Chapter 5, Great Basin Riparian Ecosystems (Ecology, Management, and Restoration)
Riparian corridors in upland watersheds in the Great Basin of central Nevada contain the majority of the region's biodiversity. Water, in both surface and subsurface flow regimes, is an important resource sustaining these sensitive ecosystems and other similar riparian ecosystems in mountainous regions of the western U.S. This chapter examines geomorphic and hydrogeologic controls on the riparian wet meadow ecosystem hydrology of upland watersheds in the Great Basin of central Nevada. Two case studies, the Big Creek and Indian Creek field sites in the Toiyabe National Forest, are used to illustrate representative wet meadow systems and the interactions between surface and subsurface waters. In addition to characterizing the surface and subsurface hydrologic systems with respect to the geomorphic and geologic settings, the relations between vegetation and hydrology are examined and the impact of stream incision on hydrology and vegetation patterns also is evaluated. A discussion of a framework for implementing scientifically sound management and restoration strategies from a hydrologic perspective concludes the chapter.