Santa Cruz Island Reserve

10 Aug, 03 AM - 20 Aug, 03 AM

This year's El Ni?o provided much needed moisture for the southwestern United States. But its intense rainfall events have caused severe destruction through flooding and landsliding in wide parts of southern California. Landscapes with a reduced vegetation cover due to wildfires or overgrazing are especially prone to erosion. The erosion processes often remove the top fertile soil layers and thus significantly reduce vegetation recovery and associated plant-root strengthening in the soil. Although erosion is a natural process and has been occurring for the past thousands of years, the combination of human-induced animal overgrazing or wildfire generation with intense rainfall storms is particularly devastating to the nutrient rich, uppermost soil layer. Importantly, the strength and recurrence interval (i.e., magnitude and frequency) of southern California's rain storms leading to intense erosion is likely to increase within a global warming scenario during the next decades. In order to understand, predict, and mitigate future climate-related impacts for southern California?s population, a combination of local and regional studies is needed. This proposal aims at detailed field work to identify erosion processes, give a better understanding and quantification of soil and sediment removal and deposition, and make simple predictions for future scenarios. The findings can be upscaled into regional significance by combining other studies with remote sensing techniques.

Visit #20932 @Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 21439 | Research

The impact of the 2009/2010 El Nino on mass transport and erosion processes on Santa Cruz Island, California

faculty - University of California, Santa Barbara

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 2 Graduate Student Aug 10 - 20, 2010 (11 days)
Bodo Bookhagen Aug 10 - 20, 2010 (11 days)
Group of 2 Undergraduate Student Aug 10 - 20, 2010 (11 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Jeep 5 Aug 10 - 20, 2010
Pickup Truck 5 Aug 10 - 20, 2010