Urban watersheds represent complex interactions between the flow of water and materials within a river and its shoreline and the human organizations that manage both the land and the river itself. While watershed analyses have demonstrated how urbanization alters water quality, water flow and the ecology in and adjacent to rivers, as well as how urban populations value, use and manage rivers, there has been little research examining either ecological or organizational connectivity along urban river systems. The patterns of both ecological and organizational connectivity within an urban watershed can be analyzed as networks and their structures then compared to produce a more dynamic understanding of the complex interplay of human and ecological processes. This project will examine the small, highly urban, Rahway River watershed in New Jersey and measure ecological connectivity through a study of seed dispersal and transport and organizational connectivity through a study of government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Specific hypotheses address factors that enhance or limit social and ecological connectivity that will be tested through interviews of citizens and decision makers and ecological sampling along the river system. Network analyses will be conducted to understand the types of connectivity, including interruptions or failures of connectivity, and analyze the congruence of the ecological and organizational networks.
This project will contribute to both basic natural and social science, as well as to the management of urban watersheds. Network analysis has not been applied to integrated social and natural scientific data in such settings. The analyses of congruence will be novel and important contributions to understanding linked social and ecological systems. The project will also provide a basis for land managers to strengthen organizational connections across jurisdictions needed to enhance ecological connectivity. Both the theoretical and applied aspects of the project will establish a foundation for more comprehensive work on the management of small urban watersheds in the future.
