SGER: Effects of Dam Removal on Riverine Habitats and Nutrient Retention

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Stanley 0108619 - This research offers a rare opportunity to investigate the effects of dam removal on the physical environment and biogeochemical processes, including anthropogenic disturbance impacts, ecological succession, sediment transport, and nutrient retention. This is a poorly understood area with little reliable data, and the project will capitalize on recent and upcoming dam removals in Wisconsin's Baraboo River, the longest river restored to free-flowing conditions in the Unites States. The project will obtain information critical to understanding and managing dams and dam removals. The study unites basic science with management objectives by addressing conceptual ecological models of riverine system function, and how anthropogenic structural alterations evolve over time into more natural wetland habitats. The models developed during this project have broad applicability for river management and the advancement of ecological succession theory.