characteristics of the vegetation community of the riparian zone of headwater streams cormac mc...
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Riparian zones Area along stream Dimensions delineation Vital for stream condition Forms the edgeTRANSCRIPT
Characteristics of the vegetation community of the riparian zone of headwater streams
Cormac Mc ConigleyDr. Heather Lally
Dr. Mary Kelly-Quinn
Headwaters First and second order
Under 3m wide
77% of total river network
Heterogeneous: rapid longitudinal change
Edge to discharge ratio
Riparian zones
Area along stream
Dimensions delineation
Vital for stream condition
Forms the edge
Functions of the riparian zone
Carbon
Filtration
Stabilisation
Temperature regulation
Intrinsic value
Site attributesSite Soil type Coordinates County Width (m) Depth (m)
31 Peat F 850 193 Mayo 2.64 0.11
50 Peat V 959 830 Kerry 2.00 0.66
58 Peat C 033 239 Donegal 1.40 0.42
65 Peat M 112 345 Galway 2.00 0.83
21 Peat B 043 228 Donegal 2.50 0.80
23 Peat B 913 138 Donegal 0.38 0.15
2 Peaty podzol O 110 112 Wicklow 1.70 0.14
7 Peaty podzol O 120 084 Wicklow 2.43 0.34
10 Peaty podzol O 150 142 Wicklow 0.93 0.23
39 Peaty podzol L 719 563 Galway 0.83 0.31
70 Peaty podzol W 896 572 Cork 1.20 0.25
Table1. Attributes of 11 upland headwater sites
S2 R
S2 L
S1 L
S3 R
S1 R
S3 L
100m
10m
Moorland
Moorland
S2 R
S2 L
S1 L
S1 R
R1
R2
R3
Station
2m
10 m
Moorland
Moorland
Statistical analysis
Standardised
Cluster
PERMANOVA
UnivariateA B C D E F
020406080
100
Mean Organic matter content for each of the groups ± SD
Cluster analysis of 179 relevés
A Ba b c d e f
nMDS from cluster analysis
48% cover
nMDS from cluster analysisa BryophytaSphagnum
b Potentilla erecta Juncus effusus
c Calluna vulgarisVaccinium myrtillus
d Pteridium aquilinumBryophyta
e AnthoxanthumodoratumMolinia caerulea
f Juncus effususBryophyta
nMDS labelled by county
b Potentilla erecta Juncus effusus
e AnthoxanthumodoratumMolinia caerulea
a BryophytaSphagnum
c Calluna vulgarisVaccinium myrtillus
Wicklow
d Pteridium aquilinumBryophytaf Juncus effusus
Bryophyta
A B C D E F0
4
8
12
Mean number of taxa within groups ± SD
Univariate
A B C D E F0
1
2
3
Shannon diversity of each of the groups ± SD
A B C D E F0
2
4
6
Mean soil pH of the groups ± SD
A B C D E F0
1
2
3
Species richness within the groups ± SD
(S-1)logN
Mean organic content
A B C D E F0
20
40
60
80
100Mean organic matter content for each of the groups ± SD
Summary
Wicklow
High organic matter
Conclusions
Equal diversity across groups
Molinia caerulea most important for grouping
East/West divide
Organic content of soil
Acknowledgements
Dr Mary Kelly-QuinnDr. Heather Lally
My funders: Department of Agriculture Food and Marine
Partners: Woodlands of Ireland& Coillte
