larsen, Eric W.. 2014. Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context : separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration. PLoS One 9(6): e99736. |
| spellingShingle | ecosystems environmental legislation environmental impact canals hydraulic structures river models ecosistema legislación medioambiental impacto ambiental canales construcciones hidráulicas ríos modelos Fremier, Alexander K. Girvetz, Evan Hartunian Greco, Steven E Larsen, Eric W Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title | Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title_full | Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title_short | Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| title_sort | quantifying process based mitigation strategies in historical context separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration |
| topic | ecosystems environmental legislation environmental impact canals hydraulic structures river models ecosistema legislación medioambiental impacto ambiental canales construcciones hidráulicas ríos modelos |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56598 |
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