Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for conducting riparian plant physiological experiments and a synthesis of existing data to evaluate how plant interactions are mediated by dam operations. The project aims to provide management guidance on which plant species could be altered, either through removals or dam operations, for the greatest effect on the Colorado River ecosystem. The project will involve conducting new experiments and modeling with existing data to examine how riparian plant species differ in their responses to daily fluctuating flows. The expected outcome of the project is to provide insight into which plant species benefit or suffer from daily fluctuations created by a hydropower dam and how plant species interact with one another along a regulated river. Key aspects of the project include: • Conducting riparian plant physiological experiments • Synthesizing existing data to evaluate plant interactions • Providing management guidance on plant species alteration • Examining plant species responses to daily fluctuating flows • Modeling with existing data to understand plant interactions • Evaluating the impact of dam operations on plant communities