Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Guglielmo Stecca, D. Murray Hicks, Richard Measures, Roddy Henderson
Summary: This study uses a physics-based numerical modeling approach to investigate the long-term changes in vegetation and morphology in real gravel-bed braided rivers under different flow conditions. By focusing on two rivers in Canterbury, New Zealand, the study examines the impacts of different flow regimes on vegetation presence. The findings demonstrate that the model can accurately reproduce the trajectories of the two rivers under different hydrological conditions and provide insights into the factors influencing vegetation presence.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Valentina Bau', Alistair G. L. Borthwick, Paolo Perona
Summary: This study examines the irreversibility of river floodplains to recover their status, which may be explained by the dynamics of riparian water-tolerant plant roots. The developed model provides a quantitative tool for predicting the impact of changing flow regimes on long-term river floodplain dynamics.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cherie J. Campbell, Siwan Lovett, Samantha J. Capon, Ross M. Thompson, Fiona J. Dyer
Summary: How people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains influences their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors towards these ecosystems, and can shape policy and management interventions. Better understanding why people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains and their key ecosystem components, such as vegetation, helps to determine what factors underpin the social legitimacy required for effective management of these systems. This study sought to ascertain perspectives on the value of non-woody vegetation in river-floodplain systems via an online survey. The survey found that participants valued non-woody vegetation for their provision of a range of ecosystem functions and services, with strong emphasis on ecological aspects such as regulation functions, habitat provision and biodiversity. However, the inclusion of a question framed to focus on stories or narratives resulted in a different emphasis. Responses indicated that non-woody vegetation, and rivers, wetlands and floodplains were valued for the way they made people feel through lived experiences such as recreational activities, personal interactions with nature, educational and research experiences. This highlights the important role of storytelling in navigating complex natural resource management challenges and ascertaining a deeper understanding of values that moves beyond provision of function to feeling. Improved understanding of the diverse ways people value and interact with river-floodplain systems will help develop narratives and forms of engagement that foster shared understanding, empathy and collaboration. Appreciation of plural values such as the provision of functions and services along with the role of emotional connections and lived experience will likely increase lasting engagement of the general public with management to protect and restore river-floodplain systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tim J. Cohen, Thomas Suesse, Ivars Reinfelds, Nuosha Zhang, Kirstie Fryirs, Laurie Chisholm
Summary: Eastern Australia's climate is characterized by extreme variability and recurring droughts. An analysis of river gauges reveals a significant decline in annual flow since 1992/93, particularly in the far South coast of New South Wales. Changes in land use and river management have contributed to the reduction in flow, coinciding with an increase in woody riparian vegetation. This increase in vegetation is the largest biogeomorphic change experienced by the SE Australian drainage network in centuries.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
B. Stammel, C. Damm, C. Fischer-Bedtke, A. Rumm, M. Gelhaus, P. Horchler, S. Kunder, F. Foeckler, M. Scholz
Summary: Natural floodplains are diverse ecosystems threatened by human activities. To improve sustainable management, it is necessary to develop an assessment index for their ecological value. This index can be combined with existing methods to evaluate floodplain plants.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Marcelo Henriques, Tim R. McVicar, Kate L. Holland, Edoardo Daly
Summary: Anabranching rivers, characterized by multiple active channels, are influenced by vegetation, flow regime, and sediment retention. The relationship between river dynamics and riparian vegetation development is still not well understood. Poor management and human activities can disrupt river-vegetation systems, highlighting the need for appropriate policy and management practices in anabranching rivers.
Article
Geography, Physical
Sharon Bywater-Reyes, Rebecca M. Diehl, Andrew C. Wilcox, John C. Stella, Li Kui
Summary: The strength of interactions between plants and river processes is influenced by plant traits and fluvial conditions. The differential effects of Tamarix and Populus on hydraulics, sediment transport, and river morphology were examined using flume, field, and modelling approaches. Differences in crown morphology, stem density, and flexibility favored aggradation associated with Tamarix, leading to faster geomorphic adjustments compared to Populus. These findings provide a basis for predicting changes in alluvial riverine systems and highlight the importance of considering plant traits and community structure in addition to flow and sediment supply.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sharon Bywater-Reyes, Rebecca M. Diehl, Andrew C. Wilcox, John C. Stella, Li Kui
Summary: The interaction between riparian vegetation and river processes is influenced by plant traits and fluvial conditions, with Tamarix and Populus species having differing effects on hydraulics, sediment transport, and river morphology. Differences in plant traits between the two species influence river adjustments at various scales, highlighting the importance of considering plant characteristics in river management and invasive species control.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fausto Machado-Silva, Vinicius Neres-Lima, Andrea Franco Oliveira, Timothy Peter Moulton
Summary: Deforestation has negative impacts on the ecological integrity of rivers and streams, causing threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. This study examines the effects of forest cover changes on tropical streams using stable isotopic ratios. The results show significant variations in isotopic ratios and highlight the importance of using stable isotopes to monitor and assess the impacts of deforestation on stream ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Mechanics
Wen-xin Huai, Shuolin Li, Gabriel G. Katul, Meng-yang Liu, Zhong-hua Yang
Summary: The significance of riparian vegetation on river flow and material transport is unquestionable. Adjustments to conveyance laws, sediment erosion and deposition, and element cycling are necessary to accommodate aquatic plants. The growth of vegetation is influenced by fluvial processes and river morphology, making the study of these interactions crucial for river restoration.
JOURNAL OF HYDRODYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Hamish D. Prince, Nicolas J. Cullen, Peter B. Gibson, Jono Conway, Daniel G. Kingston
Summary: Extreme precipitation events in New Zealand have devastating impacts on the local society and environment. An automated atmospheric river detection technique is used to study extreme precipitation climatology, revealing seasonal and regional variations. AR events have the highest impact on the western coast of New Zealand, with precipitation totals exceeding 1000 mm.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Philip R. Kaufmann, Robert M. Hughes, Steven G. Paulsen, David V. Peck, Curt W. Seeliger, Marc H. Weber, Richard M. Mitchell
Summary: Quantitative measures of physical habitat structure are important indicators of the impacts of human activities on stream and river condition.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Guglielmo Stecca, Davide Fedrizzi, Richard Measures, D. Murray Hicks, Jo Hoyle, Guido Zolezzi
Summary: In this paper, we developed a two-dimensional modelling framework to study the morphological evolution of vegetated braided rivers. The framework incorporates a unisize-sediment morphological model, accounting for bank erosion, and a vegetation model. We improved and tailored these model components for modelling vegetated braided river dynamics. We applied the framework to simulate an idealized reach of the Lower Waitaki River in New Zealand, successfully reproducing vegetation encroachment and morphological change observed between 1936 and 1964.
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michael Engel, Jay Frentress, Daniele Penna, Andrea Andreoli, Ilja van Meerveld, Stefan Zerbe, Massimo Tagliavini, Francesco Comiti
Summary: The study explores the impacts of river restoration projects on Alpine rivers and floodplains. It finds that geomorphic conditions, soil moisture, and groundwater level affect the source of water used by riparian vegetation. The results highlight the differences in the source of transpiration water for grey alder trees growing on floodplains and terraces. Large restoration interventions can enable the formation of new floodplain areas characterized by stream water-fed riparian ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Philip R. Kaufmann, Robert M. Hughes, Steven G. Paulsen, David Peck, Curt W. Seeliger, Tom Kincaid, Richard M. Mitchell
Summary: Rigorous assessments of water resources' ecological condition and the impact of human activities on them require quantitative data, showing that artificial disturbances have negative effects on physical habitats. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's study found that a certain proportion of rivers and lakes in the country are in poor condition, characterized by anthropogenic disturbances, sediment accumulation, inadequate riparian vegetation cover, and low habitat complexity. The severity of these conditions varies in different ecological regions.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)