Evolution of restored riparian meadows in the Sierra Nevada
Matt Kondolf, Professor
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed for this project.
Conservation groups estimate that half of the 5,000+ riparian meadows in the Sierra Nevada have become “degraded”, or converted from wet to dry meadows as indicated by the dominance of non-meadow vegetation species (e.g. lodgepole pines or sagebrush). Meadows cover less than 1% of Sierran forests, but have an outsized role in conserving biodiversity because they store water in shallow aquifers through the summer dry season, creating conditions that support a diverse mix of endemic, hydrophytic meadow species.
To address the degradation of meadows, the most prominent restoration technique in Sierran meadows is an intensive method of channel reconstruction known as “pond-and-plug.” It raises the water table quickly and vegetation responds, but long-term outcomes remain unexplored. This research of eight “pond-and-plug” meadow restoration projects across the Sierra asks: how do restored channels and meadow ecosystems respond to “pond-and-plug” restoration over several decades? Answering this question can inform both meadow restoration techniques and our understanding of what sustains meadow ecosystem function.
This position allows the research apprentice to develop skills in geomorphic field surveys of riparian meadows, topographic and geospatial data analysis of valleys and watersheds, and remote sensing of wetland vegetation. It will expose students to theories and practices of ecosystem restoration, especially in riparian environments.
The student will collaborate with a Ph.D. candidate who has conducted multi-year surveys and is working to collect data through October, then process and analyze the data to develop results, including figures, for publication and presentation at conferences.
Role: Major Goals:
Develop results, figures, conference posters and manuscript on the geomorphic response to ‘pond and plug’ channel alteration over multiple decades.
Major Tasks to Support Goals:
Process geomorphic survey data for eight ‘pond and plug’ restoration projects. Resurvey specific aspects of each project in the field.
Define and quantify metrics of geomorphic change and connect to physical processes. Develop results as data graphics.
Consider current metrics for “success” and how remote sensing time series can be integrated into metrics to evaluate longevity of restoration benefits.
Consider role of “floodplain function” (a major restoration goal) on meadow ecosystem stability; conduct literature review, present major findings to lab group, integrate into paper.
Consider geomorphic work expended in restoration in terms of sediment volume transported mechanically for restoration versus by the river flow following restoration.
Qualifications: Background in basic physics and data science are required, any coursework in fluid mechanics would be desirable. Programming in python and/or R can be helpful. Interest in rivers and wetlands a must!
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: JENNIFER NATALI, Ph.D. candidate
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: https://berkeleyriverlab.org/
Environmental Issues Biological & Health Sciences