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A Process-Based View of Floodplain Forest Patterns in Coastal River Valleys of the Pacific Northwest

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Abstract

Floodplains in the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion (PCE) stem from steep eroding mountain landscapes in a rain forest environment, and sustain a rich array of natural resources. Like floodplains elsewhere, many of the approximately 200 coastal river valleys are profoundly altered by flow regulation and land conversion for agriculture and urban development, and these activities have contributed to widespread declines in anadromous fishes and environmental quality. Some of the coastal river valleys, however, still retain many of their natural features, thereby providing important reference sites. Understanding fundamental biophysical processes underpinning natural floodplain characteristics is essential for successfully protecting and restoring ecological integrity, including inherent goods and services. This article examines factors underpinning the ecological characteristics of PCE floodplains, particularly riparian soils and trees. Drawing on over two decades of research and literature, we describe the spatial and temporal characteristics of physical features for alluvial PCE floodplains, examine the importance of sediment deposition and associated biogeochemical processes in floodplain soil formation, quantify vegetative succession and production dynamics of riparian trees, discuss how epiphytes, marine-derived nutrients, and soil processes contribute to tree production, describe the roles and importance of large dead wood in the system, the role of termites in its rapid decomposition, and show how large wood contributes to vegetative succession. These highly interconnected features and associated processes are summarized in a model of system-scale drivers and changes occurring over several centuries. Collectively, this integrated perspective has strong implications for floodplain rehabilitation, and we identify appropriate metrics for evaluating floodplain condition and functions. We draw heavily from our own experience on several well-studied rivers, recognizing additional studies are needed to evaluate the generality of concepts presented herein. As in any complex adaptive system, fundamental uncertainties remain and constraints imposed by the legacies of past human actions persist. Nevertheless, the evolving knowledge base is improving conservation strategies of lightly modified floodplains and is supporting the incorporation of emerging process-based perspectives into the rehabilitation of heavily modified systems.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service, Weyerhaeuser Company, National Science Foundation, National Marine Fisheries Service, the Washington Sea Grant Program, and the University of Washington is gratefully acknowledged. Much of the research was conducted in Olympic National Park and on U.S. Forest Service lands; their support and cooperation—as well as that from many other land owners and institutions—was instrumental to the success of our endeavors. Insightful comments on early drafts by R.E. Bilby, B. Collins, C. Nilsson and two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the content and presentation. Numerous students, technicians, and colleagues have assisted our efforts over nearly two decades, greatly enriching the experience with dedication, creative solutions, thoughtful suggestions, and hard work.

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  1. Joshua J. Latterell

    Present address: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Water and Land Resources Division, Suite 600, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, Washington, 98104-3855, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 355020, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Robert J. Naiman, J. Scott Bechtold & Joshua J. Latterell

  2. NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Blvd East, Seattle, Washington, 98112, USA

    Timothy J. Beechie

  3. School of Forest Resources, University of Washington, 352100, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Robert Van Pelt

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Correspondence to Robert J. Naiman.

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All authors contributed significantly to the study design, to data collection and analyzes, and to the development of specific methods and models. The article was written as a collaborative team.

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Naiman, R.J., Bechtold, J.S., Beechie, T.J. et al. A Process-Based View of Floodplain Forest Patterns in Coastal River Valleys of the Pacific Northwest. Ecosystems 13, 1–31 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-009-9298-5

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