Eduardo González-Sargas

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Colorado State University | CSU · Department of Biology

Human activities on floodplains have severely disrupted the regeneration of foundation riparian shrub and tree species of the Salicaceae family (Populus and Salix spp.) throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Restoration ecologists initially tackled this problem from a terrestrial perspective that emphasized planting. More recently, floodplain restorat...

Incorporating societal considerations into decisions related to invasive species management is desirable, but can be challenging because it requires a solid understanding of the ecological functions and socio-cultural and economic benefits and values of the invaded environment before and after invasion. The ecosystem service (ES) concept was design...

We assessed the response of breeding birds to one decade of riparian restoration in the Colorado River delta including active vegetation management since 2010 and various environmental water deliveries since 2014. Bird surveys were conducted from 2002 to 2021 at 230 bird count stations distributed along five river reaches with different hydrogeomor...

Questions How does the type of swamp, that is, riverine vs palustrine, shape understorey and overstorey plant communities? Beyond swamp type, how do spatial, topographic, soil and landscape characteristics determine the taxonomic and functional structure of swamp communities? Location Southern Québec, Canada. Methods We sampled riverine and palus...

We examined the influence of local habitat factors such as plant community composition and species cover, and landscape habitat factors (e.g., land cover types) on the composition of the avian community in an arid-region large river delta (Colorado River). This 106 river km-long study area has experienced restoration through environmental water del...

Rivers have an intricate relationship with the vegetation that colonizes them. Riparian plants, capable of thriving within river corridors, both respond to and influence geomorphology. Yet interactions between river morphodynamics and vegetation tend to be context specific, making it challenging to generalize findings between locations. The current...

Effective ecological restoration requires empirical assessment to determine outcomes of projects, but conclusions regarding the effects of restoration treatments on the whole ecosystem remain rare. Control of invasive shrubs and trees in the genus Tamarix and associated riparian restoration in the American Southwest has been of interest to scientis...

Ecological restoration is an essential strategy for mitigating the current biodiversity crisis, yet restoration actions are costly. We used systematic conservation planning principles to design an approach that prioritizes restoration sites for birds and tested it in a riparian forest restoration program in the Colorado River Delta. Restoration goa...

Understanding plant community response to environmental change is a crucial aspect of biological conservation and restoration, but species-based approaches are limited in that they do not reveal the underlying mechanisms driving vegetation dynamics. An understanding of trait-environment relationships is particularly important in the case of invasiv...

Poplars establish on alluvial bars within sand and gravel-bed rivers. Alluvial bars also provide particularly suitable habitats for the proliferation of ants. We hypothesized that ants, by modifying substrate structure and resource availability in fluvial habitats, positively influence poplar growth during its establishment stage. We conducted a pr...

Riparian ecosystems are highly dependent on feedbacks between vegetation dynamics and hydrogeomorphic components. Physical constraints on vegetation support a mosaic of heterogeneous habitats that support high biological diversity and provide many ecosystem services. Most European rivers have undergone anthropogenic alterations such as channelizati...

Bioengineering techniques have been encouraged over “hard” civil engineering such as riprap for recovering naturalness on stabilized riverbanks, but their effectiveness in reproducing the plant species diversity and vegetation succession present on non-stabilized (natural) riverbanks has rarely been assessed. Here, we compared alpha and beta divers...

Dear Colleagues, Natural riparian systems are some of the most diverse, dynamic and complex biophysical habitats in the world. The interactions among water flow, sediments and riparian vegetation generate a dynamic habitat mosaic that evolves driven by a variety of both natural and anthropogenic stimuli. Human land use practices in watersheds and p...

Ecosystem Services Provided by Riparian Forests Riparian forests have the reputation of providing a disproportionate amount of ecosystem services (ES) to society, considering their spatial extent. Unfortunately, ES of riparian forests have been mostly overlooked, as ES are usually quantified using an unsuitably large spatial grain for such narrow...

Invasive species are a major cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, but their impact on communities and the mechanisms driving those impacts are varied and not well understood. This study employs functional diversity metrics and guilds—suites of species with similar traits—to assess the influence of an invasive tree (Tamarix spp.) on riparian plant...

Willows are used as cuttings or in fascines for riverbank soil bioengineering, to control erosion with their high resprouting ability and rapid growth. However, water availability is highly variable along riverbanks both in time and space and constitutes a major stress limiting willow establishment. A species-specific understanding of willow cuttin...

This paper provides an overview of past, present and future themes for research and management of riparian zones, often relating to papers within this Wetlands Special Feature. Riparian research expanded in the United States around 1980 with themes that recognized (1) damage from excessive livestock, or (2) damage from river damming and diversion,...

Coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) are frequently represented by large datasets with varied data including continuous, ordinal, and categorical variables. Conventional multivariate analyses cannot handle these mixed data types. In this paper, our goal was to show how a clustering method that has not before been applied to understanding the h...

Reduced abundance of non-native Tamarix shrubs in western U.S. riparian systems following biological control by a defoliating beetle has led to concerns that replacement plant communities could be dominated by other invasive species and/or not provide some of the ecosystem services that Tamarix was providing. In previous studies, Tamarix decline fo...

We investigated the relative role of manager traits and decisions for explaining the impact of riparian restoration. To do this, we used the difference in vegetation between post-restoration and controls for 243 pairs of sites to create a success index. We then determined how much variability in success could be explained by physical variables that...

The correct citation for the reference Martínez-Fernández et al. (2017b) is: Martínez-Fernández, V., González, E., López-Almansa, J.C., González, S.M., García de Jalón, D., 2017. Dismantling artificial levees and channel revetments promotes channel widening and regeneration of riparian vegetation over long river segments. Ecol. Eng. 108, 132–142. T...

Plant community responses to biocontrol of invasive plants are understudied, despite the strong influence of the composition of replacement vegetation on ecosystem functions and services. We studied the vegetation response to a folivore beetle (Diorhabda genus, Coleoptera) that has been introduced along southwestern US river valleys to control the...

Feedback between hydrogeomorphological processes and riparian plants drive landscape dynamics and vegetation succession in river corridors. We describe the consequences of biogeomorphological feedback on the formation and dynamics of vegetated fluvial landforms based on observations from the channelised Isère River in France. The channel was latera...

In December 2010, a 40‐yr flood occurred in the lower Virgin River (SE Nevada, southwestern U.S.), a braided river segment with riparian vegetation largely dominated by invasive shrubs in the genus Tamarix. We assessed geomorphological and vegetation responses to this large magnitude disturbance event by comparing pre‐ and post‐flood remote sensing...

Riparian shrubs and trees in the Salicaceae family release their seeds when floods that create nursery sites for germination are more frequent, but little is known about the factors controlling temporal variations in seed release within the seed release period. The seed release of three riparian tree species dominating European floodplain forests (...

Plant communities and dynamics can be characterized according to species composition or plant traits. Here, we used species composition and plant traits to compare their effectiveness in discriminating the biogeomorphological (involving reciprocal feedbacks between physical and biological processes) and ecological (mainly biologically driven) phase...

Managers of restoration projects need readily applicable tools that give them an unequivocal declaration of success or failure based on primary goals that may vary according to different jurisdictions. We used restored extracted Sphagnum peatlands in Canada to illustrate how different types of plant communities assigned to different restoration out...

Las actividades humanas en las llanuras de inundación interfieren negativamente en la regeneración de especies de la familia Salicaceae — álamos/chopos (Populus spp.) y sauces (Salix spp.), que desempeñan un papel clave en los ecosistemas riparios del hemisferio norte. La restauración ecológica inicialmente abordó este problema desde una perspectiv...

Managers of restoration projects need readily applicable tools that give them an unequivocal declaration of success or failure based on primary goals that may vary according to different jurisdictions. We used restored extracted Sphagnum peatlands in Canada to illustrate how different types of plant communities assigned to different restoration out...

The science‐practice gap is often cited as a limitation to successful restoration outcomes, however the existence of such a gap in information exchange is rarely measured. Here we quantify the gap by focusing on common recommendations from both scientists (i.e., researchers) and managers (i.e., practitioners, land managers) on what is needed for su...

Spatial modeling has proven to be useful in understanding the drivers of plant populations in the field of ecology, but has yet to be applied to understanding variation in biocontrol impact. In this study, we employ multi-scale analysis (Moran’s Eigenvector Maps) to better understand the variation in tree canopy exposed to defoliation by a biocontr...

Within riparian corridors, Salicaceae trees and shrubs affect hydrogeomorphic processes and lead to the formation of wooded fluvial landforms. These trees form dense stands and enhance plant anchorage, as grouped plants are less prone to be uprooted than free-standing individuals. This also enhances their role as ecosystem engineers through the tra...

Removal of invasive species is often an important, if not central, component of many riparian restoration projects , however little is known about the response of plant communities following this practice. In particular, active control of the exotic, dominant tree Tamarix spp is often a focus of riparian restoration, much of which occurring against...

La stabilisation de berge est un enjeu important pour la protection des infrastructures routières et urbaines. Les approches alternatives au génie civil comme le génie végétal suscitent un intérêt grandissant. Bien que la capacité de bouturage de plusieurs espèces d’arbustes typiques de milieux riverains soit bien connue et exploitée en génie végét...

Control of invasive species within ecosystems may induce secondary invasions of non-target invaders replacing the first alien. We used four plant species listed as noxious by local authorities in riparian systems to discern whether 1) the severity of these secondary invasions was related to the control method applied to the first alien; and 2) whic...

Longitudinal structures manipulation can re-activate channel migration and thus restore flood-dependent riparian plant communities in human-constrained floodplains. However, it has been rarely implemented over long restored river segments and has been infrequently assessed while taking into account river conditions prior to restoration. This study...

Most studies assessing vegetation response following control of invasive Tamarix trees along southwestern U.S. rivers have been small in scale (e.g., river reach), or at a regional scale but with poor spatial-temporal replication, and most have not included testing the effects of a now widely used biological control. We monitored plant composition...

The restoration of plant communities requires not only suitable ecological niches, but also efficient sources of propagules. This study aims to identify the contribution of time versus space dispersal as well as local abiotic drivers to the species turnover induced by tree planting on riparian plant communities. Fifty-one riparian zones planted wit...

The disruption of hydrological connectivity by human activities such as flood regulation or land-use changes strongly impacts riparian plant communities. However, landscape-scale processes have generally been neglected in riparian restoration projects as opposed to local conditions, even though such processes might largely influence community recov...

The northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) was released in 2001 as a biocontrol agent for Tamarix spp., an invasive tree that dominates riparian ecosystems throughout the southwestern United States. The factors that influence its effectiveness at controlling Tamarix, and the effects of control on plant communities, are not well known. Here...

Restoring the flooding-related disturbance regime by removing and setting back flood defenses (channel widening) is the most efficient strategy for recovering riparian plant communities in floodplains formerly impacted by human activities such as agriculture, mining, and forestry. Removing flood defenses is generally not socially accepted, and alte...

Populations of the riparian pioneer species Populus nigra L. which establish on alluvial bars within river channels modulate sediment dynamics and fluvial landforms. Dense cohorts of P. nigra have colonized gravel point bars along the channelized River Garonne, France, during the last 20 years and have enhanced the vertical, lateral and longitudina...

1. Trajectories of plant communities can be described by different models of plant succession. While a Clementsian (gradual continuum model) or Gleasonian approach (relay floristics model) has traditionally been used to inform restoration outcomes, alternative succession models developed recently may better represent restoration trajectories. The t...

Abandoning hybrid poplar plantations may be an alternative strategy for enlarging natural riparian corridors along regulated rivers where forest regeneration no longer takes place. Despite the generally high local diversity of plants in poplar plantations, their capacity to converge towards riparian forests following abandonment remains largely unt...

The disruption of hydrological connectivity by human activities such as flood regulation or land- use changes strongly impacts riparian plant communities. However, landscape- scale processes have generally been neglected in riparian restoration projects as opposed to local conditions, even though such processes might largely influence community rec...

The restoration of plant communities requires not only suitable ecological niches, but also efficient sources of propagules. This study aims to identify the contribution of time versus space dispersal as well as local abiotic drivers to the species turnover induced by tree planting on riparian plant communities. Fifty-one riparian zones planted wi...

The recolonization of plant communities in restored ecosystems corresponds to a bottle-neck process structured around three main successive steps, i.e. the dispersal of species to restored sites, their germination and the establishment of reproductive populations. Seed sowing and transplant experiments can help to determine the ecological filters c...

Based on the hypothesis of an eco-evolutionary feedback between woody riparian species and fluvial geomorphology, a semi-controlled ex situ experiment has been planned to quantify key response functional traits (morphological and biomechanical) of Populus nigra L. cuttings to simulated hydrogeomorphological constraints, as well as to dissociate the...

One of the largest efforts on riparian restoration is reforestation. Nevertheless, knowledge on the species response to varying hydrological conditions is needed to ensure successful establishment (Francis et al. 2005). Based on survival data of a riparian reforestation one year after plantation, an algorithm based on Markov chains has been develop...

QuestionsHave species expanded their ranges upward in elevation? Have α- and β-diversity changed over time? Have species richness changes along the gradient shown distributional patterns? Have community compositions changed over time, and if so, which plant families are responsible for variation? Do herbaceous changes correspond to increased warmin...

Riparian Salicaceae are prolific producers of short-lived seeds that require very restrictive hydro-geomorphic conditions for establishment. It is generally assumed that if floods are able to create nursery sites timed with seed dispersal, recruitment will occur. Other spatial and temporal seed dispersal patterns besides the dispersal period have h...

When evaluating the success or failure of ecological restoration projects, practitioners need to verify success within the first few years of the monitoring process to apply corrective measures if necessary or to reclaim environmental down payment where required. This could be achieved with ecological indicators, if they can be easily and routinely...

Nowadays riparian forests are one of the most threatened habitats in Europe, mainly because of the use of the area by traditional agriculture due to the high value of the riverbanks for crop growing. This let the present riparian areas to be unable to achieve most of the ecological functions expected as flood control, energy dissipation, carbon seq...

The moss layer transfer technique has been used since the 1990s to restore bogs in North America after peat extraction. This article assesses the influence of drainage-related, peat physicochemical, meteorological, management and landscape factors on the vegetation of extracted peatlands that have been restored in this manner. It draws upon data fr...

Constructing ponds to protect downstream ecosystems is a common practice in opencast coal mine reclamation. As these ponds remain integrated in the landscape, it is important to evaluate the extent of the effect of mine pollution on these ecosystems. However, this point has not been sufficiently addressed in the literature. The main objective of th...

The mechanisms controlling soil succession in floodplains remain much less studied than in uplands due to the complexity that flooddriven erosion and sedimentation bring into soil development processes. The amount of organic matter and C generally grows with soil ageing and is controlled by multiple and interacting allogenic and autogenic factors,...

Riverine ecosystems are recurrently rejuvenated during destructive flood events and vegetation succession starts again. Poplars (i.e. species from Populus genera) respond to hydrogeomorphological constraints, but, in turn, also influence these processes. Thus, poplar development on bare mineral substrates is not exclusively a one-way vegetative pro...

Patterns of native and exotic plant species richness and cover were examined in relation with ecosystem engineer effects of pioneer vegetation within the Mediterranean gravel bed river Tech, South France. The floristic composition was characterized according to two distinct vegetation types corresponding to two habitats with contrasted conditions:...

The initial question of any ecological restoration project should be whether the degraded ecosystem may recover spontaneously in a reasonable time period or active intervention is needed. We examined the successional trajectories of vegetation within peatlands exploited by the traditional blockcut technique in Eastern Canada, with the final purpose...

When restoring ecosystems, the simple removal of stresses causing degradation may seem preferable over other more costly and time consuming approaches. However, some restoration techniques can be implemented at reasonable cost and with increased efficiency in certain cases. We examined the successional trajectories of vegetation within abandoned bl...

Riparian ecosystems support mosaics of terrestrial and aquatic plant species that enhance regional biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services to humans. Species composition and the distribution of functional traits – traits that define species in terms of their ecological roles – within riparian plant communities are rapidly changing in...

Background/Question/Methods Bog exploitation for horticultural purposes leaves large surfaces of residual peat that remain devoid of vegetation for decades. Restoration of those bogs is necessary to mitigate the loss of local biodiversity. However, tools to assess the success of restoration works have not been rigorously defined yet. We used vacu...

La caída de hojarasca es un proceso clave controlador de la dinámica trófica y nutricional en los sistemas río-llanura aluvial asociada. La cantidad y calidad de la hojarasca y la fenología de su caída pueden estar parcialmente controladas por la hidrología y la estructura forestal local. En el río Ebro Medio (un gran río mediterráneo, NE España),...

This paper summarizes a four-year study that examined the key role of the regulated hydrogeomorphic regime on some aspects of the floodplain forest ecology in the Middle Ebro River (NE Spain), including landscape and patch structure, regeneration, litter production and nutrient use by dominant riparian trees. Such an integrative work is aimed at gu...