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Edwin P Weeks

Various processes within the unsaturated zone affect ground-water availability and portability, as well as concentrations of water vapor and trace gases in the atmosphere. The rate at which precipitation or applied irrigation water infiltrates, its redistribution following infiltration, and the partitioning of the redistributed soil moisture between ground-water recharge and evapotranspiration affect the rate at which the ground-water reservoir is replenished and the degree to which ground water might be contaminated by chemical applications, spills, or disposal. Consequently, knowledge of and methods to quantitatively measure and predict these processes are needed to determine the impact of such societal practices...
Non-native shrub species in the genus Tamarix (saltcedar, tamarisk) have colonized hundreds of thousands of hectares of floodplains, reservoir margins, and other wetlands in western North America. Many resource managers seek to reduce saltcedar abundance and control its spread to increase the flow of water in streams that might otherwise be lost to evapotranspiration, to restore native riparian (streamside) vegetation, and to improve wildlife habitat. However, increased water yield might not always occur and has been substantially lower than expected in water salvage experiments, the potential for successful revegetation is variable, and not all wildlife taxa clearly prefer native plant habitats over saltcedar....
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