Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska
The Flow-Sediment-Mechanical approach is one of two management strategies presented in the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program's (Program) Adaptive Management Plan to create and maintain suitable riverine habitat (≥200 m wide unobstructed channels) for whooping cranes (Grus americana)....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018350199 |
| _version_ | 1819133362095259648 |
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| author | Jason M. Farnsworth David M. Baasch Patrick D. Farrell Chadwin B. Smith Kevin L. Werbylo |
| author_facet | Jason M. Farnsworth David M. Baasch Patrick D. Farrell Chadwin B. Smith Kevin L. Werbylo |
| author_sort | Jason M. Farnsworth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Flow-Sediment-Mechanical approach is one of two management strategies presented in the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program's (Program) Adaptive Management Plan to create and maintain suitable riverine habitat (≥200 m wide unobstructed channels) for whooping cranes (Grus americana). The Program's Flow-Sediment-Mechanical management strategy consists of sediment augmentation, mechanical vegetation clearing and channel widening, channel consolidation, and short duration high flow releases of 142–227 m3/s for three to five days in two out of three years in order to increase the unvegetated width of the main channel and, by extension, create and maintain suitable habitat for whooping crane use. We examined the influence of a range of hydrologic and physical metrics on total unvegetated channel width (TUCW) and maximum unobstructed channel width (MUOCW) during the period of 2007–2015 and applied those findings to assess the performance of the Flow-Sediment-Mechanical management strategy for creating and maintaining whooping crane roosting habitat. Our investigation highlights uncertainties that are introduced when exploring the relationship between physical process drivers and species habitat metrics. We identified a strong positive relationship between peak flows and TUCW and MUOCW within the Associated Habitat Reach of the central Platte River. However, the peak discharge magnitude and duration needed to create highly favorable whooping crane roosting habitat within our study area are much greater than short duration high flow releases, as currently envisioned. We also found disking in combination with herbicide application to vegetated portions of the channel are effective for creating and maintaining highly favorable unobstructed channel widths for whooping cranes in all but the very driest years. As such, resource managers could prioritize the treatment of mid-channel islands that are vegetated to increase the suitability of roosting habitat for whooping cranes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:46:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5cc2bc942cc4ad2b59b21d56197eaa3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:46:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5cc2bc942cc4ad2b59b21d56197eaa32022-12-21T18:30:32ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402018-10-01410e00851Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, NebraskaJason M. Farnsworth0David M. Baasch1Patrick D. Farrell2Chadwin B. Smith3Kevin L. Werbylo4Executive Director's Office for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 4111 4th Avenue, Suite 6, Kearney, NE, 68845, USACorresponding author.; Executive Director's Office for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 4111 4th Avenue, Suite 6, Kearney, NE, 68845, USAExecutive Director's Office for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 4111 4th Avenue, Suite 6, Kearney, NE, 68845, USAExecutive Director's Office for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 4111 4th Avenue, Suite 6, Kearney, NE, 68845, USAExecutive Director's Office for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 4111 4th Avenue, Suite 6, Kearney, NE, 68845, USAThe Flow-Sediment-Mechanical approach is one of two management strategies presented in the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program's (Program) Adaptive Management Plan to create and maintain suitable riverine habitat (≥200 m wide unobstructed channels) for whooping cranes (Grus americana). The Program's Flow-Sediment-Mechanical management strategy consists of sediment augmentation, mechanical vegetation clearing and channel widening, channel consolidation, and short duration high flow releases of 142–227 m3/s for three to five days in two out of three years in order to increase the unvegetated width of the main channel and, by extension, create and maintain suitable habitat for whooping crane use. We examined the influence of a range of hydrologic and physical metrics on total unvegetated channel width (TUCW) and maximum unobstructed channel width (MUOCW) during the period of 2007–2015 and applied those findings to assess the performance of the Flow-Sediment-Mechanical management strategy for creating and maintaining whooping crane roosting habitat. Our investigation highlights uncertainties that are introduced when exploring the relationship between physical process drivers and species habitat metrics. We identified a strong positive relationship between peak flows and TUCW and MUOCW within the Associated Habitat Reach of the central Platte River. However, the peak discharge magnitude and duration needed to create highly favorable whooping crane roosting habitat within our study area are much greater than short duration high flow releases, as currently envisioned. We also found disking in combination with herbicide application to vegetated portions of the channel are effective for creating and maintaining highly favorable unobstructed channel widths for whooping cranes in all but the very driest years. As such, resource managers could prioritize the treatment of mid-channel islands that are vegetated to increase the suitability of roosting habitat for whooping cranes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018350199EcologyEnvironmental scienceHydrology |
| spellingShingle | Jason M. Farnsworth David M. Baasch Patrick D. Farrell Chadwin B. Smith Kevin L. Werbylo Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska Heliyon Ecology Environmental science Hydrology |
| title | Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska |
| title_full | Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska |
| title_fullStr | Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska |
| title_short | Investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central Platte River, Nebraska |
| title_sort | investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology channel morphology and a water centric management strategy on the central platte river nebraska |
| topic | Ecology Environmental science Hydrology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018350199 |
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