Research over the last two decades has identified the hyporheic zone as an important part of stream ecosystems. However, our understanding of how this area functions from a biogeochemical standpoint is still poorly understood. The hyporheic zone is the saturated subsurface sediment that lies directly beneath and beside streams where groundwater and surface water mix. Hyporheic linkages between riparian zones and stream channels greatly influence the translocation of dissolved nutrients and carbon that are fundamental to sustaining stream food webs. As such, subsurface hyporheic linkages are a key component to understanding the structure and function of riparian and stream systems in restoration projects. The degradation of stream systems has been widespread throughout the United States. In Kentucky, for instance, almost all of their large streams have been impounded or channelized. A restoration project has been initiated in a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., KY) to return the meandering configuration of the stream to its watershed. Restoration activities aim to reestablish a native riparian corridor using giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea), a historic feature of central Kentucky floodplain terraces, and bottomland forest species. The objectives of this study are to develop techniques for the successful restoration of riparian vegetation communities, and to evaluate the rate at which an active hyporheic zone develops. Use of tree shelters in riparian tree establishment has provided mixed results. Shelters appear to have accelerated carbon retention by trapping woody debris and litter, but have also resulted in enhanced mortality during floods when they are struck by floating debris, which detaches the shelter and uproots the associated seedling. Preliminary data show that pH, EC, DO, TDS, and NO3- content are lower in the subsurface zone adjacent to the stream as compared to the surface water, indicating that hyporheic zone development has begun.
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