Resilienceand Bio‐GeomorphicSystemsgato-docs.its.txstate.edu/.../BinghamtonProgram2017.pdfThe...

Resilience andBio‐Geomorphic Systems

The 48th Annual BinghamtonGeomorphology Symposium

October 13-15, 2017Texas State University

San Marcos, TX

Program designed by Maël Le Noc, Texas State University

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Symposium Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2History of the Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Meeting Organizers & Steering Committee . . . . . . 4Aknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Schedule Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Field Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Detailed Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Friday, October 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Saturday, October 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Sunday, October 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Invited Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Abstracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Invited papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

table ofcontents

Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium 3

Resilience thinking is a rapidly emerging conceptthat is being used to frame how we approach thestudy of biophysical systems. It also seeks todetermine how societies, economies, andbiophysical systems can be managed to ensureresilience; that is, how to maintain the capacity of asystem to absorb disturbance. There are strongoverlaps between the scientific discipline ofgeomorphology (the biophysical processes thatshape Earth’s landscapes) and the concept ofresilience. There is however a lack of awareness ofthe foundations of the former in the emergence ofresilience. Thus, resilience is limited and limitingin its application to bio-geomorphic systems. Thissymposium provides a collective examination ofbio-geomorphic systems and resilience that willconceptually advance both areas of study andfurther cement the relevance and importance ofunderstanding the complexities of bio-geomorphicsystems in an emerging world of interdisciplinaryresearch endeavors. The 48th annual BinghamtonGeomorphology Symposium on Resilience and Bio-Geomorphic Systems brings together leading andemerging scientists in bio-geomorphology andresilience thinking.

symposiumoverview

4 Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium

The Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium(BGS) was first convened in 1970 and has now had48 successful Symposia, each devoted to a themewithin geomorphology. The BGS has traditionallygenerated a proceedings volume and many of thesehave been highly influential in their respectivesubfields of geomorphology. This long, rich historybegan at the State University of New York,Binghamton, but has ranged far beyond tolocations across the USA and abroad.

In 1966, four geomorphologists and physicalgeographers at the State University of New York-Binghamton, all graduates of A.N. Strahler atColumbia University, began organizing weeklybrown-bag lunches and discussing their commoninterests: geomorphology and water. As thediscussions became more focused over the nextfew years, and with the addition of MarieMorisawa to SUNY-Binghamton in 1970, the groupput on the first Binghamton GeomorphologySymposium, focusing specifically onEnvironmental Geomorphology.

These co-organizers were dismayed at theincreasing specialization and compartmen-talization that had occurred in the sciences, andnoted that many of the intriguing problems inscience had become interdisciplinary. Becausemany problems in environmental sciencetranscend traditional science and cut acrossscientific disciplines, they viewed thegeomorphologist as the surviving generalist inearth science, as being particularly capable tointeract in emerging environmental issues. Thus,they convened the first Binghamton Symposium,stating that “This Symposium is the first in whatwill be an annual symposia series ingeomorphology.” And so it was. The BinghamtonSymposium has been held annually ever since forfive decades. Each year the Symposium covers aspecific topic as it relates to geomorphology.

The topic of this year’s symposium, Resilience inBio-Geomorphic Systems, reflects the BGS’s goal ofproducing symposia on scientifically importanttopics. Resilience as a theme in geomorphology hasnot been previously addressed in the BSG history,and is a logical follow-on to the successful 2016symposium on Connectivity in Geomorphology.

history of theBinghamtongeomorphologysymposium


Jason P. Julian, Texas State UniversityKimberly M. Meitzen, Texas State UniversityDavid R. Butler, Texas State UniversityMartin Thoms, University of New England, Australia

meetingorganizers

Peter Ashmore, Western UniversitySean J. Bennett, University at Buffalo, SUNYDavid R. Butler, Texas State UniversityDon Coates, GeomorphologistR. Laurence Davis, University of New HavenPeng Gao, Syracuse UniversityCarol P. Harden, University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleAlan D. Howard, University of VirginiaJason P. Julian, Texas State UniversityCheryl McKenna Neuman, Trent UniversityFrancis J. Magilligan, Dartmouth CollegeRichard Marston, Kansas State UniversityKimberly M. Meitzen, Texas State UniversityJonathan D. Phillips, University of KentuckySara Rathburn, Colorado State UniversityCarol Sawyer, University of South AlabamaMartin Thoms, University of New England, AustraliaJack Vitek, Texas A&M UniversityEllen Wohl, Colorado State UniversityMichael J. Woldenberg, University at Buffalo, SUNY

- This list may not be all-inclusive -

Binghamtonsymposium

steeringcommittee


Special thanks go to the following, all of whomcontributed greatly to the execution of the 48th annual

Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium:

Alberto GiordanoAngelika Wahl

Patricia HellCharles Robinson

Joyce WilkersonAllison Glass-Smith

Stella LoPachinJessica SchneiderMarshia Paulton

Maël le NocRoss Martin

Jennifer VillaSociety of Geographic Information Science (SOGIS)

Many, many student volunteers

Field TripKimberly Meitzen developed and organized the field

trip, with help from the following:

Texas State Outdoor Center and University Camp:John Griffis

TreeFolks, Trees for the Blanco program:Thais Perkins, Andreina Alexatos

Meadows Center for Water and the Environment:Andy Sansom, Thom Hardy

Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP):Nathan Pence, Shaun Payne

City of San Marcos:Melani Howard, Eric Weeks

Graduate Students in GEO 5316 - Nature and SocietyInteractions in River Systems, Fall 2016 Seminar:

David Andresen, Jeanett Bosarge, Paepin Goff, StaceyHaddad, Colin Iliff, Aspen Manning, Grant Moss, Lacey

Smith, Killian Sterling, Edward Terr

Funding and SupportFunding and support for the symposium was provided

by National Science Foundation (Award No. EAR-1660536), Texas State University (Geography, Biology,

Engineering, Sociology), Meadows Center for Waterand the Environment, University of New England, Cityof San Marcos, Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation

Plan, TreeFolks, and AquaBrew

acknowledge‐ments


scheduleoverview


Friday, 13 October

8:00 - 17:00 Fieldtrip

18:00 - 21:00 Icebreaker at AquaBrew

Saturday, 14 OctoberAll paper sessions are in Evans Liberal Arts 114Posters are on the first floor of Evans Liberal Arts

7:30 - 8:30 Registration, Coffee, Fruit & PastriesEvans Liberal Arts First Floor

8:30 - 8:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks

8:45 - 10:15 Geomorphic Systems & Resilience

10:15 - 10:30 Break & Snacks10:30 - 12:00 Extreme Events, Thresholds, &

Resilience

12:00 - 13:30 Texas BBQ LunchFlowers Hall 230

Poster Viewing

13:30 - 15:00 Eco-Geo Connections & Resilience

15:00 - 15:15 Break & Snacks

15:15 - 16:15 Zoogeomorphology & Resilience

16:15 - 16:45 Invited Posters Introduction

16:45 - 18:00 Poster Session

18:00 - 18:30 Walk (with campus tour) or Van tobanquet

18:30 - 21:00 Banquet with after dinner talkCity Park Rec Hall

Sunday, 15 OctoberAll paper sessions are in Evans Liberal Arts 114

7:30 - 8:30 Coffee, Fruit & Pastries

8:30 - 10:00 Coastal Geomorphology &Resilience

10:00 - 10:15 Break & Snacks

10:30 - 12:00 Social-Ecological Systems &Resilience

12:00 - 13:30 Lunch & discussion of synthesispaper

Flowers Hall 230

maps


San Marcos1 - Hotels2 - AquaBrew3 - Texas State University4 - City Park Rec Hall

Central CampusELA - Evans Liberal ArtsFH - Flowers HallPSPG - Pleasant St. Garage1 - Bobcat Statue2 - LBJ Statue

Resilience in the San Marcos and Blanco Riversfrom Bio-geomorphic and Social-EcologicalPerspectives

Join us for a field trip covering diverse aspects ofbio-geomorphic and social-ecological resilience inthe San Marcos and Blanco Rivers. This field tripwill cover four main topics within this theme,including:

1. Catastrophic flood disturbance on BlancoRiver from the 2015 Memorial day floods and post-disturbance riparian restoration and recovery,with stops in Wimberley and University Camp onthe Blanco River.

2. Restoration of Spring Lake within the UpperSan Marcos River watershed, a catered box lunchstop at the Meadows Center for Water and theEnvironment, and a glass-bottom boat tour ofSpring Lake.

3. Overview and examples of instream andriverbank restoration resulting from the EdwardsAquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) on theupper San Marcos River. This portion of the fieldtrip will involve a short kayaking trip of the SanMarcos River, however participants not wanting tokayak may choose to walk a paved trail along theriver or be transported by the bus to the end point.

4. History, controversy, and removal of Cape’sDam on the San Marcos River.

fieldtrip


Friday, 13 October 2017depart from Comfort Suites, near Texas State University

104 I-35 N, San Marcos, TX 78666s

8:00 - 17:00Fieldtrip

(Lunch provided)

18:00 - 21:00Icebreaker at AquaBrew

150 S. LBJ Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666

detailedschedule


Saturday, 14 October 2017

7:30 - 8:30Registration

Coffee, fruit, and pastriesEvans Liberal Arts First Floor

8:30 - 8:45Welcome and Opening Remarks

Dr. Alberto Giordano, Chair of Department of GeographyDr. Mary Brennan, Dean of College of Liberal Arts

Evans Liberal Arts 114

Geomorphic Systems & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114

10:15 - 10:30Break & Snacks

Extreme Events, Thresholds, & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114

12:00 - 13:30Texas BBQ Lunch

Flowers Hall 230

Poster viewingEvans Liberal Arts Atrium and First Floor

10:30 - 11:00Jason Julian

Texas State U., USAState-shifting at the Edgeof Resilience: River Water

Quality Responses toChanges in Land Use

Intensity and ExtremeWeather Events

11:00 - 11:30Sarah Rathburn

Colorado State U., USAPost-disturbance

Sediment Recovery:Implications for

Watershed Resilience

11:30 - 12:00Emily Stanley

U. Wisconsin, USAAnticipating Rapid

Ecological Change inLakes

8:45 - 9:15Martin ThomsU. New England,

AustraliaWhat do you mean,‘Resilient Geomorphic

Systems’?

9:15 - 9:45Hervé Piegay

Natl Ctr for Sci Research,France

Appraisal of FluvialCorridor Futures: FromResilience to Persistence

9:45 - 10:15Stephen Tooth

U. Aberyswyth, UKThe Geomorphology ofWetlands in Drylands:

Resilience,Non-resilience,or … ?


Eco-Geo Connections & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114


Zoogeomorphology & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114

16:15 - 16:45Invited Poster Introductions

Evans Liberal Arts 114

16:45 - 18:00Poster Session

Evans Liberal Arts Atrium and First Floor

18:00 - 18:30Walk (with campus tour) or Van to Banquet

18:30 - 21:00Banquet, with after-dinner talk

City Park Rec Hall170 Charles Austin Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666

David MontgomeryU. Washington, USA

Soil — The Key to Resilient Civilizations

13:30 - 14:00Dov Corenblit

U. Clermont Auvergne,France

Niche Construction withinRiparian Corridors: The

Unexplored Role of Intra-specific Positive

Interactions in RiparianTrees

14:00 - 14:30Carla AtkinsonU. Alabama, USA

Including EcogeomorphicFeedbacks forEnhancement

of Ecological Functionand Resiliency in Streams

14:30 - 15:00Catalina Segura

Oregon State U., USASediment Transport

Influence on PrimaryProduction in

Rainfall DominatedSystems

15:15 - 15:45David Butler

Texas State U., USAZoogeomorphology and

Resilience Theory

15:45 - 16:15Alex Fremier

Washington State U., USASex that Moves Mountains:The Influence of SpawningFish on River Profiles over

Geologic Timescales


8:30 - 9:00Jonathan PhillipsU. Kentucky, USA

Coastal Wetlands, Sea-level, and the Dimensionsof Geomorphic Resilience

9:00 - 9:30Tim & Sheryl Beach

U.Texas, USAStability and Instability

on Maya LowlandsTropical Hillslope Soils

9:30 - 10:00Zachary Tessler

CUNY, USAGeomorphic,

Anthropogenic, andSocial Dimensions of Risk

in Global River Deltas

Sunday, 15 October 2017

7:30 - 8:30Coffee, fruit, and pastries

Evans Liberal Arts First Floor

Coastal Geomorphology & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114


Social-Ecological Systems & ResilienceEvans Liberal Arts 114

11:45 - 13:00Lunch and Discussion

of synthesis paperFlowers Hall 230

10:15 - 10:45Brian Chaffin

U. Montana, USASocial-Ecological

Resilience andGeomorphic Systems

10:45 - 11:15Meredith Steele

Virginia Tech U., USALand Use and Surface

Water: TheReorganization of US

Hydrography

11:15 - 11:45Melissa ParsonsU. New England,

AustraliaFrom Academic to

Applied: OperationalisingResilience in River

Systems


Augustine AvwunudiogbaCal State U.-Stanislaus

The Response of Erosion to Land Use Pattern in aSwidden Agroecosystem in a Humid Tropical

Mountainous region of Eastern Mexico

Thomas BallingerTexas State U.

Variations in North Atlantic Sea Ice since the 1850s

Jacob BendixSyracuse U.

Feedbacks, Timing, and Biogeomorphic Response toRiparian Disturbance

Katie CostiganU of Louisiana-Lafayette

Resistance and Resiliency of Intermittent Rivers

Judy HaschenburgerUT San Antonio

An Evaluation of Streambed Response

Edgardo LatrubesseU. Texas

Large Alluvial Rivers, Vegetation, and Past-presentLandscape Biogeomorphic Imprints

Kimberly MeitzenTexas State U.

Catastrophic Flood Disturbance and a Community’sResponse to Plant Resilience in the Heart of the

Texas Hill Country

Carlos Ramos-ScharronU. Texas

Application of Hydro-Geomorphic Principles to theManagement of Terrestrial Sediment Loading Rates

into Coral-Bearing Waters

Benjamin SchwartzTexas State U.

In-cave Hydrology in VA and TX and Differences inVadose Storage Properties: Differences in Baseflowand Hydraulic Resilience of Small Tributaries after

Drought

invitedposters


Geospatial analysis of bank erosion for conser-vation planning, Lamar Lake Watershed, MOAdams, Hannah R., Marc Owen, Robert T. Pavlowsky

Hydro-morphological characterization oflandslide scar sites on Mt. Elgon, EasternUgandaBamutaze, Yazidhi, Bob Nakileza, Geofrey Gabiri

Hydrology, soils, and their geomorphic recordin the Okavango Delta, BotswanaBean, Robert A., Timothy Beach, Kelley A. Crews,Thoralf Meyer

Recreational resilience of the upper San MarcosRiver, Texas, USA Bosarge, Jeanett H., Jason P. Julian

Catastrophic flood influence on large woodydebris size and distribution in a MissouriOzarks riverBournival, Leah, Kelly Rose, Joseph Nash, Josh Hess,Sarah LeTarte, Hannah Adams, Robert T. Pavlowsky

Hydrodynamic modeling of hydrologic surfaceconnectivity within a coastal river-floodplainsystemCastillo, Cesar R.

Ethnofluvial geomorphology: perception andthe potential for resilienceCrews, Kelley A., Amelia C. Sosnowski

LiDAR-Based geomorphology of the Belize-Guatemala transboundary area: Legacies ofanthropogenic and climate changes ina fluviokarst systemDonn, Leila, Timothy Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Jason Yaeger

Streamflow variability within four rivers in theeastern highland rim region of TennesseeDorn, Taylor, Katie H. Costigan, Joshuah S. Perkin

Quantifying ancient Maya impacts on thegeomorphology of tropical wetlands usingairborne LiDAR Doyle, Colin, Samantha Krause, Timothy Beach,Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach

posters


Interactions between cohune palm (Attaleacohune) monodominant forests and soils Eshleman, Sara, Timothy Beach

A web-based GIS utility for multi geomorphichazards mapping and visualization- casestudy: Kan Basin, Tehran City, IranGharehchahii, Saeideh, Matt Washburn, KevinSchilly

Using resilience theory to study the hydrogeo-logical character of the Upper Camp Bird IIIRock Glacier, San Juan Mountains, ColoradoGranados-Aguilar, Raquel, John R. Giardino,Kaytan Kelkar

Win-win? The tradeoffs of floodplainreconnection along the Illinois RiverGuida, Ross, Jonathan Remo

Geomorphic controls on riparian forestresponse to a catastrophic flood in MarkTwain National Forest, MissouriHess, Josh, Joseph Nash, Kelly Rose, Sarah LeTarte,Hannah Adams, Robert T. Pavlowsky

The impacts of Tropical Storm Cindy on astudy site at McFaddin National WildlifeRefuge, Texas Hodge, Joshua

The geomorphic origin and evolution of GrandValley, western Colorado: a New investigation Jeon, Kyungho, John R. Giardino

A review of biotic roles in disturbance inducedregime shifts of geomorphic systemsJerin, Tasnuba, Alice V. Turkington, Jonathan D.Phillips

Using a resilience approach for susceptibilityto mass movement in the western San Juanmountains, COKelkar, Kaytan, John R. Giardino

Resilience of channel sediment quality inmining-contaminated streams, Galena RiverWatershed, WI-ILKing, Dylan A., Robert T. Pavlowsky

posters(continued)


Freshwater mussels as ecogeomorphic agents:Literature synthesis and development of an in-stream experimentKoerner, Matt

Paleoecology, genesis, and humanmanipulation of wetlands inNorthwesternBelize Krause, Samantha M., Timothy Beach,Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Fred Valdez, ColinDoyle, Sara Eshleman, Leila Donn

Geomorphic effects of an extreme flood in akarst mountain watershed, southwest coast,JamaicaLeTarte, Sarah, Matthew Connolly, Robert T.Pavlowsky

Ecosystem services and damage costs of federallands: Case study of Gila National Forest, USAManning, Aspen, Jason P. Julian

The geomorphic nature of mountain bikeimpacts on selected trails near Austin, TexasMartin, Ross

Modelling the support factor (P) as a functionof socio-economic factors for improved erosionprediction in the Lake Victoria Basin of UgandaNadhomi, Daniel Luliro, Benard Oyo, GeorgeJackson Majaliwa-Mwanjalolo, John StephenTenywa, Paul Musali

Geomorphic response to a catastrophic floodevent, North Fork of the White River, MissouriOzarksNash, Joe, Marc Owen, Robert T. Pavlowsky

Eco-geomorphic feedbacks stimulated bybenthic macrofauna in streams: A review andcurrent research with burrowing bivalves Nickerson, Zachary L., Carla L. Atkinson

Gorillas as earth-movers: Identifyingzoogeomorphic hotspots in Equatorial AfricaPinon, Andrea E.

posters(continued)


Modeling debris cascades in the San JuanMountains, Colorado: A preliminary graphtheory approachQu, Tianyue, John R. Giardino, Kaytan Kelkar,Raquel Granados-Aguilar

Channel stability and sediment budgetanalysis of a human modified channel systemin the Missouri Ozarks Reminga, Katy, Matthew Thies, RachaelBradley, Marc Owen, Robert T. Pavlowsky

Hydrologic effects of prescribed burning inMark Twain National Forest, Missouri Roman, Grace, Megan Hente, Joe Nash, Marc Owen,Robert T. Pavlowsky

Influence of neighborhood history on metalconcentrations in roadside soils and streetdusts, Springfield, Missouri Rose, Kelly, Robert T. Pavlowsky

Impact of spring-associated riparianvegetation on channel morphology andsediment distribution in ephemeral drylandchannels: Henry Mountains, Utah, USASouthard, Paul, Joel Johnson, Daniella Rempe,Ashley Matheny

Paleoflood investigations and physiographiccharacteristics associated with susceptibilityto flooding in the mountainous ColoradoFront RangeTrivino, Natalie, Michael Daniels

Geomorphologic impacts and timelinereconstruction of Holocene Jökulhlaups alongthe Hvítá River and Gullfoss, Iceland Wells, Greta

Seventy-five years after contour terracing onthe Wasatch Plateau of Central UtahWhitesides, Clayton J.

posters(continued)


Including ecogeomorphic feedbacks forenhancement of ecological function andresiliency in streams

Atkinson, Carla L.University of Alabama, Department of Biological

Sciences River form and function depends on the interactions between

the living and nonliving world, but a dominant paradigmunderlying ecogeomorphic work consists of a top-down,unidirectional approach with abiotic forces driving bioticsystems. This traditional hierarchal framework is inadequate incommunicating how biological systems may lead to changes inchannel morphology, sediment cycling, and system-scalefunctions. Yet, substantial evidence that organisms influencefluvial geomorphology exists, specifically the ability of aquaticvegetation and lotic animals to modify flow velocities andsediment deposition and transport. Furthermore, vital ecosystemprocesses such as biogeochemical nutrient cycling represent theexchanges that are occurring between geomorphological andbiological systems. Conceptual frameworks should acknowledgethat hydrologic, geomorphologic, and ecologic processes operateon different temporal scales, generating bidirectional feedbackloops over space and time. I will review selected case studieshighlighting the role organisms play in moderating geomorphicprocesses and how these interactions influence essentialecosystem process such as biogeochemical nutrient recycling. Iwill also discuss how biophysical interactions can provideinformation essential to improving predictions of system-scaleriver functions, specifically sediment transport andbiogeochemical cycling, and discuss tools I am implementing tostudy these interactions. Hydro- and geomorphologic processes,operating episodically during bankfull conditions, influenceecological processes (e.g., biogeochemical cycling) occurring overlonger time periods during base-flow conditions. These feedbacksenhance the resiliency of fluvial landforms and ecosystemprocesses, allowing physical and biological processes to pull andpush against each other over time.

Stability and instability on Maya lowlandstropical hillslope soils

Beach, Timothy1, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach1,Duncan Cook2, Samantha Krause1, Colin Doyle1, SaraEshleman1, GretaWells1, Nicholas Dunning3, MichaelL. Brennan4, Nicholas Brokaw5, Marisol Cortes-Rincon6, Gail Hammond7, Richard Terry8, DeboraTrein1, Sheila Ward9

1University of Texas at Austin, 2AustralianCatholic University (Australia), 3University ofCincinnati, 4Brennan Exploration, 5University ofPuerto Rico-Río Piedras, 6Humboldt State University,7University College London (United Kingdom),8Brigham Young University, 9Mahogany for theFuture, Inc.

Lake Core evidence links accelerated soil erosion with ancientMaya history, 3000 to 1000 years ago. With seven new catenas andsynthesized evidence, we followed the sediment cascade up

invitedpaper

abstracts



tropical forest catenas. Four footslopes or depressions in areasof high ancient occupation preserved evidence of clay-texturedpaleosols buried by coarse, ancient Maya period sediments.Three footslopes had little deposition, and these came fromareas of scant ancient occupation. We used major elementalconcentrations across the catenas to estimate relative ages andcontributions of autochthonous and allochthonous materials.Very low ratios (Ca + Mg) / (Al + Fe + Mn) occurred in older,buried soils in footslopes and on little-eroded slopes. High ratiosoccurred in soils possibly formed since Maya abandonment.Carbon isotopes (δ13C) also provide evidence of vegetationchange. We found evidence for maize or other alien C4 speciesin an ancient terrace soil and in buried footslopes but onlyevidence for C3 species (like tropical trees) on steep backslopes.Since steep slopes preserved no evidence of C4 species, perhapsindicating ancient Maya forests reserves. Alternatively, theancient Maya eroded slopes, and the C3 species signaturesreflect soil developed under forest for a millennium. Three linesof evidence suggest these steep soils are young: elevated (Ca +Mg) / (Al + Fe + Mn) values, skeletal soil profiles, and low soilmagnetic susceptibility. The anthropogenically eroded, buried,and terraced slopes influenced modern tree distributions,because many tree species have strong preferences for ancientMaya altered soil types and topographic situations.

Zoogeomorphology and resilience theoryButler, David R., Faisal Anzah, Paepin D. Goff,

Jennifer VillaTexas State University, Department of Geography

Zoogeomorphology, the study of animals as geomorphicagents, has been largely overlooked in the context of resiliencetheory and biogeomorphic systems. In this paper, examples areprovided of the interactions between external landscapedisturbances and zoogeomorphological agents. We describecases in which naturally occurring zoogeomorphological agentsoccupy a landscape and examine whether those zoogeomorphicagents provide resilience to a landscape or instead serve as alandscape stress capable of inducing a phase-state shift. Severalcases are described whereby the presence of exotic (introduced)zoogeomorphic agents overwhelm a landscape and inducecollapse. The impact of climate change on species withzoogeomorphological importance is discussed in the context ofresilience of a landscape. We conclude with a summary diagramillustrating the relationships existing between zoogeomorphicimpacts and landscape resilience in the context of our casestudies and speculate about the future of the study ofzoogeomorphology in the framework of resilience theory.

Social-ecological resilience and geomorphicsystems

Chaffin, Brian C.1, Murray Scown2

1University of Montana, W.A. Franke College ofForestry & Conservation, 2Lund University(Sweden), Center for Sustainability Studies(LUCSUS)

Governance of coupled social-ecological systems (SESs) andthe underlying geomorphic processes that structure and alterthe Earth’s surface is a key challenge for global sustainability inthe increasing uncertainty and change that defines the

invitedpaperabstracts


Anthropocene. Social-ecological resilience as a concept ofscientific inquiry has contributed to new understandings of thedynamics of SESs, increasing our ability to contextualize andimplement governance in these systems. Often, however, theimportance of geomorphic change and geomorphologicalknowledge is somewhat missing from processes employed toinform SES governance. In this contribution, we argue thatgeomorphology and social-ecological resilience research shouldbe integrated to improve governance towards sustainability. Wefirst provide definitions of engineering, ecological, community,and social-ecological resilience, and then explore the use of theseconcepts within and alongside geomorphology in the literature.While ecological studies often consider geomorphology as animportant factor influencing the resilience of ecosystems, andgeomorphological studies often consider the engineeringresilience of geomorphic systems of interest, very few studiesdefine and employ a social-ecological resilience framing andexplicitly link the concept to geomorphic systems. We present fivekey concepts—scale, feedbacks, state or regime, thresholds andregime shifts, and humans as part of the system—which webelieve can help explicitly link important aspects of social-ecological resilience inquiry and geomorphological inquiry inorder to strengthen the impact of both lines of research. Finally,we discuss how these five concepts might be used to integratesocial-ecological resilience and geomorphology to betterunderstand change in, and inform governance of, SESs.

Niche construction within ripariancorridors: The unexplored role of intra-specificpositive interactions in riparian trees

Corenblit, DovUniversité Clermont Auvergne (France)

Within rivers, pioneer riparian trees leads to the constructionof wooded fluvial landforms. Grouped individuals are less proneto be uprooted than free-standing individuals. Riparian treeswhich grow in dense stands also enhance the trapping ofsediment, organic matter and nutrients. The woodedbiogeomorphic landforms which result from the effect ofvegetation on geomorphology lead to a positive nicheconstruction. The nature and intensity of biotic interactionsbetween trees of the same species which form dense stands andconstruct together their niche remain unclear. We suspect thatdirect intra-specific interactions, such as cooperation andaltruism, operate during the niche construction process. Wepropose a theoretical framework of intra-specific positiveinteractions between riparian trees. Trees that grow within densestands improve their fitness because individuals protect eachother from shear stress. In addition to the improved capacity totrap mineral and organic matter, individuals which constitute thedense stand can cooperate to mutually support a mycorrhizalfungi network that will improve growth and survival. Functionalnatural root grafting between neighbour trees could alsorepresent an advantage for anchorage and nutrient uptake andexchange potentially linked to an altruistic behaviour.

Sex that moves mountains: The influence ofspawning fish on river profiles over geologictimescales

Fremier, Alexander K.1, Brian Yanites2, Elowyn M.Yager3

invitedpaper

abstracts



1Washington State University, School of theEnvironment, 2Indiana University, Earth andAtmospheric Sciences, 3University of Idaho,Department of Civil Engineering, Center forEcohydraulics Research

A key component of ecological resilience is to understandfeedbacks among components of biophysical systems. Whilephysically-based explanations of biological speciation arecommon, less common is the inverse process examined; can aspeciation event have significant influence on physicalprocesses and patterns in a landscape? When such processes areconsidered, many studies focus on the short-term physical andbiological effects, rather than long-term impacts. Here, weformalized the physical influence of salmon spawning on streambeds into a model of channel profile evolution by altering thecritical shear stress required to move stream bed particles. Wethen asked, if spawning and an adaptive radiation event (similarto Pacific salmon) could have an effect on channel erosionprocesses and stream profiles over geological time scales. Wefound that spawning can profoundly influence the longitudinalprofiles of stream beds and thereby the evolution of entirewatersheds. The radiation of five Pacific salmon from a commonancestor, additionally, could also cause significant geomorphicchange by altering a wider section of the profile for a givendistribution of grain sizes. This modeling study suggests thatbiological evolution can impact landscape evolution byincreasing the sediment transport and erosion efficiency ofmountain streams. Moreover, the physical effects of a species onits environment might be a complementary explanation forrapid adaptive radiation events in species, through the creationof new habitat types. This example provides an illustrative casefor thinking about the long- and short-term coupling of bioticand abiotic systems.

State-shifting at the edge of resilience: Riverwater quality responses to changes in land useintensity and extreme weather events

Julian, Jason P.1, Samantha Abbott1, IoannisKamarinas1, Kimberly M. Meitzen1, BradenOwsley2, Kirsten de Beurs2

1Texas State University, Department ofGeography

2University of Oklahoma, Department ofGeography and Environmental Sustainability

The interaction of climate, geomorphology, and land usedictates river water quality. Accordingly, the resilience ofcatchments to disturbances can be assessed with spatiotemporalpatterns of river water quality. In this synthesis of multiple casestudies across New Zealand, we examine thresholds of resilienceby comparing river water quality responses to disturbancesfrom land use and extreme weather events. One case study, inthe hill country of the lower North Island, was a decade-longexamination of the short- and long-term effects of an extremestorm event on sediment supply and exhaustion in twocatchments that have experienced intense land use changes andfrequent broad-scale landslides. In a different catchment, in theupper North Island, we compared weekly time-series of landdisturbance and water quality variables (suspended sediment,turbidity, visual clarity) for the 2000–2013 period, which



included the drought of record. Finally, we interpreted monthlywater quality state and trends for the 26 years from 1989 to 2014in the National Rivers Water Quality Network (NRWQN) –consisting of 77 sites on 35 mostly large river systems. Tocharacterize land use intensity, we analyzed spatial and temporalchanges in livestock density and land disturbance at thecatchment scale, as well as fertilizer inputs at the national scale.From all these studies, we found that many catchments are at theedge of resilience, where water quality can shift between statesdepending on the interaction of climate, land use, andgeomorphology.

Soil — the key to resilient civilizationsMontgomery, David R.University of Washington, Department of Earth &

Space Sciences

Soil erosion helped shape history as society after society usedup a natural endowment of fertile soil, leaving a legacy ofimpoverished lands. Combining the history of land use withrecent data shows that soil erosion under conventionalagriculture greatly exceeds rates of soil production and geologicalerosion rates. Modern society thus faces a fundamental challengein feeding a growing population. Global soil degradation presentsa fundamental societal challenge in which the slow pace ofenvironmental change makes solutions difficult to adopt. Yetfarmers around the world working are working on soil healthbuilding practices that could bring humanity’s ailing soil back tolife remarkably fast based on the principles of conservationagriculture to rebuild degraded soil fertility. Visits to farms in theindustrialized and developing worlds showed that thecombination of no-till planting, cover crops, and diverse croprotations can provide a profitable recipe to rebuild soil organicmatter in a wide variety of settings. Farmers using theseunconventional practices cultivate beneficial soil life, smotherweeds, and suppress pests while relying on far less, if any,fertilizer and pesticides. Using less fossil fuel and agrochemicalswhile maintaining crop yields helps farmers with their bottomline. These regenerative practices translate into farms that useless water, generate less pollution, lower carbon emissions—andstash an impressive amount of carbon underground.

From academic to applied: Operationalisingresilience in river systems

Parsons, Melissa, Martin C. ThomsUniversity of New England (Australia), Riverine

Landscapes Research Laboratory

The concept of resilience acknowledges the ability of societiesto live and develop with dynamic environments. Given therecognition of the need to prepare for anticipated andunanticipated shocks, applications of resilience are increasing asthe guiding principle of public policy and programs in areas suchas disaster management, urban planning, natural resourcemanagement, and climate change adaptation. River science is anarea in which the adoption of resilience is increasing, leading tothe proposition that resilience may become a guiding principle ofriver policy and programs. Debate about the role of resilience inrivers is part of the scientific method, but disciplinary disunityabout the ways to approach resilience application in policy andprograms may leave river science out of the policy process. Wepropose six elements that need to be considered in the design and

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implementation of resilience-based river policy and programs:rivers as social-ecological systems; the science-policy interface;principles, capacities, and characteristics of resilience;cogeneration of knowledge; adaptive management; and the stateof the science of resilience.

Coastal wetlands, sea level, and thedimensions of geomorphic resilience

Phillips, Jonathan D.University of Kentucky, Department of

Geography, Earth Surface Systems Program

Geomorphic system resilience is often perceived as anintrinsic property of system structure and interactions but isalso related to idiosyncratic place and history factors. Theimportance of geographical and historical circumstances makesit difficult to generate categorical statements about geomorphicresilience. However, network-based analyses of systemstructure can be used to determine the dynamical stability (=resilience) based on generally applicable relationships and todetermine scenarios of stability or instability. These provideguidelines for assessing place and history factors to assessresilience. A model of coastal wetlands is analyzed, based oninteractions among relative sea level, wetland surface elevation,hydroperiod, vegetation, and sedimentation. The system isgenerally (but not always) dynamically unstable and non-resilient. Because of gradients of environmental factors andpatchy distributions of microtopography and vegetation, acoastal wetland landscape may have extensive local variationsin stability/resilience and in the key relationships that triggerinstabilities. This is illustrated by a case study wheredynamically unstable fragmentation is found in two nearbycoastal wetlands in North Carolina’s Neuse River estuary—OtterCreek Mouth and Anderson Creek. Neither is keeping pace withrelative sea level rise, and both show unstable state transitionswithin the wetland system; but locally stable relationships existwithin the wetland systems.

Appraisal of fluvial corridor futures: Fromresilience to persistence

Piegay, HerveNational Center for Scientific Research (France)

What is a resilient river? From a geomorphic point of view,the answer is complex because resilience is a polysemic termand its use is variable from one discipline to another. In allcases, it is a way of thinking river future in term of persistence,sometimes cyclically, sometimes in a trajectorial perspective. Itspopularity in ecology and the socio-ecological systemscommunity, following the pioneer works of Holling (1973), hasinfluenced the way we are considering it in geomorphology andcreates misunderstanding and debate. In this contribution, weintroduce the different resiliences, showing the evolution of theterm through time and its implicit presence in the (fluvial)system theory. We then explore some challenging issues ingeomorphology related to resilience when considering riverresponses to flood events and to an external set of drivers.



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Post-disturbance sediment recovery:Implications for watershed resilience

Rathburn, Sara, Scott Shahverdian, Sandra RyanColorado State University

Sediment recovery following disturbances is a measure of thetime required to attain pre-disturbance sediment fluxes. Insightinto the controls on recovery processes builds understanding ofgeomorphic resilience. We assess post-disturbance sedimentrecovery in three small (1.5-100 km2), largely unalteredwatersheds within the northern Colorado Rocky Mountainsaffected by wildfire, floods, and debris flows. For all case studies,event sediment recovery followed a nonlinear pattern: initial highsediment flux followed by decreasing sediment fluxes over time.Disturbance interactions are evaluated after a high-severity firewithin the South Fork Cache la Poudre watershed was followed byan extreme flood one year post-fire, producing a compounddisturbance that hastened suspended sediment recovery to pre-fire concentrations. Wildfires over the last 1900 YBP in the SouthFork watershed indicate fire recurrence intervals of ~600 years.Debris flows within the upper Colorado River basin over the lasttwo centuries have shifted the baseline of sediment recoverycaused by anthropogenic activities. A >200 year flood on North St.Vrain Creek with an impounding reservoir resulted in extremesedimentation that led to a physical state change. An index ofresilience as sediment recovery/disturbance recurrence intervalprovides a relative comparison between sites. Sediment recoveryand channel form resilience may be inversely related because ofhigh or low physical complexity. Management guidelines toenhance geomorphic resilience by promoting natural processesthat maintain physical complexity are presented. Sedimentconnectivity within watersheds is an additional factor to considerwhen establishing restoration treatment priorities.

Sediment transport influence on primaryproduction in rainfall dominated systems

Segura, CatalinaOregon State University

This study explores how spatial and temporal variability ofstream flow and sediment transport influences the biomass ofbenthic algae in mountain stream. We characterized spatialvariability in sediment transport for 9 flow events (0.1-1.7 ofbankfull flow), coupling high resolution (<0.1 m2) two-dimensional shear stress values with detailed measurements ofthe channel substrate. The stream bed was categorized intoregions of high and low disturbance based on potential mobilityof the median grain size. High resolution (<0.25m2)measurements of benthic Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) were taken on 18sampling dates before and after high flow events in regions of thestreambed with contrasting disturbance. We found that thepercentage of the channel likely to be disturbed varied greatlyacross modeled flows (7.7- 70.4. Over the 18 sampling dates Chl-adiffered between the two disturbance level categories on 14occasions. However, low disturbance locations were not alwaysassociated with higher Chl-a. Resistance of the algal communitiesto bed disturbance and resilience to recovery following a flowevent varied spatially. Areas with low shear stress were lesssusceptible to scour during moderate disturbance events but wereslower to recover when scour occurred. In contrast, high shearstress areas responded rapidly to flood events with rapid declines,but recovered more quickly and appeared to have high potentialfor maximum accrual. Ultimately, timing along with the inverse


relationship between resiliency and disturbance frequencyhighlights the complexity of these processes and the importanceof studying these processes with high resolution across spatialand temporal scales.

Anticipating rapid ecological change inlakes

Stanley, Emily H.University of Wisconsin

Lakes have been valuable laboratories for development andtesting resilience and regime shift theory. This utility reflects theoccurrence of different phenomena amenable to studyingresilience and regime shifts (e.g., abrupt shifts from vegetated toturbid phytoplankton states, food web destabilization, orfisheries collapse); the opportunity to conduct whole-ecosystemexperiments to evaluate theory; and occurrence of multipleadjacent lakes that provide replicate study systems. Studies ofresilience in lakes have consistently emphasized endogenous,biological mechanisms that maintain the ecosystem in aparticular state rather than on external disturbances orgeomorphic processes. This raises the question: what may havebeen missed by not incorporating geomorphology in lakestudies? Opportunities to integrate geomorphic processes thatshape lake basins are limited given that most lakes were formedby glacial action. Sediment transport may be an exception,particularly as this process also delivers phosphorus to lakesand thus often plays a role in the shift to a turbid eutrophicstate. Yet because sediment mobilization and transport occursbeyond the edges of lakes, its integration into resilience thinkingfor lakes has been elusive. Perhaps the best opportunity forinfusing lake resilience research with geomorphicunderstanding is to focus on geomorphic pattern rather thanprocess. Examination of an ongoing decline in coolwaterfisheries in many northern Wisconsin (USA) lakes hashighlighted how basin morphology affects the expression of aslowly-changing driver (climate) and therefore provides ameans of identifying lakes that are more or less resilient tochanges in this and other regional drivers.

Land use and surface water: Thereorganization of US hydrography

Steele, MeredithVirginia Tech University

The surface waters of developed landscapes undergo aphysical reorganization, yet the resulting hydrographicstructure and how it differs across diverse landscapes remainspoorly characterized and understood. This study examined howthe abundance and impairment of surface water differs withpopulation size and regional context by quantifying the streamlength, water body area, and impaired stream length for 3520cities in the United States with populations from 2500 to 18million, using the National Hydrography Dataset and the EPA’s303(d) list. Results show that abundance of stream length andwater body area in cities actually increases with city area;however, the per person abundance decreases with populationsize. Relative to population, impaired stream length did notincrease until city populations were >25,000 people, then scaledlinearly with population. Biophysical context and land coverexplained some variation in abundance and impairment.Development intensity correlated with stream density and



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impairment; however, those relationships depended on theorientation of the land covers. When high intensity developmentoccupied the local elevation highs (+15 m) and undeveloped landthe elevation lows, the percentage of impaired streams was lessthan the opposite land cover orientation (-15 m) or very flat land.These results show that city size and by biophysical settinginteract with land cover intensity to influence surface waterabundance and impairment across contiguous US cities.

Geomorphic, anthropogenic, and socialdimensions of risk in global river deltas

Tessler, ZacharyCity University of New York

Modern deltas are dependent on human-mediated freshwaterand sediment fluxes. Changes to these fluxes impact deltabiogeophysical functioning, and affect the long-termsustainability of these landscapes for both human and naturalsystems. Here we present contemporary estimates of long-termmean sediment balance and relative sea-level rise across 46global deltas. We model scenarios of contemporary and futurewater resource management schemes and hydropowerinfrastructure in upstream river basins to explore how changingsediment fluxes impact relative sea-level in coastal delta systems.Model results show that contemporary sediment fluxes,anthropogenic drivers of land subsidence, and sea-level riseresult in relative sea-level rise rates in deltas that average 6.8mm/year. Assessment of impacts of planned and under-construction dams on relative sea-level rise rates suggestsincreases on the order of 1 mm/year in deltas with new upstreamconstruction. Sediment fluxes are estimated to reduce by up to60% in the Danube and 21% in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Megnhaif all currently planned dams are constructed. Reduced sedimentretention on deltas due to increased river channelization andmanagement has a larger impact, increasing relative sea-level riseon average by nearly 2 mm/year. Long-term delta sustainabilityrequires a more complete understanding of how geophysical andanthropogenic change impact delta geomorphology. Local andregional strategies for sustainable delta management that focuson local and regional drivers of change, especially groundwaterand hydrocarbon extraction and upstream dam construction, canbe highly impactful even in the context of global climate-inducedsea-level rise.

What do you mean, ‘resilient GeomorphicSystems’?

Thoms, Martin C.1, H. Piegay2, M. Parsons1

1University of New England (Australia), RiverineLandscapes Research Laboratory, 2National Centerfor Scientific Research (CNRS) (France)

Resilience thinking has many parallels in the study ofgeomorphology. There are similarities and intersections betweenthe scientific discipline of geomorphology and the scientificconcept of resilience. Many of the core themes fundamental togeomorphology are closely related to the key themes of resilience.Applications of resilience thinking in the study of natural andhuman systems have expanded, based on the fundamentalpremise that ecosystems, economies and societies must bemanaged as linked social-ecological systems. Despitegeomorphology and resilience sharing core themes, there is


limited appreciation of the history and development ofgeomorphology as a field of scientific endeavor by many in thefield of resilience, as well as a limited awareness of thefoundations of the former in the more recent emergence ofresilience. This potentially limits applications of resilienceconcepts to the study of geomorphology. In this manuscript weprovide a collective examination of geomorphology andresilience as a means to conceptually advance both areas ofstudy, as well as to further cement the relevance and importanceof not only understanding the complexities of geomorphicsystems in an emerging world of interdisciplinary challengesbut also the importance of viewing humans as an intrinsiccomponent of geomorphic systems rather than just an externaldriver. The application of the concepts of hierarchy and scale,fundamental tenets of the study of geomorphic systems, providea means to overcome contemporary scale-limited approacheswithin resilience studies. Resilience offers a framework forgeomorphology to extend its application into the broader social-ecological domain.

The geomorphology of wetlands in drylands:Resilience, non-resilience, or …?

Tooth, StephenAberystwyth University (UK), Department of

Geography and Earth Sciences

How resilient are wetlands to disturbances such as extremeweather events, longer climate change, and human activities?In geomorphology and cognate disciplines, resilience is variablydefined, but commonly is taken to mean the ability of a systemto: A) withstand disturbance; B) recover from disturbance; or C)adapt and evolve in response to disturbance to a more desirable(e.g. stable) configuration. Studies of wetland resilience tend tofocus on permanently-saturated humid region wetlands butwhether the findings can be readily transferred to wetlands indrylands remains unclear. Given the natural climatic variabilityand overall strong moisture deficit characteristic of drylands,are such wetlands likely to be more resilient or less resilient?Focusing on wetlands in the South African drylands, thispresentation will use geomorphological, sedimentological andgeochronological datasets to provide the spatial (up to 50 km2)and temporal (late Quaternary) framework for an assessment ofgeomorphological resilience. Findings demonstrate that somewetlands have been highly resilient to environmental changebut others have been non-resilient, with markedtransformations in channel-floodplain structure and processconnectivity having been driven by natural factors (e.g. localbaselevel fall) or human activities (e.g. floodplain drainage). Keyissues related to assessment of wetland resilience includechannel-floodplain dynamics in relation to geomorphologicalthresholds, wetland geomorphological ‘life cycles’, and therelative roles of natural and human activities. Geomorphologistscan help apply the resilience concept in wetland managementbut consideration needs to be given to how geomorphologicalresilience interfaces with other dimensions of resilience,especially ecological resilience and socioeconomicresilience.Including ecogeomorphic feedbacks for enhancementof ecological function and resiliency in streams.



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*invited poster#student poster


Geospatial analysis of bank erosion forconservation planning, Lamar Lake Watershed,MO

#Adams, Hannah R., Marc Owen, Robert T.Pavlowsky

Missouri State University

Eutrophication is caused by excess nutrients and sediment thatproduce large algal blooms. In municipal water supplies largeamounts of algae lead to chronic taste and order problems oftendisrupting civilian use. Lamar Lake, located in SW Missouri, isexperiencing this problem. In 1998 Lamar Lake was listed undersection 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act for algae pollutantscaused by excess phosphorus. However, little is known about therole of bank erosion as a nonpoint pollution source in LakeLamar. Historical aerial photos where used to digitize streams toanalyze changes in channels for the following years: 1953, 1966,1997, 2008, and 2016. Disturbances were classified using aconservative 4.1 meter buffer based on the 1997 aerial photosMax Point to Point Error. Riparian corridor condition wasclassified using the 2016 aerial imagery. The channel change andriparian classifications will be used to identify potential nonpointsediment sources to the lake. Results will be used plan a fieldstudy of channel stability and bank erosion to help identifyconservation practices that are most beneficial to improve waterquality.

The response of erosion to land use pattern ina Swidden agroecosystem in a humid tropicalmountainous region of Eastern Mexico

*Avwunudiogba, AugustineCalifornia State University, Department of

Anthropology, Geography, and Ethnic Studies

The replacement of natural ecosystems with agroecosystems isa growing trend in many regions of the world. Land cover changeassociated with agriculture may change landscape sensitivity andresilience with ramifications for geomorphic systems responseand recovery. Understanding how agroecosystems respond togeomorphic disturbances is vital to the management ofunintended land degradation associated with agriculture. Thisstudy employs a space for time approach to investigate theresponse of soil erosion to land use pattern in a swiddencultivation gradient. Bounded runoff plots were installed on plotswhich have been under cultivation for 1, 2, 3, and 4 years andunder fallow for 1, 5 and 15 years to monitor soil erosion overtwo wet seasons. Soil erosion was monitored on runoff plot on anatural forest for the same period. Rainfall events weremonitored while soil properties were determined in the field andfrom soil samples analyzed in the laboratory. Results show thatcompared to the forest plot erosion was 94.4% in cultivated plotsand 68.2% in fallow plots. The rate of erosion varied according tothe age of cultivation and fallow with the highest rate occurringon plots under cultivation for 3 years. Over the cultivation agegradient, erosion increased during the second year, peakedduring the third, and declined during the fourth year ofcultivation. The study suggests that under certain edaphicconditions, spatial heterogeneity of land use pattern in a swiddenagroecosystems may help improve resilience and recovery andreduce the rate of erosion.


Variations in North Atlantic sea ice andclimate since the 1850s

*Ballinger, Thomas J., Emily GreeneTexas State University, Department of Geography

The North Atlantic Arctic (NAA) region is a dynamic, yetcomplex environment where cryospheric changes involvingsnow cover, glaciers, and sea ice are often non-linearlyconnected to ocean-atmosphere conditions locally and/or acrosslower latitudes. This is particularly evident in Baffin Baywaters, as earlier spring sea ice melt onset (since the late 1970s)and subsequent, patchy melt along western portions of theGreenland ice sheet have been associated with increasedincidence of high pressure anomalies over the region amidstbackground Arctic amplification of air temperatures. In thisstudy, we analyze recently-released, monthly sea iceconcentration and climate records spanning the 1850s to presentfocused on the Baffin Bay region. Using descriptive statistics andtrend analyses we look to assess variability and changecharacteristics of the sea ice cover time series, includinganalyses of climatological sub-periods within the ~160-yearrecord. Subsequently, we employ a composite approach to beginto identify some ocean-atmosphere patterns in the 500 hPageopotential height, sea-level pressure, and sea surfacetemperature fields associated with extremely high and lowmonthly sea ice conditions. The analyses aim to shed light onthe complex physical drivers of low frequency ice cover changesand inform understanding of recent abrupt climate changeacross the NAA.

Hydro-morphological characterization oflandslide scar sites on Mt. Elgon, EasternUganda

Bamutaze, Yazidhi, Bob Nakileza, Geofrey GabiriMakerere University (Uganda), Department of

Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences

Whilst disastrous landslide hazards are prevalent on thetransboundary Mt. Elgon system and are expected to increaseowing to the demographic and climatic changes, limitedattention has been given to the hydrologic and morphologicalfactors underpinning land slide occurrence. Yet landslidehazards in this region have implications on ecosystem andlivelihood resilience. The thrust of this ongoing study is tocharacterize the hydrological and morphological dynamics atthe sites that have experienced landslide hazards. An inventoryof landslide scars was undertaken and sites geo-referencedusing a high resolution GPS receiver. In total 110 landslideswere recorded. For hydrological dynamics, we determined theinfiltration rates at selected sites landslide scar sites usingdouble ring infiltrometers. In total, we ran 31 infiltration tests(at altitudes between 1332 and 1461 meters above sea level)covering the lower, middle and upper segments of each selectedsite with three replications. Preliminary results show thatinfiltration rates are highly variable within and across landslidescar sites (559+287 mm/yr; CV=51%). Steady state infiltrationrates varied from 204 to 1320 mm/yr across the sites. A hillslopescale investigation revealed proximity of landslide scars tolinear features especially footpaths and ridges, which alterhydrological dynamics resulting in slope failures.Morphologically, landslide scars are largely concentrated onconvex slopes with gradient >30%.

posterabstracts*invited poster#student poster


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Hydrology, soils, and their geomorphicrecord in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Bean, Robert A., Timothy Beach, Kelley A. Crews,Thoralf Meyer

University of Texas-Austin, Department ofGeography & the Environment

Flooding patterns of the MOZ (Makgadikgadi-Okavango-Zambezi Basin) of northern Botswana are not only a local concernbut moreover of global interest, underscored by the Delta’s statusas one of under 70 wetlands globally that have both Ramsar andUNESCO World Heritage status. In the past, these three areasconnected to form a megalake, Lake Makgadikgadi, several timeslarger than the U.S. Great Lakes today and residing along bordersof the Okavango Delta, which terminates in the MababeDepression, the Makgadikgadi Pans, or Lake Ngami. Despiteconsensus that a giant lake existed, disagreements remain onwhen and how it was filled. Examination of the present state ofthe delta’s edge and how the delta moved in the past are critical.MOZ edges are sensitive to climate and therefore can be used toassess climatic variability in ways not previously explored or –more importantly – not possible to examine in other locations andfurther complicated by precipitation varying up to 80-90%annually. Extensive studies of deltaic change processes exist, theedges of the MOZ are less studied. This paper focuses on a catenaof soils representing typical geomorphic surfaces found in MOZ’sdistal portions. Soil profiles reveal past flooding frequency andextent in lacustrine deposits. Combined with carbon dating oforganics and stable isotope analysis of carbon for both humin andbulk organic matter, together these allow for an improved andnovel understanding of dynamics at a finer spatial and temporalscale by leveraging intensive fieldwork and a uniquely positionedmegafan system.

Feedbacks, timing, and biogeomorphicresponse to riparian disturbance

*Bendix, JacobSyracuse University

Studies of biogeomorphic response to disturbance havetypically focused on the impacts of individual events. However,those impacts are often dependent on antecedent conditions thatreflect prior disturbance history. A (reasonably) straightforwardexample is the feedback between floods and the contribution ofvegetation to hydraulic roughness. A densely vegetatedstreambank is likely to have high Manning’s n values, moderatingthe geomorphic and ecological impacts of small and moderatefloods. But in the aftermath of an extreme flood that removes thevegetation, roughness is reduced, and the impacts of subsequentsmall and moderate floods will be greater than they otherwisewould have been. Prediction of disturbance impacts thereforerequires consideration of the details of both the disturbancehistory of a site and of its geomorphic (substrate characteristics,etc.) and ecological (species composition, etc.) characteristics. Thisposter presents an approach to predicting the likely trajectories ofdisturbance and recovery in southern California riparian systems,based on the type, magnitude and, history and timing ofdisturbance, as well as site characteristics. This conceptualapproach emphasizes the non-random but historically contingentnature of biogeomorphic interactions.


Recreational resilience of the upper SanMarcos River, Texas, USA

#Bosarge, Jeanett H., Jason P. JulianTexas State University, Department of Geography

As population and tourism continue to flourish in the City ofSan Marcos, so too will the need to effectively balance themanagement of ecosystem services. The objective of this study isto reveal spatiotemporal patterns in recreation along the SanMarcos River (SMR) within the context of carrying capacity.Recreational services available along the SMR are of immensevalue to the city and provide benefits to a wide-range of users.The study area for this project is comprised of six parks locatedalong the SMR and within city limits. Using an Unmanned AerialVehicle (UAV), photos covering the entire study area were takenbetween Memorial and Labor Day holidays with each dayconsisting of morning, midday, and afternoon observations.These photos were processed to produce high-resolutionorthomosaic images, and subsequently analyzed to quantifyrecreational usage by detecting the number of people presentacross space and time. Patterns of usage were then compared toriver features to assess potential impacts of usage on the river.High-resolution spatio-temporal data like these have thepotential to inform adaptive natural management.

Catastrophic Flood Influence on LargeWoody Debris Size and Distribution in aMissouri Ozarks River

#Bournival, Leah, Kelly Rose, Joseph Nash, JoshHess, Sarah LeTarte, Hannah Adams, Robert T.Pavlowsky


Hydrological studies in the Midwest United States indicate anemerging trend of increasing magnitude and frequency of riverflooding across the region. However, the effects of a more activeflood regime on fluvial wood recruitment, transport, andgeomorphic impacts are not well understood. Therefore, thepurpose of this study is to compare the spatial patterns andcharacteristics of fluvial wood in the North Fork of the WhiteRiver in the Missouri Ozarks before and after a “1000-year”flood event which occurred in April-May 2017. The study reachis 1 km long with wetted channel widths ranging from 30-50 mand bar/bench widths from 30-70 m, where they occur. Allpieces >0.1 m diameter and >1.5 m in length were located byGPS and characterized according to orientation, size, condition,and geomorphic effect. Results will describe patterns of fluvialwood orientation/spacing, size, condition, and influence onchannel form and sediment. Measured wood volumes will becompared to pre-flood conditions and other regions. This studypresents preliminary results of a NSF-RAPID project to monitorthe impacts and recovery of Ozark river systems to floods.

Hydrodynamic modeling of hydrologicsurface connectivity within a coastal river-floodplain system

#Castillo, Cesar R.Texas A&M University



posterabstracts



Hydrologic surface connectivity (HSC) within river-floodplainenvironments is a useful indicator of the overall health ofriparian habitats because it allows connections amongstcomponents/landforms of the riverine landscape system to bequantified. Overbank flows have traditionally been the focus foranalyses concerned with river-floodplain connectivity, but recentworks have identified the large significance from sub-bankfullstreamflows. Through the use of morphometric analysis and adigital elevation model that is relative to the river water surface,we previously determined that >50% of the floodplain for MissionRiver on the Coastal Bend of Texas becomes connected to the riverat streamflows well-below bankfull conditions. Guided bystreamflow records, field-based inundation data, andmorphometric analysis; we develop a two-dimensionalhydrodynamic model for lower portions of Mission RiverFloodplain system. This model not only allows us to analyzeconnections induced by surface water inundation, but also otheraspects of the hydrologic connectivity concept such as exchangesof sediment and energy between the river and its floodplain. Wealso aggregate hydrodynamic model outputs to anobject/landform level in order to analyze HSC and associatedattributes using measures from graph/network theory. Combiningphysically-based hydrodynamic models with object-based andgraph theoretical analyses allow river-floodplain connectivity tobe quantified in a consistent manner with measures/indicatorscommonly used in landscape analysis. Analyzes similar to oursbuild towards the establishment of a formal framework foranalyzing river-floodplain interaction that will ultimately serve toinform the management of riverine/floodplain environments.

Resistance and resiliency of intermittentrivers

*Costigan, KatieUniversity of Louisiana-Lafayette

Intermittent rivers oscillate between aquatic and terrestrialstates as a result of the dynamic connectivity and temporalcontinuity of surface waters. Inadequate management, practices,and protective policies and legislation have resulted inintermittent rivers remaining particularly endangeredecosystems. In recent years, there has been a significant increasein research by both earth scientists and biologists on intermittentrivers. We cannot properly evaluate ecological responses orinform management and protective policies without a baselineunderstanding of the patterns in which intermittent rivers drydown and wet up. Patterns of surface flow in intermittent canvary substantially within and between watersheds where is hasbeen demonstrated that immediately adjacent watersheds havevery different patterns of surface flow. Spatiotemporal dynamicsof network expansion and contraction cycles are complex. Twocommonly used methods to determine spatiotemporal patterns ofsurface water in intermittent rivers are electrical resistivity (ER)sensors and wet/dry mapping. The advantages and disadvantagesof each technique are explored for a variety of hydroclimaticregimes- from the desert southwest to the humid subtropics. Theuse of ER sensors for intermittent research has also increasedrecently, but, to date, there is no known comparison of the resultsof ER sensor data and wet/dry mapping data. The results of thiswork begin to understand the different patterns of surface waterin intermittent rivers and will help advise and assess currentmethods used to characterize them.


Ethnofluvial Geomorphology: Perceptionand the potential for resilience

Crews, Kelley A., Amelia C. SosnowskiUniversity of Texas at Austin, Department of

Geography and the Environment

Water literally shapes the world's terrestrial landscapes; andthrough the predictability of fluvial processes or lack thereof,also shapes the environmental perception, livelihood portfolio,and landscape impacts of residents within the impact zone ofthose hydrological processes. This work uses a socio-ecologicalsystems (SES) approach, refining it explicitly to focus oncommunities and their interactions with fluvial geomorphicprocesses across three continents and thirteen study sites,including the Okavango Delta, Botswana and the PeruvianAmazon. Household interviews on environmental perceptionsof flooding and precipitation change were leveraged againstsatellite time series data to better understand people's adaptionsthrough mechanisms such as livelihood portfolio changes,migration, and landscape modification. Of particular interestare three factors: culture group, residence time, and first- andsecond-order variability in flooding extent, duration, intensity,and predictability. Culture groups having greater environmentalknowledge of a particular fluvial system or a similar one mayreact very differently to these flooding events. This finding isfurther amplified by the importance of residence time of anindividual, household, or social network in a given fluvialgeomorphic unit, revealing the stark realization that migration,whether forced or voluntary, may act to impede resilience.Satellite, household, and ancillary data indicate high first- andsecond-order variability in many of the sites studied, framingclimatic influences and synchronization of climate-drivenprecipitation and flooding as cause for incorporating the socialwith the fluvial and the political with the hydrological in anethnofluvial geomorphic framework aimed at promoting policyalternatives for communities struggling to practice resilience.

LiDAR-Based Geomorphology of the Belize-Guatemala Transboundary Area: Legacies ofAnthropogenic and Climate Changes in aFluviokarst System

#Donn, Leila, Timothy Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Jason Yaeger

University of Texas at Austin

Geomorphic research on the fluviokarst watersheds of theBelize-Guatemala Transboundary region is limited, despite theregion’s prominence in Maya history. This research suggestslarge scale ancient Maya impacts on this system, but impactsmay be part of largely natural geomorphic factors likeadjustments to climate or uplift. Our studies are quantifying towhat extent human land use may have changed erosion ratesand aggradation. Acquisition of LiDAR for this region allowedus to begin to assess the long-term anthropogenic vs naturalfactors. We used LiDAR to map the geomorphology of this riversystem and identify sampling sites in proximity to both Mayasites and relict river channels. Field data show evidence of largeflood events that transported cobbles up to 52 cm in diameter,and particle size analysis indicates presence of non-local coarsesands that originated in the distant Maya Mountains. Theseflood sediments are intermingled with Maya activity layers,which we are dating from radiocarbon samples and artifacts.



posterabstracts



Magnetic susceptibility readings help confirm the presence ofwell-developed burned paleosols beneath cobble layers, showingthe long-term human land use in this region. We are using awhole suite of further lab analyses to characterize the sediments,and correlating our emerging fluvial history with existingpaleoclimate data and other environmental records. These datawill help further elucidate anthropogenic and climatic factors oflandscape change, potentially offering important insight intomodern environmental management for conservation and fornatural hazards like flooding, both highly relevant in theincreasingly populated tropics of Central America.

Streamflow variability within four rivers inthe eastern highland rim region of Tennessee

#Dorn, Taylor1, Katie H. Costigan1, Joshuah S.Perkin2

1University of Louisiana, School of Geosciences,2Texas A&M University, Department of Wildlife andFisheries Sciences

Intermittent rivers, defined as all rivers that naturally andperiodically cease to flow, are found on every continent and maybe more common than perennial rivers characterized bycontinuous flow. Recent research has shown the considerabledifferences between intermittent and perennial rivers. The extentto which geology, topography, vegetation, and climate influenceintermittent streamflow patterns, streamflow variability, andrunoff response remains largely unknown. Here we examinethree intermittent rivers and one perennial river by deploying 36stream, temperature, intermittency, and conductivity sensors(STiCs) to determine influences on streamflow patterns, focusingmainly on geological and topographic effects. Data were collectedover the course of 1.5 years at 60 minute intervals within each ofthe rivers. From these data, we produced a set of streamflowmetrics that describe flow conditions over time. We foundupstream sections of rivers flowed continuously, while thedownstream sections immediately following waterfalls dried for aportion of the year. Further, the upstream sections recordedhigher relative resistivity readings than the downstream sections.The data collected via STiCs demonstrate that Eastern HighlandRim rivers behave abnormally compared to the normal dryingbehavior of most intermittent rivers. Our results illustrate acorrelation between occurrence of waterfalls and spatialvariability in streamflow patterns as demonstrated in each of theobserved rivers.

Quantifying ancient Maya impacts on thegeomorphology of tropical wetlands usingairborne LiDAR

#Doyle, Colin, Samantha Krause, Timothy Beach,Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach

University of Texas at Austin

A breakthrough technology that has exponentially improvedour ability to understand the scope of long-term human impactson the earth is Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). This studypresents preliminary analysis of LiDAR data for studying the long-term effects of ancient Maya ecosystem engineering in tropicalwetlands. Our research area is a seasonally inundated wetland inthe Rio Bravo fluviokarst watershed in Northwest Belize. This


analysis reveals, for the first time ever, extensive networks ofwetland canal systems and agricultural terraces below thecanopy surrounding Maya archaeological sites. Evidence from asubsample of these agricultural and water manage featuresindicate they date from 2000 to 1000 years before present whenthe Maya abandoned these intensive landscape modifications.We used airborne LiDAR data to derive bare-earth, slope, andlocal relief models at 0.5-meter resolution. We then comparedvarious automated methods to quantify morphometrics andextent of ancient Maya canal and raised field agriculturalsystems at the Maya site of Birds of Paradise. The results revealan unprecedented scale of ancient wetland agriculture that hasleft a geomorphic imprint on the landscape even with 1000years of regrowth after abandonment. These discoveries haveprofound implications for understanding the beginning of theAnthropocene, and the potential impacts of modern resourcemanagement.

Interactions between cohune palm (Attaleacohune) monodominant forests and soils

#Eshleman, Sara, Timothy BeachUniversity of Texas at Austin

Cohune palms (Attalea cohune) form monodominant stands,and consequently affect forest composition, forest heterogeneity,and soil morphology throughout Mesoamerica. Scientists havelong noted the association of these palm stands with deep andhighly organic soils. Yet, we know little about the provenanceand broader ecological implications of this dominance. Weinvestigated soil and geomorphological factors connected withcohune palm stands in northwestern Belize. Previous workindicated that cohune palm forests are associated with deep Ahorizons and high organic content throughout their soilsequences, and possibly increased silica content. The 2017 fieldseason added four more soil sequences to this work, from threedifferent cohune palm forest stands. We combine this intensivesoil sampling with data derived from a recent LiDAR acquisition,in order to investigate the interactions between cohune palmforests and the local geomorphology. Our goal is to clarify theorigins of cohune forests; as well as, monodominant stands’effect on associated environments, contributing to broaderquestions concerning tropical forest composition and function.

A web-based GIS utility for multigeomorphic hazards mapping andvisualization- case study: Kan Basin, TehranCity, Iran

#Gharehchahii, Saeideh, Matt Washburn, KevinSchilly

Texas State University, Department of Geography

One of the most important components of hazard riskmanagement is providing planners, engineers, and managerswith accurate information. Since the planning process is theresult of understanding and interpreting information of naturaland human systems, clear representation of hazard data and therelationships between them allows planners to identify suitableand efficient levels of intervention. In this regard, web-mappingapplications can visualize the entire single hazard layers’information without loss of content, while at the same time theuser is free to choose any hazard or risk combination within a



posterabstracts



predefined area. Herein, a visualization scheme was developedand automated using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the ArcGISJavaScript API to prevent the user from having to open each of theresult layers in a desktop GIS application and define colors,patterns, and symbols. This application improves the basicdisplay of information by layers and legend controls, queryfunctions and a transect tool, which allows the user to explore theelevation of each hazard and have a general perception of thespatial pattern of hazards within the defined area. The resultingapplication can be used as a suitable tool to mitigate difficulties incombinability and comparability of single-hazard analysis resultsand interpretation of multi-hazard maps.

Using resilience theory to study thehydrogeological character of the Upper CampBird III Rock Glacier, San Juan Mountains,Colorado

#Granados-Aguilar, Raquel1, John R. Giardino2,Kaytan Kelkar1

1Texas A&M University, Department of Geologyand Geophysics, High Alpine and Arctic ResearchProgram (HAARP), 2Texas A&M University,Department of Geology and Geophysics, WaterManagement and Hydrological Science GraduateProgram, High Alpine and Arctic Research Program(HAARP)

Global change is impacting rock glaciers and the permafrost-fed hydrology throughout the San Juan Mountains. Becausemelting ice in these rock glaciers is primarily responsible forsustaining stream flow, we employed resilience theory to create adynamic model of the hydrology of a typical rock glacier from theSan Juan Mountains to aid in understanding future pathways. Weidentified stages of release, exploitation, conservation, andreorganization associated with the rock glacier. Climatic warmingsince the late Pleistocene has produced an accumulation of rockdebris covering an ice mass within the rock glacier. Thesechanging conditions have also resulted in the propagation ofdisturbances through the rock glacier producing longitudinalfurrows and transverse ridges, as well as ponded surface waters.This stage is characteristic of rapid colonization of recentdisturbed areas within a rock glacier. Cirques supply energy andmass for a new rock glacier system. Thus, the new rock glaciersystem with its numerous ridges, furrows and talus streams,resembles the original rock glacier but has new functionalcharacteristics as piggybacking lobes that represent multiplestable states. To obtain a detailed representation of the internalstructure and determine the boundaries between resistive andconductive materials of the rock glacier, time-domain andfrequency- domain electromagnetic induction methods wereimplemented. The use of two different systems providescontinuity across the data sets and helps validate data collectedusing this novel approach. This study emphasizes the role ofchange and the importance of the various nested hierarchies inthe hydrology of rock glaciers.

Win-win? The tradeoffs of floodplainreconnection along the Illinois River

Guida, Ross1, Jonathan Remo2


1Sam Houston State University, Geography andGeology, 2Southern Illinois University, Geographyand Environmental Resources

Like many rivers, the Illinois was heavily altered to facilitatenavigation as well as flood protection and agriculturaldevelopment. While these alterations and projects have beenlargely successful in accomplishing their goals, they havenegatively impacted river-floodplain ecology while flood watersurface elevations have continued to increase over the lastdecade. These increasing flood heights threaten levee districtsand communities along the Illinois and also result inagricultural losses when rural levees are overtopped. Recentstudies have advocated for reconnecting parts of the LowerIllinois River to its floodplain in order to drive down flood riskwhile subsequently increasing habitat for species that have beennegatively impacted by changing the Illinois’ natural hydrologicand hydraulic regimes. This study presents several scenariosand analyses of levee districts to determine which floodplainareas would provide the highest level of habitat benefits underreconnection. The costs of implementing levee setback andremoval scenarios and their corresponding water surfaceelevation reductions were quantified. Overall, there was nocorrelation found between agricultural profit and levee districts’flood protection levels. Along the Lower Illinois, there are majortradeoffs under reconnection scenarios due to upstream andmid-reach districts having the highest floodplain habitatpotential, while infrastructure and flood risk benefits weremaximized by changing downstream levee configurations. Toimplement the modeled scenarios, payments for ecosystemservices would likely be necessary to balance out reconnectioncosts that exceed $659 million.

An evaluation of streambed response*Haschenburger, Judith K.University of Texas at San Antonio, Department

of Geological Sciences

The response of streambeds to flood events is key tounderstanding the trajectories of river channel change. Thisstudy characterizes temporal trajectories of bed adjustment inCarnation Creek, a gravel-bed river located on the west coast ofVancouver Island, British Columbia. In the 900 m long studyreach, bankfull width and depth averages 15.8 ± 0.8 m and 0.85± 0.04 m, respectively. Surface sediment is typically 1.6 timescoarser than underlying sediment based on the mediandiameter. Large woody debris present in the channel originatesfrom natural processes and previous logging activities. Bedresponse was repeatedly measured between 1991 and 2007using cross-sectional survey and scour indicators. Scourindicators were installed along multiple channel transects infour subreaches, which were also surveyed. This analysisfocuses on the streambed locations of 82 scour indicators wherebed elevation was documented over time. Trajectories ofstreambed adjustment exhibit two trends. In one subreach, thetemporal pattern in bed elevation suggests resilience because,on a mean basis, the bed approaches the initial condition afteran adjustment. In the other subreaches, however, bed elevationexhibits an increasing departure from initial conditions overtime. These outcomes appear to reflect, in part, local controlsover sediment transfers during floods. Overall results indicatethat within a relatively short length of channel bed response canfollow distinct trajectories over the timescale of two decades.



posterabstracts



Geomorphic Controls on Riparian ForestResponse to a Catastrophic Flood in MarkTwain National Forest, Missouri

#Hess, Josh, Joseph Nash, Kelly Rose, SarahLeTarte, Hannah Adams, Robert T. Pavlowsky


Riparian forests can act as both a cause and effect ofgeomorphic change due to flood disturbance. In the OzarksHighlands the effects of flood events on stream channelmorphology and adjacent riparian forests are not wellunderstood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine thegeomorphic response of the North Fork of the White River in theMissouri Ozarks to a “1,000-year” flood event which occurred inApril-May 2017. The main objective is to analyze the spatialdistribution and characteristics of standing, toppled/rooted,downed, and transported trees across vegetated bars and sub-bankfull benches. All trees greater than 0.15 meters diameterbreast height and 2 m long were located by GPS and characterizedaccording to orientation, size, and condition. Results will describepatterns of forest disturbance including tree mortality, hydraulicfactors, and geomorphic effects. This study presents preliminaryresults of a NSF-RAPID project to monitor the impacts andrecovery of Ozark river systems to floods.

The impacts of Tropical Storm Cindy on astudy site at McFaddin National WildlifeRefuge, Texas

#Hodge, JoshuaTexas State University, Department of Geography

Field work conducted at McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge,Texas coincided with the landfall of Tropical Storm Cindy in June2017. It is known that powerful hurricanes can serve as geologicagents on coastal marshes along the Gulf Coast in SoutheastTexas; however, there is a paucity of information on how smalltropical storms impact the coastal marshes of this region. Thearrival of Tropical Storm Cindy presented a serendipitousopportunity to document how a small tropical storm impacts astudy site on McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. Photographyand on-the-ground field exploration were used to document theseeffects. Results indicate that the storm surge was too small todeposit any sediment onto the marsh. This result is valuable andadds to the body of knowledge regarding how the dynamics oftropical cyclone strength and storm surge height influence stormsurge sedimentation.

The Geomorphic Origin and Evolution ofGrand Valley, western Colorado: a NewInvestigation

#Jeon, Kyungho1, John R. Giardino2

1Texas A&M University, Department of Geology &Geophysics , 2Texas A&M University, Department ofGeology and Geophysics, Water Management andHydrological Sciences Program, High Alpine andArctic Research Program


Although the Uncompahgre Plateau, Unaweep Canyon, andColorado and Gunnison rivers have received much attentionfocusing on their origins and evolutions during the past severaldecades, Grand Valley, unfortunately, has received insufficientattention. Previous hypotheses suggest that the evolutionaryhistory of the valley is the result of avulsions of the ColoradoRiver, whereas another hypothesis suggests glacial outwash aspartly responsible for its evolution. The relatively flat terrain ofGrand Valley (w ~ 7 km) contrasts markedly to the lateral extentof the Colorado River channel (w <1 km) flowing through GrandValley. Because of the close proximity of Grand Mesa, ice cappedduring the Pleistocene, we hypothesize glacial meltwaters wereresponsible for valley formation. To address this hypothesis,numerous surrogates will be examined: four sets of fluvialterraces will be dated using optically stimulated luminescencedating (OSL) to correlate the relationship of the terraces tointerglacial times. The subsurface of Grand Valley will beseismically surveyed for paleochannels to determine the contactbetween the alluvium and the substrate, which will helpevaluate whether the Colorado River in the vicinity of the GrandJunction area played a major part in the valley genesis. Samplesof alluvium from Grand Valley and upstream to Grand Mesa willbe used to delineate provenance. If glacial flooding has much todo with the origin and evolution of Grand Valley, as we contend,then this study may be crucial for predicting alpine floodhazards, as related to global change and relatedly theirmitigation.

A review of biotic roles in disturbanceinduced regime shifts of geomorphic systems

#Jerin, Tasnuba, Alice V. Turkington, Jonathan D.Phillips

University of Kentucky Department ofGeography, Earth Surface Systems Program

Disturbances are critical to Earth surface system function,maintenance and development. The behavioral regime ofgeomorphic systems may shift and adjust to disturbance eventsvia scale associated complex responses. This project focuses onidentifying biotic roles in disturbance induced behavioralregime shifts based on examples from the biogeomorphicliterature. This review identifies three general relationships ofbiogeomorphic agents and processes with disturbance. Firstly,biotic agents can lead to the formation of biogeomorphiccharacteristic forms (BCF). Darwin’s depiction of biomantleformation by soil fauna is a classic example of BCF. The firstrelationship, therefore, indicates that removal or alteration of‘biogeomorphic roles’ can cause destruction, damage, ordisruptions of characteristic forms as their persistence dependson biogeomorphic interactions. The second relationshipaddresses the effects of biotic processes on landscape sensitivityto disturbance, which depends on force and resistance,magnitude, frequency and duration, relaxation time, stability,and historical contingency. For example, Pawlik’s (2013)indication of the role of trees on slope stabilization suggestshigher resistance to disturbance and therefore, lower landscapesensitivity. Finally, some geomorphic disturbances arise directlyfrom biotic disturbances. For instance, Beschta and Ripple(2012) showed the effect of large predators’ disappearance,cascading through ecosystem trophic levels, on the regime shiftof a river system — functioning as a biotic disturbance. Thus,biotic presence or absence itself has the potential to causeperturbations.



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Using a resilience approach for susceptibilityto mass movement in the western San Juanmountains, CO

#Kelkar, Kaytan1, John R. Giardino2

1Texas A&M University, Department of Geologyand Geophysics, High Alpine and Arctic ResearchProgram (HAARP), 2Texas A&M University,Department of Geology and Geophysics, WaterManagement and Hydrological Science GraduateProgram, High Alpine and Arctic Research Program(HAARP)

The San Juan Mountains (SJM) have a legacy of slope instabilityas a result of a complex geologic setting and rugged mountaintopography. To unravel the impact of this mass movement systemlegacy, we used a resilience approach to identify the role andsupply of change, in terms of mass and energy by focusing on thethresholds that are transformational. Analysis of the SJM over thepast forty years, illustrates a pattern of episodic activity,suggesting mass movement activity has multiple equilibriumthresholds resulting in various types of mass movement thatoccur temporally and spatially non-uniform throughout the SJM.This fact makes classification attempts at a regional scalechallenging. We approached each mass movement type as anadaptive system of nested spatial-temporal landform processes.These thresholds included slope and slope length, aspect, geology,vegetation cover, soil drainage, and climate. Our study of thesemass movement features suggest that these nested hierarchiespromote a stabilizing effect on slopes as the result of memory ofpast events allowing the form to accept recovery after changeoccurs. Not all change results in recovery. Strong mass and energyconnections across scales can result in a destabilizing effectpromoting small-scale manifestations to translate into large-scaleevents. Our GIS-based virtual 3-D resilience approach forsusceptibility to mass movement in the San Juan Mountainssuggests that critical scales are dynamic and uncertainties mustbe realized. From an applied perspective, system resilience canfacilitate a learn-from-past-experiences approach, fundamentalfor institutions and society to accept and adopt.

Resilience of channel sediment quality inmining-contaminated streams, Galena RiverWatershed, WI-IL

#King, Dylan A., Robert T. PavlowskyMissouri State University

Stream sediment of the Galena River Watershed of southwestWisconsin and northwest Illinois is heavily contaminated withzinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) from historical mining operations thatwere active during the early 1800s until 1979. Since 1979, therehas been some effort to remediate mine waste in the watershedby private organizations and the Wisconsin and IllinoisDepartments of Natural Resources but the effectiveness of theirefforts to reduce stream pollution is unknown. An objective ofthis research is to compare present-day (summer 2017) trends ofsediment-metal contamination within the Galena RiverWatershed with past contamination trends reported 25 years ago.These trends will help assess the time of recovery as a result ofmining inactivity, remediation efforts, and sediment mixing anddilution. This research will contribute to our understanding of the


spatial-temporal variability of contaminated sediments, linkagesbetween geomorphic and geochemical processes, and resilienceof historically mined watersheds.

Freshwater mussels as ecogeomorphicagents: Literature synthesis and developmentof an in-stream experiment

#Koerner, MattUniversity of Alabama, Department of

Geography

Previous studies have regarded mussels as ecosystemengineers due to their interactions with sediments. Many studiesthat have focused on the capabilities of mussels to altersediment properties have focused on marine mussels or havebeen conducted in flume settings. Less studies have focused onthe potential biological influence of freshwater mussels ongeomorphological processes in river habitats. Freshwatermussels may maintain or transform the physical stability ofriver substrate through processes including biodeposition,compaction, armoring, or bioturbation. Field based methodsmeasuring river sediment modification by freshwater musselsare needed to better understand biophysical processes in rivers,and the potential of freshwater mussels to maintain resiliency inriver systems. As a first step to understand the potential offreshwater mussels to influence reach-scale geomorphicprocesses, we developed an in-stream mussel enclosureexperiment and set of procedures to analyze the processes inwhich mussels influence micro-scale sediment properties andstability. We deployed 36 mussel enclosures in the Sipsey River,Alabama (USA) for a 9-week period, with different density andcommunity structure treatments. We implemented sliding-beadmonitors, an underwater photographic sieving method,modified particle size and smear slide analysis. In this poster,we present a literature synthesis of freshwater mussels asecosystem engineers and the development of our method toassess the micro-scale interactions between freshwater musselsand sediment properties.

Paleoecology, genesis, and humanmanipulation of wetlands in NorthwesternBelize

#Krause, Samantha M., Timothy Beach, SherylLuzzadder-Beach, Fred Valdez, Colin Doyle, SaraEshleman, Leila Donn

The University of Texas at Austin

Ongoing research on ancient Maya agriculture andprehistoric landscape modification enhances our knowledge ofhuman resilience and resource extraction in the face of longterm regional drought cycles and environmental change. In2016, we conducted a Lidar survey of tropical forested wetlandsin Northwestern Belize, which provided extensive new evidenceof anthropogenically modified fluviokarst systems and wetlandagricultural underneath the canopy. This Lidar coverageindicates an intensive modification of the environment,including upland terraces, wetland fields, and canal systems.Here, we present our current state of knowledge of one of theseagricultural zones, the Birds of Paradise wetland, based onprevious research and our new mapping and excavation efforts



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from the summer 2017 field season. In this system, swampgenesis began with the transition of a floodplain soil to a wetlanddating around 1675 years BP. A rising water table, eitheranthropogenically driven or naturally derived, caused peats andsediments to deposit on top of terrestrial soil. Pollen and isotopeanalyses shows that maize cultivation occurred over the durationof the Maya Classic (1650-1000 BP) and into the Postclassic as well,suggesting cultural resilience at that time. Evidence from nearbyMaya mound excavations suggest that the ancient Maya exploitedthese wetlands for multiple uses at least until the Late Classic witha Postclassic reentry. Based on these multiple proxies andcompared with regional climate records and Maya history, weconsider the timing, duration, formation, and spatial extent ofhuman use of these anthropogenic wetlands in this region.

Large alluvial rivers, vegetation, and past-present landscape biogeomorphic imprints

*Latrubesse, Edgardo M.University of Texas at Austin, Department of


Riparian and wetland landscapes are shaped by hydro-geomorphic processes. The vegetation types are influenced intheir persistence and abundances by nonequilibriumdisturbances associated with a set of hydro-geomorphologicprocesses. Landforms are derived from past events and legacies,but also by present active dynamics, and the species of plants in agiven landscape are also the result of historical events andpresent transformation variables. There is always a tension inthese kinds of studies between what can be explained inreference to current biophysical conditions, as contrasted withwhat must be inferred as due to events happening in the pastareas of vegetation that occupy a position related to a particulargeomorphologic unit and that differ from others in terms ofgeomorphic mosaic, floristic, pedologic, hydrologic andtopographical composition can be defined as morpho-vegetationunits. The morphovegetation mapping results in anenvironmental mosaic which can be identified in a variety ofscales with Quaternary landforms dominantly controlling thedistribution of vegetation units. Despite these concepts werebroadly developed decades ago, the role of inactive landformscontrolling the vegetation distribution had been not be recentlyconsidered by ecologist and vegetation specialist in the tropics.Using examples from the Amazon, Parana and other large alluvialplains we claim that combining the ecological information withan analysis of hydro-geomorphological processes, areconstruction of the morpho-sedimentary Quaternary mosaicand the identification of morpho-vegetation units are appropriateways to communicate and synthesize findings in ways that maybe relevant for decision makers and conservation planners.

Geomorphic effects of an extreme flood in akarst mountain watershed, southwest coast,Jamaica

#LeTarte, Sarah1, Matthew Connolly2, Robert T.Pavlowsky1

1Missouri State University, 2Central ArkansasUniversity

The geomorphic effects of flooding on mountain streams in


Jamaica are poorly understood, particularly in the karsticwatersheds along the southwest coast. This paper presentspreliminary results on understanding the geomorphic effects ofan extreme rainfall event and subsequent flood in Brighton-Bluehole watershed near Belmont, Westmoreland, Jamaica. Thestudy area consists of approximately 1 km2 of the lower part ofthe watershed. A tropical depression produced 32 cm of rain onJune 12, 1979 resulting in channel incision, debris flows, andflooding in communities. This report describes watershedcharacteristics, channel and spring networks, and landforms.Geomorphic disturbances include the effects of past and presentland use and high stream power generated by the flood. Debrisflow deposits occurred below a segment of deep channelincision due to the failure of earthworks that filled a narrowvalley. In the lower portion of the watershed, the stream systemflows through a marsh and mangrove forest before emptyinginto Bluefields Bay, a no-take fish sanctuary. Residentialconstruction is presently disturbing the mangroves which hasraised local concerns since cultural beliefs hold that mangrovesprotection is important to the health of the local fishery.

Ecosystem services and damage costs offederal lands: Case study of Gila NationalForest, USA

#Manning, Aspen, Jason P. JulianTexas State University, Department of Geography

Protected lands provide a wide range of benefits (i.e.ecosystem services) to multiple stakeholders across all scales,from local to global. This paper uses Gila National Forest (NewMexico, USA) as a case study to show the value of theseecosystem services and the damage costs associated withremoving its protection from development. Total values forecosystem services ranged from US$ 5,311 – 6,920 millionannually. Damage costs from development of just 1.4% of GilaNational Forest’s total area were US$ 126 – 335 million. By usingreadily available data and trade-off analyses, this studyillustrates the importance and value of ensuring that federallands remain protected.

The geomorphic nature of mountain bikeimpacts on selected trails near Austin, Texas

#Martin, RossTexas State University, Department of Geography

Mountain bike trails exist as physical manifestations of directmountain biker forcing on the landscape. The geomorphicnature of these impacts was evaluated using innovativetechniques with accelerometer data as a proxy for mountainbiker forcing. Mountain biker forcing variables and landscapescale variables including topography, vegetation cover, and soiltype and texture were evaluated in regard to their influence ontrail morphology. Trail systems in the Austin, Texas area wereused for the study. Each trail system had different trail usergroups and management requirements. Trail morphology wasfound to be correlated with trail user forcing as documented byaccelerometers and other movement variables such as speedand turn angles. Trail morphology was shown to be influencedby vegetation cover and soil type and texture. Trail morphologywas also influenced by land management requirementsintroducing a political component to geomorphic change.Mountain biker generated forcing was most correlated with trail



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morphology at trails which had higher mountain bike trafficrelative to other user groups. Overall use rates, independent ofuser type, were most influential on trail morphology. Furtherresearch is needed to gain better resolution for accelerometerdata by sampling riders of various skill levels. As a proof-of-concept project this research provides an entry point for researchabout the geomorphic nature of mountain bike trails.

Catastrophic flood disturbance and acommunity’s response to plant resilience in theheart of the Texas Hill Country

*Meitzen, Kimberly M., John N. Phillips, ThaïsPerkins, Aspen Manning, Jason P. Julian

Texas State University, Department of Geography

The Blanco River, which flows through the limestone BalconesCanyonlands of central Texas (USA), experienced catastrophicflooding in May 2015 that resulted in significant biogeomorphicdisturbance to its riparian corridor. High-resolution aerial andsatellite imagery from pre- and post-flooding for a 55-km reach ofriver were used to map and categorize patterns of disturbance bydegree of severity ranging from complete floodplain stripping tono disturbance. The most severe disturbance occurred within thefloodway near the channel and decreased with lateral distanceinto the 100- and 500-year floodplains. Disturbance patternspreviously identified in the literature including meander scour,parallel chute scour, convex bank erosion, and macroturbulentscour were all present following this event, as well as substantialdisturbance proximal to tributary confluences. In the aftermathof this event, TreeFolks, a local nonprofit organization, engagedwith the community to actively replant and restore the ripariancorridor of the Blanco River on public and private lands. Thesereforestation efforts supplement the natural passive recovery ofthe riparian corridor, enabling the system to recover morequickly and be resilient to future flood events.

Modelling the support factor (P) as a functionof socio-economic factors for improved erosionprediction in the Lake Victoria Basin of Uganda

Nadhomi, Daniel Luliro, Benard Oyo, GeorgeJackson Majaliwa-Mwanjalolo, John StephenTenywa, Paul Musali

Gulu University (Uganda), Department ofGeography

During erosion assessment the support factor (P) is veryuncertain to parameterize. P is usually regarded as 1 where nostructural management practices exist; and in land uses withagronomic practices, it is hardly known. Moreover, the latter aresimple and affordable technological innovations that can enhanceecosystems resilience to runoff and soil loss in Uganda. Ourobjective was to model the support factor (P) as a function ofsocio-economic factors for adoption of management practices inorder to improve erosion prediction. We obtained a functionalrelationship that represent how soil surface conditions affect flowpaths and flow hydraulics in the Lake Victoria Basin. Then weevaluated the existing management practices on soil lossreduction on Acric Ferralsols on agricultural land by integratingthe functional relationship with the RUSLE. Results showed that atslope gradient 10-15% the potential erosion as predicted by RUSLE


was 120-140 t ha-1yr-1. While soil loss from where P wasmodelled as a function of socio-economic factors for adoption ofmanagement interventions was 11-50 t ha-1yr-1. This accountedfor about 67-90% reduction in soil loss from the maximumpotential erosion as predicted by RUSLE. In conclusion, the Pfactor affects erosion potential. Its uncertainty can easily beovercome by this approach.

Geomorphic response to a catastrophicflood event, North Fork of the White River,Missouri Ozarks

#Nash, Joe, Marc Owen, Robert T. PavlowskyMissouri State University

In-steam large wood structures have been widely used in thePacific Northwest as a river restoration technique. However,large wood structures have not been used in the Ozarks untilrecently. In October 2016 the U.S. Forest Service installed fourengineered log structures (ELSs) to stabilize banks at the NorthFork Recreation Area in Ozark County, Missouri. On April 30,2017 a catastrophic flood event occurred with a stage thatreached approximately 14 feet above the previous record floodin 1985. The flood destroyed a highway bridge at the North ForkRecreation Area, and another highway bridge close to the mouthof the river at Norfork Lake. The objectives of this study are tocompare pre-flood and post- flood surveys to: 1) analyze changesto bed and bank landforms, 2) determine large woody debrisvolume, and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the ELSs.Preliminary results show that there was a planform changewhere the thalweg position moved to the opposite side of thechannel, large woody debris increased throughout the studyreach, and deposition around the ELSs was maximized byapproximately 3.4m. The importance of this study is tounderstand how a catastrophic flood event affects localizedgeomorphology and evaluate the use of large wood as arestoration tool in the Missouri Ozarks.

Eco-geomorphic feedbacks stimulated bybenthic macrofauna in streams: A review andcurrent research with burrowing bivalves

#Nickerson, Zachary L., Carla L. AtkinsonUniversity of Alabama, Department of Biological

Sciences

Traditionally, research on eco-geomorphic interactions instreams suggests system resiliency is directed unilaterally withabiotic forces driving biotic systems. Researchers now recognizethe need to incorporate a framework that acknowledgesfeedbacks between the biotic and abiotic realms of a watershed.Here, we examine such eco-geomorphic feedbacks stimulated bya group of obscure aquatic organisms: benthic macrofauna(mollusks, crustaceans, insects, worms). Benthic macrofaunastimulate eco-geomorphic feedbacks through their ability tosustain consistent, low-impact alterations that can have lastingeffects on a watershed. These alterations manifest through therole benthic macrofauna play in cycling sediment and nutrients,facilitating benthic-pelagic coupling that connects food websand concentrates nutrients and bioavailable carbon that wouldotherwise be lost downstream. By connecting food webs, benthicmacrofauna provide bottom-up provisioning of energy andnutrient flow that can be traced to pelagic and riparian zones in



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a watershed. By concentrating nutrients and carbon in thebenthos, benthic macrofauna have the potential to influencestreambed stability through physical and ecological processes. Wesuggest these processes facilitate feedbacks with the abioticenvironment that can lead to alteration of flow, erosion andsedimentation. Further, we suggest these small-scale alterations,compounded over time between disturbance events (i.e. underbaseflow conditions), can result in channel alteration on thereach- and watershed-scale. Here, we provide a literature reviewhighlighting examples of eco-geomorphic feedbacks stimulated bybenthic macrofauna in streams, present current research on thesubject using burrowing bivalve aggregations as a framework,and conclude with implications of benthic macrofauna-inducedeco-geomorphic feedbacks on stream resiliency.

Gorillas as earth-movers: Identifyingzoogeomorphic hotspots in Equatorial Africa

#Pinon, Andrea E.Texas State University, Department of Geography

Gorillas (Gorillas ssp.) are among the most charismatic andwell- researched species on the planet, yet their role aszoogeomorphic agents has gone largely overlooked.Zoogeomorphology is the study of animals as geomorphic agents,that is, the role they play in direct earth surface modification. Thecomplexity of gorilla social systems, behaviors, and theirphylogenetic relationship with human hominoids (approximately98.3% of gorilla genetic code is shared with humans) drivesresearch across multiple disciplines. Key ecological implicationsprimarily center on endozoochory and forest structuremaintenance but little attention has been given to their role aszoogeomorphic agents. A greater understanding of Gorilla spp. asearth modifiers is necessary to corroborate their role as keystonespecies and physical ecosystem engineers. Without thisknowledge, vital pieces of information could be excluded infuture conservation planning. This study will set the groundworkfor further exploration into the zoogeomorphic impact of gorillasby identifying zoogeomorphic hotspots in Equatorial Africa. Soil-scratching traces; insect mound excavation sites; foot and knuckleprints; bare/semi-bare soil bottom terrestrial nest sites; and holesand caves created from soil-digging, geophagy, and tool use arethe signatures identified for this study. The use of geographicinformation techniques (GIS) will be used to provide a visualrepresentation of signature distribution with respect tovegetation, slope, and geology to identify gorilla zoogeomorphictarget sites across sub-species populations.

Modeling debris cascades in the San JuanMountains, Colorado: A preliminary graphtheory approach

#Qu, Tianyue, John R. Giardino, Kaytan Kelkar,Raquel Granados-Aguilar

Texas A&M University, Department of Geologyand Geophysics, High Alpine and Arctic ResearchProgram (HAARP)

Mass movement is the major geomorphic operating process inthe San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. Fieldobservations suggest an episodic transport of debris from higherelevations to lower elevations via various mass movement


processes. These deposits have been studied from the early1900’s to the present. Unfortunately, many major questionsremain. In order to answer some of these questions we decidedto use a new approach of graph theory to characterize massmovement in the San Juan Mountains. We envisioned the massmovement to be a system made up of various components andfocused on the debris cascade. We utilized graph theory tomodel the relationships between system components. Because agraph consists of vertices, nodes, edges and arcs, we representand analyze the connectivity between the said components.Thus, we can identify the properties and characterize thedynamics of this cascading system. We have also identified thevarious sediment sources including pathways, sinks andtrajectories. We also used graphs to measure the relativeinfluence of the different types of mass movement and toexplore the debris dispersal in the area. We employed graphtheory to describe whether concurrent variables operateindependently or in concert. We further implemented the graphtheory to determine the dominance of specific mass movementprocesses, in other words, whether a particular process caninfluence the activity of another process. In an attempt tounderstand the overall debris cascade we applied the graphs tomodel whether specific mass movement processes worktogether in definite ways.

Application of hydro-geomorphic principlesto the management of terrestrial sedimentloading rates into coral-bearing waters

*Ramos-Scharrón, Carlos E.University of Texas at Austin, Department of

Geography & the Environment

Curbing the effects of human-induced increases on terrestrialsediment delivery into coral-sustaining waters is a priority ofcoral reef management strategies in both the Pacific andCaribbean basins. Although research has achieved key advancesin quantifying the degree to which various land use practicesaffect sediment delivery, most work has relied on astraightforward sediment budget approach that quantifiessediment contributions at annual scales. However, experimentalresearch has determined that coral polyps and colonies mayrespond unfavorably to heightened sediment exposure levels atmuch shorter temporal scales. This poster represents an initialattempt at addressing not only the magnitude of runoff andsediment delivery to coastal waters but also their frequency.Here, I evaluate empirical runoff response data to assess theimpacts of storm size, spatially explicit levels of disturbance,catchment size, and mitigation strategies under the lens ofhydro-geomorphic concepts such as active/contributing areas,volume-to-breakthrough, and connectivity. Changes in runoffresponse are here proven relevant in dry tropical areas of theNortheastern Caribbean drained by ephemeral channels wheresmall catchment size allows for measurable changes in runoffand sediment response even under limited disturbance levels.Elucidating whether these alterations are pertinent to coral reefconditions will require research based on truly interdisciplinaryquestions.

Channel stability and sediment budgetanalysis of a human modified channel systemin the Missouri Ozarks

#Reminga, Katy, Matthew Thies, Rachael Bradley,



posterabstracts



Marc Owen, Robert T. PavlowskyMissouri State University

A sediment budget approach is used to evaluate the impact ofchannelization on the geomorphic stability of headwater streamsin Mark Twain National Forest in the Missouri Ozarks. Big BarrenWatershed is composed of 90% federal lands with private in-holdings typically located in wider stream valleys to access fertilebottomlands for grazing and hay production. The natural channelform is relatively wide and shallow with riparian forest growthon floodplains and often on channel beds with floods typicallyspreading out across the valley floor. To improve drainage,landowners excavated channel beds and raised levees. Increasedchannel depth and capacity, and reduced roughness resulted inlarge head-cuts migrating up stream and sandy sediment pulsesaggrading downstream channels. This study evaluates thevolumes of sediment excavated, eroded, and deposited due tohuman activities in comparison to other geologic/natural processin upper Big Barren watershed (9 km2). Multiple cross-section andsediment depth measurements were used to quantify thedistribution and volume of geomorphic change. Since streamchannelization usually extends to forest boundaries, migratingdisturbances caused by private land management practices areoften responsible for the degradation of riparian zones on publiclands.

Hydrologic effects of prescribed burning inMark Twain National Forest, Missouri

#Roman, Grace, Megan Hente, Joe Nash, MarcOwen, Robert T. Pavlowsky


Prescribed burning is a land management tool usedthroughout North America in both the private and public sector.In 2006, the United States Forest Service implemented prescribedburning in the Mark Twain National Forest in the OzarksHighlands of southeast Missouri to improve forest health, benefitnative species, and control fuel loading. The public voicedconcerns that burning increased runoff from forest lands andcaused downstream flooding on private lands. In 2015, we beganto monitor runoff in the national forest on the main stem andtributaries of Big Barren Creek Watershed (191 km2) to evaluateburning effects on forest hydrology using a network of levellogger gaging stations. Site drainage areas ranged from 1.7km2 –51.1 km2 and stage data was recorded in five-minute intervals.Results indicate that runoff trends in Ozark headwater streamsvary with network characteristics and karst influence. However,average runoff yields and hydrograph shapes are similar for bothburned and unburned areas. Moreover, increased precipitationintensity over the past decade, possibly due to climate change,may be the cause of flooding problems.

Influence of neighborhood history on metalconcentrations in roadside soils and streetdusts, Springfield, Missouri

#Rose, Kelly, Robert T. PavlowskyMissouri State University

Urban watersheds can be exposed to toxic concentrations ofmetals in stream sediments and soils due to releases from past


chemical applications and industrial emissions. It is consideredunsafe for human exposure if soils in residential areas contain>1,200 ppm lead (Pb). Soil Pb concentrations of 400 ppm withinchildren’s play areas pose a risk to the central nervous systemand brain development in children. This study assesses Pb, Zn,and Cu levels in roadside soils and road sediments inSpringfield, Missouri. Sampling was stratified between twoneighborhoods, an industrial area, and a stream. These areaswere established at different times and had varying levels oftraffic use. An XRF analyzer was used to measure heavy metals.Both road soil and sediment samples were collected from eachsite. There were 13 sites collected from an older neighborhoodsettled 100 years ago, 10 sites from a younger area settled in the1980s, 14 sites in the industrial area, and 3 sites in streams. Thehighest Pb concentrations were found in the olderneighborhood. Maximum Pb concentrations in older areasexceeded 800 ppm for soil and 180 ppm for sediment. Incomparison, maximum Pb concentrations in the youngerneighborhood were >70 ppm for soil and >100 ppm forsediment. The third location exceeded 300 ppm for soil and >600ppm in road side sediment. The highest concentration detectedwas 1,677 ppm Pb in a soil sample located along a commercialstrip on the edge of the older neighborhood along a major road.Only two soil samples from the old neighborhood and nonefrom the newer area exceeded the 400 ppm Pb limit whichsuggests a minimal health risk among the sites evaluated.

In-cave hydrology in VA and TX anddifferences in vadose storage properties:Differences in baseflow and hydraulicresilience of small tributaries after drought

*Schwartz, BenjaminTexas State University, Department of Biology

Long-term data collection at multiple sites in VA and TX showthat karst systems developed in low-porosity fractured Paleozoiccarbonates in western VA respond differently to hydrologicstressors than those formed in the relatively porous Cretaceouscarbonates of central TX. Both systems have well-developedepikarst, with deep soil/sediment/residuum-filled fractures,bedding planes, and dissolution features. Using hydrologic andgeologic evidence, and geochemical and isotopic data, weconclude that the differences in the two systems are primarilythe result of storage in vadose zone bedrock matrix andfracture/bedding porosity. Overall, vadose zone storage isdepleted at a faster rate in VA than in TX. Springs may ceaseflowing during extended droughts, but this does not mean thatall water is drained from the vadose zone. Although VA systemscease flowing sooner, biological evidence suggests that thebedrock properties there result in isolated perched vadosewaters that are maintained for extended periods of time.Stygobitic (aquatic cave-adapted) organisms are abundant in theVA zone systems – as determined by drip-water sampling incaves. In contrast, more limited drip-water sampling in TX hasyet to yield stygobitic organisms, which supports the notion thatstorage in these systems during long-term droughts may beprimarily in matrix rather than perched ‘pools’ in the epikarst.

These findings suggest that groundwater-dependent systemsin TX may actually be more resilient to multi-year droughts, interms of spring hydrology and ecology, than those in VA, andthat karst springs have likely been more permanent in TX thanin VA, despite the generally dryer conditions.



posterabstracts



Impact of spring-associated riparianvegetation on channel morphology andsediment distribution in ephemeral drylandchannels: Henry Mountains, Utah, USA

#Southard, Paul, Joel Johnson, Daniella Rempe,Ashley Matheny

University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School ofGeosciences

Riparian vegetation has been shown to have an importanteffect on channel morphology and in-channel sedimentdistribution via its influence on hydraulics and sedimentdynamics. It is difficult, however, to study variable vegetation innatural systems without using multiple field sites and,consequently, also introducing variation in flow conditions andsediment fluxes. In order to isolate the impact vegetation has onchannel morphology, single channels that are not uniformlyvegetated along their length are desirable for study, because it canbe assumed that flow conditions and long-term sediment flux areconsistent between major tributaries. Dryland flash floodchannels provide an excellent natural laboratory to effectivelyisolate riparian vegetation as a variable and examine how itspresence affects channel evolution. In these environments,widespread vegetation only exists just downstream of springs thatdischarge at lithologic contacts and thus remain relatively fixed inspace on long timescales. Densely vegetated reaches in thesechannels can be assumed to have experienced similar flow andsediment flux conditions to non-vegetated or sparsely-vegetatedadjacent reaches upstream or downstream, and any significantdifferences in channel morphology and sediment distribution canbe attributed to differences in degree of vegetation. Two lidardatasets for the Henry Mountains in southern Utah, flown byNCALM in 2008 and 2011, provide an opportunity to determinehow persistent vegetation patches in the channels describedabove have affected channel development. Additionally,implementation of Terrestrial Laser Scanning systems in the fieldallows for analysis at smaller scales and correlation ofmorphological phenomena with vegetation metrics.

Paleoflood investigations and physiographiccharacteristics associated with susceptibility toflooding in the mountainous Colorado FrontRange

#Trivino, Natalie, Michael DanielsUniversity of Denver, Department of Geography

and the Environment

Extreme precipitation and subsequent flooding events are themost prevalent and costly natural hazard globally (Baker, Webb,House, 2002). Therefore, it is necessary to better understand thephysiographic characteristics associated with flooding to preparefor flooding hazards, since these factors are the dominantcontrols for flood runoff (Costa, 1987; Ebel et al., 2015). TheColorado Front Range is particularly prone to flooding hazardsdue to the steep, complex terrain of the mountains where watersquickly spill out onto the most populated region of Colorado alongthe Front Range (McKee and Doesken, 1997). This region hasexperienced numerous catastrophic flooding events, such as the2013 Front Range Floods, the Fort Collins Flood of 1997, and theBig Thompson Canyon Flood of 1976 to name a few (NWS, n.d.).The objective of this study is to analyze the physiographic


characteristics of several drainage basins throughout theColorado Front Range South Platte River tributaries anddetermine how these characteristics relate to extreme floodingsusceptibility. This will be done through two parts: 1) datacollection on the prior maximum observable flood throughpaleoflood analysis and historic records; and 2) a morphometricterrain analysis with ArcGIS. All basins without previous datacollection on the prior maximum observable flood frompaleoflood analysis will be analyzed through a paleoflood andhistoric analysis. The morphometric analysis will considercharacteristics such as basin size, relief, orientation, etc. andcompare these characteristics to flood magnitude for each basinto determine characteristics that most relate to extreme floodsusceptibility.

Geomorphologic impacts and timelinereconstruction of Holocene Jökulhlaups alongthe Hvítá River and Gullfoss, Iceland

#Wells, GretaUniversity of Texas at Austin, Department of


Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s most visited tourist sites, a two-tiered waterfall where the Hvítá River plunges 32 meters intothe Hvítárgljúfur canyon. This system is one line of evidence forpaleofloods that surged across the region ~9500 years BP. Over aspan of 100-200 years, a series of floods drained the ice-dammedglacial lake Kjölur in the southwestern highlands. The largestevents reached an estimated maximum peak discharge of 3 x105m3s-1, ranking them among the largest known floods inIceland and on earth. Most research on Icelandic GLOFs (glaciallake outburst floods—also known as jökulhlaups) has focused onfloods generated by volcanic and geothermal activity beneaththe southernmost ice caps; but the little-studied Hvítá floods, nottriggered by volcanogenic processes, may provide a betteranalog for most global GLOFs. A pioneering study by Tómasson(1993) reconstructed these paleofloods based on geomorphologicevidence, paleolake strandlines, tephrochronology, andsedimentology. This project builds on previous research byemploying new methods to better constrain flood timing,magnitude, and routing. This poster has three main goals: 1)present new and synthesized geomorphologic field evidencealong the estimated flood routes; 2) outline a sampling strategyfor geochronological analysis; and 3) investigate post-floodlandscape evolution. This research will yield insight into ice-dammed proglacial lake drainage dynamics, an increasinglyimportant field in light of rapid climate-driven glacial lakeexpansion worldwide. It has excellent potential to bridge thegap between academic research and public outreach throughcommunication to a high number of international visitors.

Seventy-five years after contour terracingon the Wasatch Plateau of Central Utah

Whitesides, Clayton J.Coastal Carolina University

Overgrazing by sheep on the high plateaus of Utah in the late1800s and early 1900s resulted in denuded landscapessusceptible to mass wasting and flash flooding followingprecipitation events. Many of these floods occurred on theWasatch Plateau of Central Utah and resulted in loss of life andinfrastructure. In an effort to mitigate these hazards, as well as



posterabstracts



improve water retention, the United States Forest Service and theCivilian Conservation Corps, practiced contour terracing in the1930 and 40s at high elevations across the plateau. The erosioncontrol lines have been successful in reducing dangerous andcostly flash flooding, but scant information exists on the presentstate of terracing. Fieldwork and aerial imagery analysis showthat some terraces are now bisected by gullies with downwardincision and erosion taking place. Additionally, terracing appearsto have altered local hydrology as the position of surficial springsthroughout the terraced areas appears to be related to the erosioncontrol lines. Contour terracing has also affected fossorialmammal activity and ungulate game trails, both of which havebeen shown as significant biogeomorphic agents in alpineregions. Additional research is needed to understand fully howterracing has affected erosion, local hydrology, and biogeomophicagent behavior, because population continues to grow at the baseof the Wasatch Plateau and the region is becoming an importantrecreation area with increased human presence and pressure.


notes


Binghamton GeomorphologySymposium 2018

Syracuse University has been selected to host the 49thannual Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium on August

25-26, 2018.

This international conference brings together leading scholarsin geomorphology and a themed topic. The topic of our

symposium will be Sediment complexity withingeomorphological systems.

Overview:It has become a consensus that processes controlling sediment

initiation, transport, and deposition are complex both in spaceand over time. Understanding the complexity of these processesat different spatial and temporal scales require collecting andanalyzing data with different levels of detail, which may beachieved by using a variety of field, experimental, and modelingapproaches, possibly combined with advanced technology suchas remote sensing and sediment tracing and dating. New ideasand concepts out of these approaches often arise frominterdisciplinary collaboration among scientists in geography,geology, environmental engineering, and other relevantdisciplines. The 49th annual Binghamton GeomorphologySymposium provides a forum for innovative thinking andpotential collaboration.

Organizers:Peng Gao, Department of Geography, Syracuse University,

Syracuse, NY [email protected]

James Cooper, Department of Geography and Planning,School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool,Liverpool, [email protected]

John Wainwright, Durham University, Department ofGeography, Science Laboratories, Durham, [email protected]

Location:Maxwell Auditorium, Syracuse University, Syracuse,

New York (USA)

Field trip:August 24, 2018 (Onondaga Creek Watershed)

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