Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Riparian ecosystems of the Manti-La Sal National Forest: An assessment of current conditions in relation to natural range of variability

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): K. P. Driscoll; D. Max Smith; Deborah M. Finch
    Date: 2019
    Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-386. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 160 p.
    Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
    Station: Rocky Mountain Research Station
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-386
    PDF: Download Publication  (16.0 MB)

    Description

    We conducted this assessment to provide information on the current conditions of riparian and wetland ecosystems in reference to their natural range of variability on the Manti-La Sal National Forest during forest plan revision. We used peer-reviewed literature, data from the Forest and other partners, and site visits to evaluate the status of four key ecosystem characteristics: (1) distribution of riparian ecosystems, (2) groundwater and surface water fluctuations, (3) channel and bank stability, and (4) floodplain condition. We determined that riparian and wetland ecosystems of the National Forest have experienced many stressors that have influenced their current conditions, including livestock and wild ungulate grazing, altered flow and fire regimes, road construction, timber harvest, invasive and encroaching species, vegetation mortality due to insects and disease, and altered temperature and precipitation regimes. Some geographical units of the Forest, particularly the Abajo Mountains, Mesas, and Canyons, appear to be more resistant to stressors. Our results have been incorporated in the assessment completed during the Forest plan revision process and will continue to be useful to resource managers and planners during efforts to restore and/or maintain riparian and wetland ecosystems on the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to rmrspubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Driscoll, K. P.; Smith, D. Max; Finch, Deborah M. 2019. Riparian ecosystems of the Manti-La Sal National Forest: An assessment of current conditions in relation to natural range of variability. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-386. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 160 p.

    Cited

    Google Scholar

    Keywords

    forest plan, key ecosystem characteristic, riparian vegetation, flow regime, channel morphology, floodplain

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/57790