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Water Balance

Adapted from: Mary Nichols. 2007. Chapter 3: Hydrologic Processes in Riparian Areas. In: G. Zaimes (ed). Understanding Arizona’s Riparian Areas. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. AZ 1432. Available at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/natresources/az1432.pdf

Water balance is a method of book keeping used to summarize the amount of water cycling from the atmosphere, across land surfaces, into the ground, through plants, into the ocean, and back the atmosphere. It provides a good framework for understanding hydrologic processes. Water balances can vary year to …

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Purple Loosestrife-Lythrum salicaria

Written by D.J. Moorhead and G.K. Douce for Forest Encyclopedia Network
Figure 1. Purple loosestrife is easily recognized in the summer and early fall by its showy spike of purple flowers. Photo by Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, courtesy of forestryimages.org

Purple Loosestrife is a tall, perennial forb that can grow up to 10 feet in height. It is easily distinguished by the abundant, showy spikes of purple flowers that occur at the tops of the plants (Swearingen et …

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Oriental Bittersweet-Celastrus orbiculatus

Written by D.J. Moorhead and G.K. Douce for Forest Encyclopedia Network
Figure 1. Oriental bittersweet’s leaves are elliptical in shade and alternately arranged. The vines can wrap tightly around trees, potentially girdling the tree and killing it. Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, courtesy of forestryimages.org.


Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous, climbing, woody vine that can grow to lengths of 60 ft (Miller 2003). The alternate, elliptical leaves are light green in color (Fig. 1). Small, inconspicuous, auxiliary …

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Kudzu-Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.

Adapted from: D.J. Moorhead and G.K. Douce for Forest Encyclopedia Network
Figure 1. Distinctive three-parted leaf of kudzu. Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forestry service, courtesy of forestryimages.org.

Kudzu is a climbing deciduous vine capable of reach lengths of over 100 feet. The stems can grow to 4 inches in diameter and the large semi-woody roots can reach depths of 3 to 16 feet (Miller 2003). Kudzu is easily identified because it grows in a large dense mat of …

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Mimosa – Albizia julibrissin

Written by D.J. Moorhead and G.K. Douce for Forest Encyclopedia Network

A mimosa infestation favors disturbed sites, where they can grow quickly and prevent native plant establishment.

Figure 1. Mimosa flowers are very showy and fragrant. The leaves are delicate-looking and bipinnately compound. Photo by Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society. Figure 2. Mimosa can quickly invade forest edges and old fields. The showy flowers make infestation very conspicuous. Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service. Image credits: forestryimages.org.

Mimosa, also known as silk tree, is a small deciduous tree that is 10 to 50 feet in height, often having multiple trunks. It has delicate looking bi-pinnately compound leaves that resemble ferns (Miller 2003). The bark is smooth and light tan to greenish in color. Mimosa has very showy, …

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