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Creators/Authors contains: "Bywater‐Reyes, Sharon"

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  1. Abstract. Here we describe the curriculum and outcomes from a data-intensivegeomorphic analysis course, “Geoscience Field Issues Using High-ResolutionTopography to Understand Earth Surface Processes”, which pivoted to virtualin 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The curriculum covers technologies formanual and remotely sensed topographic data methods, including (1) GlobalPositioning Systems and Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS/GNSS)surveys, (2) Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and (3) ground-based(terrestrial laser scanning, TLS) and airborne lidar. Course content focuseson Earth-surface process applications but could be adapted for othergeoscience disciplines. Many other field courses were canceled in summer2020, so this course served a broad range of undergraduate and graduatestudents in need of a field course as part of degree or researchrequirements. Resulting curricular materials are available freely within theNational Association of Geoscience Teachers' (NAGT's) “Teaching with Online Field Experiences” collection. Theauthors pre-collected GNSS data, uncrewed-aerial-system-derived (UAS-derived) photographs, and ground-based lidar, which students then used in courseassignments. The course was run over a 2-week period and had synchronousand asynchronous components. Students created SfM models that incorporatedpost-processed GNSS ground control points and created derivative SfM and TLSproducts, including classified point clouds and digital elevation models(DEMs). Students were successfully able to (1) evaluate the appropriatenessof a given survey/data approach given site conditions, (2) assess pros andcons of different data collection and post-processing methods in light offield and time constraints and limitations of each, (3) conduct error andgeomorphic change analysis, and (4) propose or implement a protocol to answera geomorphic question. Overall, our analysis indicates the course had asuccessful implementation that met student needs as well as course-specificand NAGT learning outcomes, with 91 % of students receiving an A, B, or Cgrade. Unexpected outcomes of the course included student self-reflectionand redirection and classmate support through a daily reflection anddiscussion post. Challenges included long hours in front of a computer,computing limitations, and burnout because of the condensed nature of thecourse. Recommended implementation improvements include spreading the courseout over a longer period of time or adopting only part of the course andproviding appropriate computers and technical assistance. This paperand published curricular materials should serve as an implementation andassessment guide for the geoscience community to use in virtual or in-personhigh-resolution topographic data courses that can be adapted for individuallabs or for an entire field or data course. 
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  2. Abstract The strength of interactions between plants and river processes is mediated by plant traits and fluvial conditions, including above‐ground biomass, stem density and flexibility, channel and bed‐material properties, and flow and sediment regimes. In many rivers, concurrent changes in (1) the composition of riparian vegetation communities as a result of exotic species invasion and (2) shifts in hydrology have altered physical and ecological conditions in a manner that has been mediated by feedbacks between vegetation and morphodynamic processes. We review howTamarix, which has invaded many southwestern US waterways, andPopulusspecies, woody pioneer trees that are native to the region, differentially affect hydraulics, sediment transport, and river morphology. We draw on flume, field, and modelling approaches spanning the individual seedling to river‐corridor scales. In a flume study, we found that differences in the crown morphology, stem density, and flexibility ofTamarixcompared toPopulusinfluenced near‐bed flow velocities in a manner that favoured aggradation associated withTamarix. Similarly, at the patch and corridor scales, observations confirmed increased aggradation with increased vegetation density. Furthermore, long‐term channel adjustments were different forTamarix‐ versusPopulus‐dominated reaches, with faster and greater geomorphic adjustments forTamarix. Collectively, our studies show how plant‐trait differences betweenTamarixandPopulus, from individual seedlings to larger spatial and temporal scales, influence the co‐adjustment of rivers and riparian plant communities. These findings provide a basis for predicting changes in alluvial riverine systems which we conceptualize as a Green New Balance model that considers how channels may adjust to changes in plant traits and community structure, in addition to alterations in flow and sediment supply. We offer suggestions regarding how the Green New Balance can be used in management and invasive species management. 
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