02686nas a2200133   4500008004100000245012800041210006900169300001500238490000700253520218100260100001602441700001802457856007702475       2012                        eng d00aThe expansion of woody riparian vegetation, and subsequent stream restoration, influences the metabolism of prairie streams0 aexpansion of woody riparian vegetation and subsequent stream res  a1138 -11500 v573 a<p>1.&ensp;Tallgrass prairies and their streams are highly endangered ecosystems, and many remaining streams are threatened by the encroachment of woody riparian vegetation. An increase in riparian vegetation converts the naturally open-canopy prairie streams to closed-canopy systems. The effects of a change in canopy cover on stream metabolism are unknown. 2.&ensp;Our goal was to determine the effects of canopy cover on prairie stream metabolism during a 4-year period in Kings Creek, KS, U.S.A. Metabolic rates from forested reaches were compared to rates in naturally open-canopy reaches and restoration reaches, the latter having closed canopies in 2006 and 2007 and open canopies in 2008 and 2009. Whole-stream metabolism was estimated using the two-station diurnal method. Chlorophyll a concentrations and mass of filamentous algae were measured after riparian removal to assess potential differences in algal biomass between reaches with open or closed canopies. 3.&ensp;Metabolic rates were spatially and temporally variable even though the sites were on very similar streams or adjacent to each other within streams. Before riparian vegetation removal, whole-stream community respiration (CR) and net ecosystem production were greater with greater canopy cover. In the vegetation removal reaches, gross primary production was slightly greater after removal. 4.&ensp;Chlorophyll a concentrations were marginally significantly greater in open (naturally open and removal reaches) than in closed canopy and differed significantly between seasons. Filamentous algal biomass was greater in open than in closed-canopy reaches. 5.&ensp;Overall, the restoration allowed recovery of some features of open-canopy prairie streams. Woody expansion apparently increases CR and moves prairie stream metabolism towards a more net heterotrophic state. An increase in canopy cover decreases benthic chlorophyll, decreases dominance of filamentous algae and potentially alters resources available to the stream food web. The results of this study provide insights for land managers and conservationists interested in preserving prairie streams in their native open-canopy state</p>1 aRiley, A.J.1 aDodds, W., K.  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2012.02778.x02970nas a2200169   4500008004100000245013600041210006900177260004300246490002100289520238200310653001102692653001502703653001202718100001602730700001802746856003602764       2011                        eng d00aEffects of riparian woody vegetation encroachment on prairie stream structure and function with emphasis on whole-stream metabolism0 aEffects of riparian woody vegetation encroachment on prairie str  aManhattan, KSbKansas State University0 vPhD Dissertation3 a<p>Much of the North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem has been converted to cropland or urbanized. One threat to the remaining prairie ecosystems, and the streams within, is woody vegetation encroachment. Stream productivity, measured as metabolism, is a fundamental process comprised of gross primary production (GPP) and (CR) community respiration. Understanding GPP and CR is important because these processes are vital to ecosystem function and can be impacted by a change in canopy cover. First, I investigated improvements in existing methods for estimating whole-stream metabolism as estimated from diel patterns of oxygen (O2). I compared measured and modeled O2 and aeration (a physical parameter required for measurement of metabolism) rates to determine if direct measurement of aeration is necessary and the importance of temperature correction of metabolism. Modeling was moderately successful in determining aeration rates, and temperature correction of GPP and CR substantially improved model fits. Second, effects of woody vegetation encroachment on prairie stream function were investigated. Stream metabolism was measured for four years in duplicate reaches with varying canopy cover (closed canopy, naturally open canopy, and vegetation removal reaches). The removal reaches had closed canopy for the first two years and open canopy for the last two years. Canopy cover increased CR rates and had minimal effects on GPP. Third, the same experiment was used to determine the effects of woody vegetation encroachment on prairie stream ecosystem structure and food web interactions. Chlorophyll a and filamentous algal biomass were greater in naturally open and vegetation removal reaches, although the effects were stronger on filamentous algal biomass. As canopy cover decreased, the filamentous algal biomass to chlorophyll ratio increased, indicating a shift in algal community structure. Stable isotope analysis indicated some shift in pathways of nitrogen and carbon flux into the food web related to degree of canopy cover, but overlap in the signature of food sources made distinct food sources difficult to identify. The data indicate that riparian encroachment can influence ecosystem structure and function in prairie streams and restoration to remove woody riparian cover may restore some ecosystem features of naturally open canopy streams.</p>10acanopy10ametabolism10astreams1 aRiley, A.J.1 aDodds, W., K.  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/2097/8545