Because riparian canopy controls most energy inputs to stream
ecosystems, it directly affects the structure of aquatic food webs and the
ecological processes that govern interactions among trophic levels. This
study addresses the interdependence among riparian canopy, benthic
community structure, and the carrying capacity of high desert streams for
salmonid...
In a study of cumulative effects of riparian disturbance by grazing on the trophic structure of high desert trout streams, watersheds with greater riparian canopy had higher standing crops of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, lower daily maximum temperatures (range, 16-23°C compared with 26-31°C), and perennial flow. Watershed aspect influenced the...