River-Riparian Ecology and Management
- Ecological Patterns and Processes
- Physical Template and Processes
- Human Perception and Influence
Define Riparian Areas
- Proximity to Water
- Hydrology
- Vegetation
- Organisms
-Substrates and Soil
- Gradients and Function in Processes
Flow Regime
-Magnitude
-Frequency
-Duration
-Timing
-Rate of Change
Where does flow come from?
The Hydrologic Cycle
What are the 4 directions of flow?
A) Vertically - above ground or surface
B) Vertically - subsurface
C) Laterally
D) Longitudinally
Where does lateral flow come from?
A) Overland Flow
B) Groundwater Flow
C) Shallow Subsurface Flow
D) Saturated Flow
Where does flow come from spatially?
Vadose Zone and Phreatic Zone
Introduces the Capillary Fringe
What is the vadose zone?
Unsaturated layer above groundwater
What is the phreatic zone?
Saturated groundwater region
What is the capillary fringe?
Subsurface water layer in which groundwater seeps up from a water table due to capillary action to fill soil pores.
What is infiltration capacity?
The maximum rate at which water is absorbed into the ground (vadose zone) as precipitation falls on the slope surface. Measured like precipitation (mm/hr).
What does infiltration capacity depend on?
The three physical processes of absorption, storage in pore spaces, and transmission of water downward.
What is infiltration capacity a function of in the field?
- Soil texture and structure
- Soil (regolith) thickness and slope
- Vegetation - rooting depth and structure
- Antecedence or prior conditions (climatic conditions)