SYCA - Sycamore Creek, NEON Aquatic Field Site | Arizona
Channel: NEON Science
Date: 2022-09-23

Sycamore Creek (SYCA) is an aquatic NEON field site in a shallow desert stream situated roughly 35 kilometers northeast of Phoenix, Arizona in the Tonto National Forest. The creek’s headwaters begin on the eastern slopes of the Mazatzal Mountains and flow south toward its confluence with the Verde River. Flash floods commonly occur within the Sycamore Creek watershed during periods of heavy precipitation. In the lower reaches, the banks of the creek are surrounded by old-growth saguaro cacti and palo verde forests in a classic Sonoran Desert Scrub ecosystem. Sycamore Creek is a riverine wetland in an otherwise extremely dry environment. This unique feature creates an array of biotic activity ranging from algal mats to endemic fish and plant species only seen in riparian or wetland habitats. Aquatic organisms collected at SYCA include aquatic microbes, macroinvertebrates, algae and plants. Automated instruments at the site also collect physical and chemical properties of the creek, surrounding atmosphere and adjacent riparian area.

Suggested citation for this video: National Ecological Observatory Network. September 23, 2022. SYCA - Sycamore Creek, NEON Aquatic Field Site [Video file]. Courtesy: Battelle. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/FE8zvEJaBhU