Evaluation of dryland riparian restoration with cottonwood and willow using deep‐planting and herbivore protection

Degradation of dryland riparian ecosystems has been linked to the lowering of alluvial groundwater tables and reduced floodplain connectivity. Establishing riparian plants in dryland ecosystems with high water-stress and herbivore pressure presents major challenges for restoration practitioners. By planting at sufficient depths to reach lowered water tables, deep-planting provides direct access to water and encourages root development within hydrated soils. While deep-planting is a promising alternative to traditional supplemental irrigation in dryland areas affected by lowered water tables, few studies have evaluated deep-planting where planting depths must exceed one-meter to reach water tables and where herbivore protection is required. To evaluate deep-planting as an irrigation alternative where lowered water tables present a challenge to riparian restoration, we conducted experimental plantings along an incised stream within a semiarid watershed using deep-planting without supplemental irrigation in ...