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In the western United States, many native riparian forests are declining downstream from dams and diversions, primarily due to a lack of successful regeneration of native species. Conceptual models have been described that incorporate stream Row characteristics that promote successful regeneration of western riparian Populus seedlings. However, these models need to be calibrated for additional species and specific stream characteristics. In this study, we examined the growth and survival of two dominant Sonoran desert riparian tree species, a native Salix gooddingii, and an exotic, Tamarix chinensis, to simulated water table declines at rates of 0, 1, 2, and 4 cm/day. Salix seedlings performed best in the 0 cm/day treatment in which the soil was saturated and showed decreasing survival and growth with increasing rates of water table decline. Root-to-shoot ratios were high for Salix, but root elongation rates were low with an emphasis on lateral root development. This root growth pattern may be an adaptation to habitat where Salix typically grows, near the stream channel when the water table is shallow but the likelihood of Rood scour is high. Lateral root development may help to protect Salix seedlings from late season flood scour. Tamarix seedlings showed consistently high survival across all treatments and had the greatest growth in the 0 and 1 cm/day treatments. Tamarix seedlings had greater root elongation rates in response to water table decline relative to the control, with the greatest elongation in the 1 cm/day treatment. Greater root elongation rates and higher drought tolerance allowed Tamarix seedlings to persist in dry soils where Salix seedlings died. Differences in growth and survival of these two species in response to water table decline will need to be incorporated into management practices to promote successful native riparian tree regeneration. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.