ABSTRACT The restoration of a functional ecosystem depends first on understanding the factors tha... more ABSTRACT The restoration of a functional ecosystem depends first on understanding the factors that shape historical and future trajectories of pattern and processes, and subsequently matching that understanding to the restoration objectives for a given site. This includes an evaluation of the suite of restoration and management options available to the restoration practitioner, since rarely is it feasible or even possible to restore all historical features. In California, historical reconstructions inform restoration of oak woodlands, riparian forests, wetlands, and rivers. Unfortunately, detailed historical records are difficult to obtain for many systems. In lieu of this information, restoration experiments can provide a window into the past and can advance how we use historical context to improve restoration. The Cosumnes River case study illustrates an adaptive approach to incorporating history into restoration of a riparian forest and floodplain system at the Cosumnes River Preserve in California. We describe our first attempts at riparian restoration by hand planting, followed by our review of available historical data and field observations, and our subsequent iterations as the focus shifted to reestablishing key ecosystem processes. Multidisciplinary monitoring revealed how the floodplain riparian system functioned, providing a window into history that continues to guide restoration of these dynamic ecosystems.
Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-... more Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-role reversal in fishes has been documented only in species in which males bear eggs, such as pipefish and a mouthbrooding cardinalfish. I investigated the reproductive behavior of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Gobiidae), to determine whether and to what degree this species is sex-role reversed. Males constructed and defended burrows for spawning in sand. Both sexes initiated courtship, but the female's breeding coloration was more striking. The intensity of sexual aggression was greater among females than among males. The female laid her entire clutch with a single male, and the male accepted only one clutch per brooding cycle. Both sexes spawned repeatedly (up to 12 times in aquaria), but fish did not form permanent pairs. Males cared for eggs in the burrow 9-11 days until hatching, and rarely if ever emerged to feed. Many aspects of male behavior (nest construction and defense, courtship, and parental care) were typical of most gobiids. On the other hand, female behavior (black nuptial coloration and intense female-female competition) was unusual, not only for gobiids but for animals in general. I therefore concluded that the tidewater goby is moderately sex-role reversed. Its sexual behavior is apparently unique among fishes because it is the only reported case of sex-role reversal in teleost males that do not bear eggs or developing young.
Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-... more Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-role reversal in fishes has been documented only in species in which males bear eggs, such as pipefish and a mouth brooding cardinalfish. I investigated the reproductive behavior of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Gobiidae), to determine whether and to what degree this species is
Riparian and floodplain ecosystems are shaped and sustained by the river's hydrologic processes, ... more Riparian and floodplain ecosystems are shaped and sustained by the river's hydrologic processes, such as flooding. The Cosumnes River Preserve is a multi-partner effort to protect and restore natural habitats within the floodplain of the Cosumnes River. This landscape-scale project protects over 40,000 acres of riparian forest, wetlands, and vernal pool grasslands. Early restoration efforts relied on active measures, such as hand planting of oaks and willows. This method, however, was expensive and labor intensive, and sometimes plantings failed. In the last several years we have focused on restoring natural processes that sustain and create habitat, such as flooding. Natural process restoration is now an integral part of the restoration program and central to our planning for property acquisition. Intentional levee breaches have restored the hydrologic connection between the lower Cosumnes River and its floodplain. Floods passing through levee breaches created in 1995 and 1997 have deposited sediment, seeds and plant cuttings on former farm fields, and stimulated natural recruitment of cottonwood and willow riparian forests. This method also provided valuable habitat for chinook salmon and Sacramento splittail. Creating seasonally flooded habitat rather than permanent ponds benefits native fishes more than non-native fishes. Monitoring by the Cosumnes Research Group and others is providing feedback for adaptive management.
Naturally-functioning floodplains provide a variety of ecosystem services, including habitat for ... more Naturally-functioning floodplains provide a variety of ecosystem services, including habitat for diverse species. California's rivers are highly altered, with levees that disconnect floodplains, dams that alter flows, and land use practices that have destroyed most than 90 percent of riparian habitat. Restoration efforts that reinstate natural hydrologic processes are likely to produce more resilient, functioning ecosystems. At the Cosumnes River Preserve, levees were intentionally breached to restore hydrologic connection between the lower ...
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1996
... RAMONA O. SWENSON' AND ARJA T. McCRAY2 Department of Integrative Biology and Mus... more ... RAMONA O. SWENSON' AND ARJA T. McCRAY2 Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California ... We collected tidewater gobies from three sites reflecting the range of habitats in these estuarine systems: lagoon, creek, and marsh. ...
ABSTRACT The restoration of a functional ecosystem depends first on understanding the factors tha... more ABSTRACT The restoration of a functional ecosystem depends first on understanding the factors that shape historical and future trajectories of pattern and processes, and subsequently matching that understanding to the restoration objectives for a given site. This includes an evaluation of the suite of restoration and management options available to the restoration practitioner, since rarely is it feasible or even possible to restore all historical features. In California, historical reconstructions inform restoration of oak woodlands, riparian forests, wetlands, and rivers. Unfortunately, detailed historical records are difficult to obtain for many systems. In lieu of this information, restoration experiments can provide a window into the past and can advance how we use historical context to improve restoration. The Cosumnes River case study illustrates an adaptive approach to incorporating history into restoration of a riparian forest and floodplain system at the Cosumnes River Preserve in California. We describe our first attempts at riparian restoration by hand planting, followed by our review of available historical data and field observations, and our subsequent iterations as the focus shifted to reestablishing key ecosystem processes. Multidisciplinary monitoring revealed how the floodplain riparian system functioned, providing a window into history that continues to guide restoration of these dynamic ecosystems.
Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-... more Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-role reversal in fishes has been documented only in species in which males bear eggs, such as pipefish and a mouthbrooding cardinalfish. I investigated the reproductive behavior of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Gobiidae), to determine whether and to what degree this species is sex-role reversed. Males constructed and defended burrows for spawning in sand. Both sexes initiated courtship, but the female's breeding coloration was more striking. The intensity of sexual aggression was greater among females than among males. The female laid her entire clutch with a single male, and the male accepted only one clutch per brooding cycle. Both sexes spawned repeatedly (up to 12 times in aquaria), but fish did not form permanent pairs. Males cared for eggs in the burrow 9-11 days until hatching, and rarely if ever emerged to feed. Many aspects of male behavior (nest construction and defense, courtship, and parental care) were typical of most gobiids. On the other hand, female behavior (black nuptial coloration and intense female-female competition) was unusual, not only for gobiids but for animals in general. I therefore concluded that the tidewater goby is moderately sex-role reversed. Its sexual behavior is apparently unique among fishes because it is the only reported case of sex-role reversal in teleost males that do not bear eggs or developing young.
Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-... more Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-role reversal in fishes has been documented only in species in which males bear eggs, such as pipefish and a mouth brooding cardinalfish. I investigated the reproductive behavior of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Gobiidae), to determine whether and to what degree this species is
Riparian and floodplain ecosystems are shaped and sustained by the river's hydrologic processes, ... more Riparian and floodplain ecosystems are shaped and sustained by the river's hydrologic processes, such as flooding. The Cosumnes River Preserve is a multi-partner effort to protect and restore natural habitats within the floodplain of the Cosumnes River. This landscape-scale project protects over 40,000 acres of riparian forest, wetlands, and vernal pool grasslands. Early restoration efforts relied on active measures, such as hand planting of oaks and willows. This method, however, was expensive and labor intensive, and sometimes plantings failed. In the last several years we have focused on restoring natural processes that sustain and create habitat, such as flooding. Natural process restoration is now an integral part of the restoration program and central to our planning for property acquisition. Intentional levee breaches have restored the hydrologic connection between the lower Cosumnes River and its floodplain. Floods passing through levee breaches created in 1995 and 1997 have deposited sediment, seeds and plant cuttings on former farm fields, and stimulated natural recruitment of cottonwood and willow riparian forests. This method also provided valuable habitat for chinook salmon and Sacramento splittail. Creating seasonally flooded habitat rather than permanent ponds benefits native fishes more than non-native fishes. Monitoring by the Cosumnes Research Group and others is providing feedback for adaptive management.
Naturally-functioning floodplains provide a variety of ecosystem services, including habitat for ... more Naturally-functioning floodplains provide a variety of ecosystem services, including habitat for diverse species. California's rivers are highly altered, with levees that disconnect floodplains, dams that alter flows, and land use practices that have destroyed most than 90 percent of riparian habitat. Restoration efforts that reinstate natural hydrologic processes are likely to produce more resilient, functioning ecosystems. At the Cosumnes River Preserve, levees were intentionally breached to restore hydrologic connection between the lower ...
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1996
... RAMONA O. SWENSON' AND ARJA T. McCRAY2 Department of Integrative Biology and Mus... more ... RAMONA O. SWENSON' AND ARJA T. McCRAY2 Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California ... We collected tidewater gobies from three sites reflecting the range of habitats in these estuarine systems: lagoon, creek, and marsh. ...
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