Invasive Plants We Study: Saltcedar
For more than a decade, USGS scientists have been leaders in understanding saltcedar invasion on riparian ecosystems in the southwest including effects on plant communities, water loss, erosion, wildlife use and human recreational resources. Models have been developed that quantify the extent of saltcedar distribution and inform management actions. In addition, USGS is studying the effectiveness of biological control to reduce saltcedar populations, and subsequent changes in riparian vegetation.
Saltcedar Research
FORT Cottonwood Common Garden
Ecology and Management of Invasive Riparian Plants
Erosion and Invasive Saltcedar
Riparian Ecology
Biological Invasions of Riparian Ecosystems
Explore our science using the data below.
Northern tamarisk beetle impact and classification maps, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023)
Riparian vegetation, topography, sediment quality and river corridor geomorphology in the Lower Virgin River 2010-2017
Woody riparian invasive plant presence, stem density, and rank dominance and environmental conditions in 2012 at 238 bridge crossings in the Colorado Headwaters, upper/middle Rio Grande, upper Arkansas, and South Platte River Basins, USA
Remote sensing derived maps of tamarisk (2009) and beetle impacts (2013) along 412 km of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Recent publications (2018-2022) related to USGS saltcedar research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS saltcedar publications is available from the button below.
Hydrologic and geomorphic effects on riparian plant species occurrence and encroachment: Remote sensing of 360 km of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
The transformation of dryland rivers: The future of introduced tamarisk in the U.S.
Monitoring Tamarix changes using WorldView-2 satellite imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Future regulated flows of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon foretell decreased areal extent of sediment and increases in riparian vegetation
Flow‐ecology modelling to inform reservoir releases for riparian restoration and management
Vegetation‐groundwater dynamics at a former uranium mill site following invasion of a biocontrol agent: A time series analysis of Landsat normalized difference vegetation index data
Effect of an environmental flow on vegetation growth and health using ground and remote sensing metrics
Population dynamics of the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) in the Colorado River Basin
Population genomic analysis suggests strong influence of river network on spatial distribution of genetic variation in invasive saltcedar across the southwestern United States
Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion
For more than a decade, USGS scientists have been leaders in understanding saltcedar invasion on riparian ecosystems in the southwest including effects on plant communities, water loss, erosion, wildlife use and human recreational resources. Models have been developed that quantify the extent of saltcedar distribution and inform management actions. In addition, USGS is studying the effectiveness of biological control to reduce saltcedar populations, and subsequent changes in riparian vegetation.
Saltcedar Research
FORT Cottonwood Common Garden
Ecology and Management of Invasive Riparian Plants
Erosion and Invasive Saltcedar
Riparian Ecology
Biological Invasions of Riparian Ecosystems
Explore our science using the data below.
Northern tamarisk beetle impact and classification maps, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023)
Riparian vegetation, topography, sediment quality and river corridor geomorphology in the Lower Virgin River 2010-2017
Woody riparian invasive plant presence, stem density, and rank dominance and environmental conditions in 2012 at 238 bridge crossings in the Colorado Headwaters, upper/middle Rio Grande, upper Arkansas, and South Platte River Basins, USA
Remote sensing derived maps of tamarisk (2009) and beetle impacts (2013) along 412 km of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Recent publications (2018-2022) related to USGS saltcedar research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS saltcedar publications is available from the button below.