Mesoscale river restoration enhances the diversity of floodplain vegetation

Effective river restoration aims for the recovery of ecosystem functions by restoring processes and connectivity to the floodplain. At the straightened lowland river Stör in northern Germany, a sequence of 15 new meanders was created in 2008, with wavelengths up to 70 m. The newly created areas within the meander bends range in size from 215 to 1,115 m² and function as a series of 15 restored floodplain sites, which are subject to succession. After 7 years of restoration measures, we investigated the vegetation dynamics on the (a) restored floodplains and compared them with adjacent floodplain sites that were used as (b) low‐intensity grazed grassland or as (c) abandoned grassland. We analysed the species diversity, functional vegetation parameters, and plant communities of 200 plots within the floodplain area of the three floodplain types and of 246 plots at their river banks. Plant species diversity and composition differed with respect to restoration measure and site management. Restored floodplains revealed a higher coverage in species of wet grasslands and softwood forests and higher species diversity than abandoned grasslands. Grazed grasslands showed the highest species number and coverages of pioneer vegetation. The banks indicated fewer differences in species composition between floodplain types. The construction of restored floodplains revealed greater overall plant diversity due to promoting the development of typical floodplain vegetation. Shallow meanders with increased flooding intensity and the creation of a varying microreliefs are recommended as combined river/floodplain measures in order to foster processes and connectivity between valley components.     

RECRUITMENT AND SUCCESSIONAL DYNAMICS DIVERSIFY THE SHIFTING HABITAT MOSAIC OF AN ALASKAN FLOODPLAIN

We measured plant recruitment patterns, successional dynamics, and biophysical processes on laterally expansive floodplains of the Kwethluk River, Alaska. The main channel of this gravel‐bed river frequently avulses and possesses an anabranching plan form. Fluvial processes were interactive with life history processes of riparian plants in determining initial stages of primary succession. Reproductive strategies and herbivory became important factors later in succession. We conducted plant age and compositional surveys to assess patterns of propagule deposition. We found that dispersal strategies of species were an important factor influencing recruitment patterns. Flood‐dispersed seeds resulted in even‐aged cohorts of species persistently segregated in space, based on age data. Sediment characteristics and inundation potential had little influence on seedling distributions. Recruitment was also segregated on the basis of dispersal strategy. At the heads of bars, where vegetative propagules (live drift wood) were entombed during floods, the distributions of species were random. This size‐selective nature of recruitment persisted through time. Vegetation age and distribution patterns were further diversified by the river's legacy of gravel deposition that diversified the primary successional pathway: one associated with ridges and another with swales. Interactions between these pathways and beaver herbivory initiated secondary succession. We used satellite imagery to quantify the extent of floodplain influenced by herbivory and to assess the importance of this driver of secondary succession. We also used high‐resolution aerial imagery and randomly selected sites to provide an unbiased analysis. We classified this imagery to quantify the spatial extent of herbivory and its influence on the initiation of secondary succession. The results showed, in addition to recruitment and successional dynamics, the flood‐plain habitat mosaic was diversified by the initiation of secondary succession. Patch and species composition within the vegetation mosaics were significantly different than those portions of the floodplain engaged in primary succession. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Riparian vegetation and channel change in response to river regulation: a comparative study of regulated and unregulated streams in the Green River Basin,USA

The effects of river damming on geomorphic processes and riparian vegetation were evaluated through field studies along the regulated Green River and the free‐flowing Yampa River in northwestern Colorado, USA. GIS analysis of historical photographs, hydrologic and sediment records, and measurement of channel planform indicate that fluvial processes and riparian vegetation of the two meandering stream reaches examined were similar prior to regulation which began in 1962. Riparian plant species composition and canopy coverage were measured during 1994 in 36, 0.01 ha plots along each the Green River in Browns Park and the Yampa River in Deerlodge Park. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of the vegetation data indicates distinctive vegetation differences between Browns Park and Deerlodge Park. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicates that plant community composition is controlled largely by fluvial processes at Deerlodge Park, but that soil chemical rather than flow related factors play a more important role in structuring plant communities in Browns Park. Vegetation patterns reflect a dichotomy in moisture conditions across the floodplain on the Green River in Browns Park: marshes with anaerobic soils supporting wetland species (Salix exigua, Eleocharis palustris, Schoenoplectus pungens, and Juncus nodosus) and terraces having xeric soil conditions and supporting communities dominated by desert species (Seriphidium tridentatum, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, and Sporobolus airoides). In contrast, vegetation along the Yampa River is characterized by a continuum of species distributed along a gradual environmental gradient from the active channel (ruderal species such as Xanthium struminarium and early successional species such as S. exigua, Populus deltoides subsp. wislizenii, and Tamarix ramossissima) to high floodplain surfaces characterized by Populus forests and meadow communities. GIS analyses indicate that the channel form at Browns Park has undergone a complex series of morphologic changes since regulation began, while the channel at Deerlodge Park has remained in a state of relative quasi‐equilibrium with discharge and sediment regimes. The Green River has undergone three stages of channel change which have involved the transformation of the historically deep, meandering Green River to a shallow, braided channel over the 37 years since construction of Flaming Gorge Dam. The probable long‐term effects of channel and hydrologic changes at Browns Park include the eventual replacement of Populus‐dominated riparian forest by drought tolerant desert shrublands, and the enlargement of in‐channel fluvial marshes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ecological connectivity in alluvial river ecosystems and its disruption by flow regulation

The dynamic nature of alluvial floodplain rivers is a function of flow and sediment regimes interacting with the physiographic features and vegetation cover of the landscape. During seasonal inundation, the flood pulse forms a ‘moving littoral’ that traverses the plain, increasing productivity and enhancing connectivity. The range of spatio-temporal connectivity between different biotopes, coupled with variable levels of natural disturbance, determine successional patterns and habitat heterogeneity that are responsible for maintaining the ecological integrity of floodplain river systems. Flow regulation by dams, often compounded by other modifications such as levee construction, normally results in reduced connectivity and altered successional trajectories in downstream reaches. Flood peaks are typically reduced by river regulation, which reduces the frequency and extent of floodplain inundation. A reduction in channel-forming flows reduces channel migration, an important phenomenon in maintaining high levels of habitat diversity across floodplains. The seasonal timing of floods may be shifted by flow regulation, with major ramifications for aquatic and terrestrial biota. Truncation of sediment transport may result in channel degradation for many kilometres downstream from a dam. Deepening of the channel lowers the water-table, which affects riparian vegetation dynamics and reduces the effective base level of tributaries, which results in rejuvenation and erosion. Ecological integrity in floodplain rivers is based in part on a diversity of water bodies with differing degrees of connectivity with the main river channel. Collectively, these water bodies occupy a wide range of successional stages, thereby forming a mosaic of habitat patches across the floodplain, This diversity is maintained by a balance between the trend toward terrestrialization and flow disturbances that renew connectivity and reset successional sequences. To counter the influence of river regulation, restoration efforts should focus on reestablishing dynamic connectivity between the channel and floodplain water bodies.     

Ecological strategies successfully predict the effects of river floodplain rehabilitation on breeding birds

To improve the ecological functioning of riverine ecosystems, large‐scale floodplain rehabilitation has been carried out in the Rhine–Meuse Delta since the 1990s. This paper evaluates changes in abundance of 93 breeding bird species over a period of 10 years in response to rehabilitation, by comparing population changes in 75 rehabilitated sites with 124 non‐rehabilitated reference sites. Such quantitative, multi‐species, large‐scale and long‐term evaluations of floodplain rehabilitation on biodiversity are still scarce, particularly studies that focus on the terrestrial component. We try to understand the effects by relating population trends to ecological and life‐history traits and strategies of breeding birds. More specifically, we try to answer the question whether rehabilitation of vegetation succession or hydro‐geomorphological river processes is the key driver behind recent population changes in rehabilitated sites. Populations of 35 species have significantly performed better in rehabilitated sites compared to non‐rehabilitated floodplains, whereas only 8 have responded negatively to rehabilitation. Differences in effects between species are best explained by the trait selection of nest location. Reproductive investment and migratory behaviour were less strong predictors. Based on these three traits we defined eight life‐history strategies that successfully captured a substantial amount of variation in rehabilitation effects. We conclude that spontaneous vegetation succession and initial excavations are currently more important drivers of population changes than rehabilitation of hydrodynamics. The latter are strongly constrained by river regulation. If rehabilitation of hydro‐geomorphological processes remains incomplete in future, artificial cyclic floodplain rejuvenation will be necessary for sustainable conservation of characteristic river birds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Benchmarking Fluvial Dynamics for Process‐Based River Restoration: the Upper Rhine River (1816–2014)

Multi‐temporal analysis of river‐floodplain processes is a key tool for the identification of reference conditions or benchmarks and for the evaluation of deviations or deficits as a basis for process‐based river restoration in large modified rivers. This study developed a methodology for benchmarking fluvial processes at river segment level, focusing on those interrelations between morphodynamics (aggradation, erosion, channel shift) and vegetation succession (initial, colonization, transition) that condition habitat structure. Habitat maps of the free‐flowing Upper Rhine River downstream from Iffezheim dam (France–Germany border) were intersected with a geographic information system‐based approach. Patches showing trajectories of anthropization, changeless, progression and regression allowed for the identification of natural and human‐induced processes over almost 200 years. Before channelization, the riverine system was characterized by a shifting habitat mosaic with natural heterogeneity, high degree of surface water connectivity and equilibrium between progression and regression processes. On the other hand, the following 175 years of human interventions led to severe biogeomorphologic deficits evidenced by loss of natural processes and habitat heterogeneity, hydrological disconnection between the river and its floodplain and imbalance of progression versus regression dynamics. The main driving forces of change are found in hydromorphological impacts (channelization, regulation and hydropower plant construction). Regression processes are now almost absent and have to be the objective of process‐based river restoration measures for the studied river‐floodplain system. A sustainable view on water management and river restoration should aim at a more resilient riverine system by balancing the recovery of natural processes with societal needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐annual contemporary flood event overbank sedimentation within the vegetated lower Orinoco floodplain,Venezuela

Multi‐annual contemporary flood event overbank sedimentation rates were quantified on the World's third largest river in terms of discharge, the tropical lower Orinoco. We discuss the role of variables at the basin and reach scales that contributed to the complexity of spatio‐temporal overbank sediment deposition patterns. Monitored in situ plots were characterized by distance to the main channel, hydroperiod, different geomorphological units, and vegetation cover. Flood event sedimentation rates showed a high spatial variability ranging from the absence of sediment deposition up to 225.46 kg m^‐2 yr^‐1. Banks and levees received relatively high amounts of sediment (39.6 kg m^‐2 yr^‐1), whereas observed mean sedimentation rates on the more distant floodplain and backswamps tended to be lower (17.7 kg m^‐2 yr^‐1). Significant differences in sedimentation rates were observed in two major vegetation types: dense herbaceous and shrubby vegetation (42.2 kg m^‐2 yr^‐1) and floodplain forest (12.7 kg m^‐2 yr^‐1). However, overbank sedimentation patterns also reflected imbricated hydrosedimentary and biogeomorphological vegetation feedbacks that co‐construct fluvial landforms. The incidence of an El Niño–Southern Oscillation–La Niña episode during the study period on sediment availability and floodplain sedimentation suggests that within whitewater rivers, where suspended sediment concentrations are naturally high, hydrological connectivity seems to be more important for floodplain sedimentation than variations in suspended sediment concentrations. These results may provide a good basis for future biogeomorphological investigation projects using complementary methodologies, in order to better anticipate global change and fluctuations in the occurrence, strength or duration of El Niño–La Niña episodes in the tropical zone and their consequences for flood discharge and sediment dynamics during channel–floodplain exchanges.     

Channel dynamics and geomorphic variability as controls on gravel bar vegetation; River Tummel,Scotland

This paper presents the results of an investigation into environmental controls on vegetation dynamics on gravel bars. Such environments are a hotspot of threatened plant biodiversity and the dynamics of their vegetation reflect a range of processes that should be indicative of the integrity of the wider floodplain ecosystem. The study was undertaken on a 2 ha mid‐channel gravel bar complex that evolved over two decades, in response to several high magnitude flood events (including two with a return period in excess of 25 years), on a ‘wandering’ reach of the River Tummel, Scotland. Over 180 plant species, including a number of national or regional scarcities, had colonized. The fluvial chronology of the site was documented via sequential sets of aerial photography that revealed a number of discrete surfaces created by individual floods. Environmental heterogeneity, both within and between fluvial units, was investigated by field sampling of vegetation and abiotic variables at 66 locations. The fluvial surfaces were assigned to five habitat classes that ranged in age from two to approximately 20 years, from fine gravel to cobbles, and maintained an elevation range of up to 2.5 metres above low flow river levels. Multivariate analysis highlighted the relative importance of elevation, grain size, moisture content and infiltration and trapping of fines in controlling plant species composition. After standardizing sampling effort the habitat mosaic was found to support on average 1.36 times more species than an equivalent sample of any one habitat. In terms of biodiversity and river management, our results emphasize the importance of sustaining fluvial processes that preserve the habitat mosaic in order to conserve the characteristic biota of gravel bar complexes and river channel islands. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends in ecological river engineering in Korea

Ecological river engineering can be defined as the design and implementation of river works and river restoration works for the benefit of human society. It also guarantees the sustainable ecological functions of a river, such as its habitats and self-purification of its water. It is currently in the beginning stages in Korea, utilizing scientific knowledge on the processes of aquatic ecosystem degeneration and a methodology for solving the ecological problems in artificially altered rivers currently under development. The changes in river management and work practices in Korea may be best explained with a chronologically progressing sequence of ‘Natural’, ‘Disaster-prevention’, ‘Occupied’, ‘Park’, and ‘Close-to-nature’ rivers. Since the 1960s, the focus on river management and work has shifted from flood control only, to both flood control and riverine habitat conservation and restoration. Five research topics have been selected for this article, and the progress of each research area is briefly described with a representative picture in each topic. They are as follows: (1) flow resistance due to vegetation, (2) environmental flow, (3) floodplain vegetation modeling, (4) small dam removal, and (5) river restoration. For the future prospects of research on ecological river engineering in Korea, a necessity of further research on floodplain vegetation recruitment and succession, which can explain the so-called ‘white river’ and ‘green river’, is underlined, among others. Finally, two ongoing large research programs on river ecosystem restoration, of which are sponsored by the Government of Korea, are briefly introduced, followed by the introduction of a near-prototype experiment facility recently completed mainly for research on ecological river engineering.     

VEGETATION–LANDFORM ASSEMBLAGES ALONG SELECTED RIVERS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC,A DECADE AFTER A 500‐YEAR FLOOD EVENT

Rivers with a natural flow regime strongly influence the dynamics of riparian plant communities through hydrological and geomorphological processes. In this study, associations between fluvial landforms and vegetation are investigated on three near‐natural rivers in the Czech Republic a decade after a 500‐year return period flood in July 1997. This extreme disturbance destroyed the anthropogenically modified river channels and created suitable conditions for a range of ecosystems with high diversity and ecological stability. Field surveys were conducted on fluvial landforms (bars, islands, banks, floodplains and terraces) along three ‘renaturalized’ rivers, where no technical modifications had subsequently been made to their channels outside urban areas and the floodplains had been left in a post‐flood state. Vegetation species abundance and 13 environmental variables (topographical, hydrological and soil) were investigated in summer 2007, 10 years after the extreme flood disturbance. The results suggest that the recently created fluvial geomorphic forms are key environmental determinants of riparian vegetation distribution patterns. A range of statistical analyses illustrate that some plant species show predictable patterns of occurrence that correspond with the fluvial forms, supporting a fourfold grouping of herbaceous and woody species and the identification of typical plant communities associated with gravel bars, islands, banks, floodplains and terraces. An investigation of the species richness found on different fluvial landforms showed that the highest number of species occurred on the floodplain and decreased gradually towards the channel bed and towards terraces. Investigation of existing conditions in reaches of rivers with natural dynamics of fluvial processes provides valuable information that can be used as an effective tool for planning restoration strategies and precise management. However, the most important finding of this study is the remarkable establishment of complex river corridor vegetation–landform associations within 10 years of a 500‐year flood that removed the heavily cultivated landscape that had existed before the event. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the beautiful diverse Danube? Danubian floodplain forest vegetation and flora under the influence of river eutrophication

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the flora and vegetation of three well‐preserved hardwood floodplain forest areas along the river Danube and to discuss whether possible differences between the floodplain forests can be linked to river eutrophication. Flora and vegetation data from three study areas located on the Upper, Middle and Lower Danube in Central and Eastern Europe were compared using univariate and multivariate statistical methods. Special attention was paid to floristic composition, plant functional types, and ecological indicator values. We found that the three studied hardwood floodplain forests appeared to be rather different regarding floristic composition and herb‐layer vegetation. Despite the high beta diversity, the distribution of the plant functional types indicated generally equal habitat conditions, which were quite stable. The diversity of herb‐layer vegetation decreased downstream, while the indicators of nutrient availability pointed to increasing nutrient supply. The factor light apparently played a minor role for herb‐layer diversity. There is a remarkable congruence between the results of our floodplain vegetation analysis and the longitudinal river eutrophication patterns as described in the literature. We conclude that the nutrient input into Danubian hardwood floodplain forests increased downstream, resulting in higher nutrient availability for plants. This promoted especially the growth of tall and competitive forbs, which outcompeted other plant species. Even if the importance of the various eutrophication patterns is difficult to quantify, our study provides evidence that anthropogenic eutrophication has a distinct effect on the flora and vegetation of Danubian hardwood floodplain forests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Historical changes in hydrology,geomorphology, and floodplain vegetation of the Willamette River,Oregon

Historical trends in hydrology, geomorphology, and floodplain vegetation provide fundamental contexts for designing future management of large rivers, an area of fluvial research extensively informed by studies of historical channel dynamics. Changes in hydrology, channel structure, floodplain forests, and large wood were documented for the 273‐km main stem of the Willamette River from 1850 to present. Reduced sediment supply and frequency and magnitude of floods have decreased channel mobility and incised channels, leading to fewer gravel bars, islands, and side channels. Human alteration of channel morphology, vegetation, and bank hardening has exacerbated channel simplification caused by reductions in floods, sediment supply, and inputs of wood. A substantial number of floodplain channels reoccupied remnants of previous active channels inundated during recent floods, demonstrating functional but often forgotten role of historical geomorphic structure in modern floodplains and flood processes. In most reaches, area of floodplain forests in 1990 was only 10% to 25% of the area of forests in 1850. Abundance of wood in the wetted channel was generally greater in reaches with higher abundances of floodplain forests. Future trajectories will be influenced by legacies of the historical river but increasingly will reflect evolution of a new river shaped by human development, changing climate, and emerging hydrogeomorphic and vegetation processes. Understanding historical characteristics and anticipating future rates and patterns of ecosystem change provide fundamental contexts for restoring biophysical processes and structure in a large floodplain river.     

Alteration of patch boundaries on the floodplain of the regulated river trent,UK

Investigations were carried out into the contemporary distribution and structure of the vegetation communities at Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire on the floodplain of the River Trent. A 60 km reach of the river was examined to determine the overall distribution and structure of vegetation communities; the Gunthorpe site was chosen as a representative example. Three hundred and thirty-nine separate plots were examined and the site contained 132 species. It is clear that the extent of zones of discontinuity or transition (ecotones) between different vegetation patches has decreased due to long-term land-use management. The overall number of vegetation patches has also been reduced. A hierarchy relating boundaries to external influences is proposed and the relationship of ecotones to more clearly differentiated patch habitats identified. Highest species diversity is seen to be associated with the transition zones or ecotonal habitats, particularly under conditions of moderate disturbance intensity. It is concluded that the ecotones remaining still provide a habitat for a wide range of species with differing autecological requirements, but all typical of less disturbed alluvial meadows and marshes. These zones of transition potentially provide a pool for species expansion given improved ecological conditions following river restoration measures.     

东江中游河边植被多样性调查评价

植被多样性作为河流健康评价体系的指标之一，反映了植被稳定性对河流健康程度的影响。通过对东江惠州段泗湄洲的植被进行调查分析，采用夏侬-威纳(Shannon-Weiner)多样性和均匀度评价法，对河边植被多样性进行了评价，分析得出了不同高程植被群落的物种组成。亚热带地域河边植被发育较快，植被演替主要决定于淹没频率与高程。从低滩到高滩，植被类型从草本向灌木、最后向木本过渡。植被的多样性也随着高程的增加而提高，高滩植被相对完整、稳定，其生物多样性指数比温带地区的指数高。水位的变化对低滩植被多样性的影响很大。低水位时，低滩散布多种草本植物；而高水位时，部分物种淹没死亡，余下以禾本科和沙草科植物为优势种草本植物群落。     

Regional differences in nutrient limitation in floodplains of selected European rivers: implications for rehabilitation of characteristic floodplain vegetation

Extremely high river discharges in 1993 and 1995 along the Dutch rivers Rhine and Meuse have increased the public awareness of possible safety threats. As a result the ‘Space for Rivers’ program was implemented, aiming at restoring physical space for the rivers in combination with ecological rehabilitation. However, the development of species‐rich vegetation types in these floodplain areas is lagging behind restoration targets and biogeochemical constraints may play a vital role in this. Biogeochemical, hydrological and vegetation data were collected in 111 plots in both rehabilitated and original floodplains in regulated and more pristine river systems in The Netherlands and Poland. Soil nutrient and soil pore water data were summarized by factor analysis and the subsequent principal components were compared to vegetation and hydrological data by correlation analysis. The correlation analyses between vegetation parameters including nutrient stoichiometry and the biogeochemical soil variables resulted in a remarkable difference between pristine and impacted river systems. The results suggest a clear N‐limitation of plant growth in pristine floodplains, and apparent absence of limitation in regulated, impacted floodplains. In addition, results indicate that flooding events do not lead to one‐way transport of sediment and nutrients from the river into the floodplains; rather they indicate that highly dynamic hydrological conditions prevent soils from accumulating organic matter and nutrients. This study shows that nutrient limitation in regulated floodplains shifted from distinctly N‐limited plant growth to no nutrient limitation at all, probably due to decades of high fertilizer and manure application and nutrient input by the rivers during flooding. The consequence of our findings for rehabilitation activities is that it might be necessary to restore nitrogen limitation in floodplain systems in order to create opportunities for a species‐rich floodplain vegetation, through nutrient removal by hay‐making. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic vegetation model as a tool for ecological impact assessments of dam operation

This study presented the results of an application of a floodplain dynamic model to the Nakdong River, South Korea. At the Nakdong River, high flows are reduced by dams and the river bed is degraded. Both changes contribute toward the same result: the floodplain is hydraulically disconnected from the main channel and the morphology of the river has been modified. Such changes brought also to a deep modification in the riparian vegetation distribution, abundance and composition. The focus of the study is on the relationship between the hydrology alterations induced by dams and the successional changes in riparian vegetation. More in detail, the study attempts to adapt an existing dynamic floodplain vegetation model to the Nakdong ecosystem characteristics in order to single out what were the effects of the dam operations that led to a change in the riparian landscape. The dynamic model is targeted on Monsoon floodplain vegetation, it is developed upon a custom developed geoprocessing framework and supported by a standalone user interface. It simulates dynamics of floodplain vegetation communities based on different physical parameters. The general concept of the model is that a vegetation community will either undergo toward a maturation stage or will be destroyed (recycling or retrogression) if the magnitude of key physical parameters is greater than the threshold value for a specific community. The model has been calibrated using hydraulic data spanning the time period 1952–2007. The calibration results have been also used to investigate the impacts on the riparian vegetation given by dams operations. The findings of the research highlight that consecutive years of reduced maximum discharge allowed consistent vegetation colonization of riverine areas that were bare before the dam construction.     

MORE EXOTIC AND FEWER NATIVE PLANT SPECIES: RIVERINE VEGETATION PATTERNS ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERED SEASONAL FLOW PATTERNS

Natural flow regimes are important for sustaining riverine vegetation. The regulation of river flows to provide water for agriculture often results in changes to flow timing. This study assesses the impact of altered seasonal flow patterns on riverine flora. Within temperate Australia, we surveyed the vegetation of five lowland rivers, three of which have large dams that alter their seasonal flow patterns; the other two are unregulated. From four to six sites were selected on each river, and these were classified into three levels of regulation based on the extent to which the timing of their seasonal flow patterns were altered. Sites were surveyed in winter and the following summer. Permanent quadrats were also established at a number of the surveyed sites and resurveyed every 3 months. Of the 267 plant taxa identified, 145 were exotic (non‐native). More exotic taxa and fewer native taxa were associated with increasing level of seasonal flow inversion (regulation). In particular, greater numbers of short‐lived exotic terrestrial taxa and fewer native woody taxa were associated with increasing level of regulation. Some exotic woody species (e.g. willows) were more common in the unregulated rivers and may have life‐history traits favoured by the natural seasonal flow patterns of study area. Multivariate analyses showed that level of regulation had a significant effect on the overall composition of the riverine vegetation. Our results provide support for the hypotheses that flow regulation adversely affects native species diversity and increases the vulnerability of riparian zones to invasion by exotic species; however, these effects are dependent on plant species' life‐history strategies. Our study highlights the importance of natural seasonal flow patterns for sustaining native riverine plant communities. Flow management aimed at maintaining or restoring ecological values should consider seasonal flow patterns. Winter/spring flow peaks may be particularly important for the recruitment of native riverine plants, especially trees and shrubs, and reducing the extent of exotic annuals and grasses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同生态护坡下水土保持效果动态变化研究

为研究不同生态护坡措施实施后其护坡效果随时间的变化情况,选取北京市昌平区朱辛庄水土保持示范基地内的4组不同护坡类型径流小区为研究对象,通过连续5 a的植被调查和人工模拟降雨实验研究,对各个护坡径流小区的植被状况以及产流和产沙数据进行了分析。结果显示:4种生态护坡实施后,随着时间推移,护坡植物种类会朝着当地土生植物种类发生演替,从而导致护坡的水土保持效果发生变化,每种生态护坡的效果各不相同;单一植物护坡容易受到植物演替规律的影响,而采用工程与植物措施相结合的护坡形式,水土保持效果则更为持久有效。研究成果可为今后生态护坡技术的推广应用提供借鉴。     

Can the Regeneration of Vegetation from Riparian Seed Banks Support Biogeomorphic Succession and the Geomorphic Recovery of Degraded River Channels?

For rivers degraded by erosion and channel widening, the re‐establishment of riparian vegetation is essential. We assess the potential for riparian seed banks to facilitate natural channel contraction through the regeneration of plants involved in the biogeomorphic succession of three discrete geomorphic units of increasing age and height above the channel bed: bars, benches and floodplain. Standing vegetation upon each unit type was surveyed for four river reaches in the Hunter catchment of eastern Australia. Seed bank composition was determined using seedling emergence techniques on sediment sampled from the units. We compared species richness and composition, and longevity, growth form and seed dispersal mechanisms between the standing vegetation and seed bank species. The seed bank was similar across bars, benches and floodplain, containing mostly perennial pioneer herbs, sedges and rushes, dispersed by wind and hydrochory (water transport). While bar vegetation was similar to the seed bank, bench and floodplain vegetation included later successional species such as shrubs and trees, significantly more grasses and vines (benches: χ²_{5, N = 402} = 102.033, p < 0.001; floodplain: χ²_{5, N = 792} = 30.324, p < 0.001) and higher proportions of unassisted and animal‐dispersed seeds (benches: χ²_{5, N = 352} = 89.409, p < 0.001; floodplain: χ²_{5, N = 338} = 56.026, p < 0.001). The results suggest that seed banks may support early stages of biogeomorphic succession, via regeneration of pioneer plants. However, plants, such as shrubs and trees that are observed upon units of increasing age and height above the channel bed (i.e. benches and floodplain), are likely sourced from transient seeds produced by local vegetation, rather than seed banks. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Model‐based reconstruction of the succession dynamics of a large river floodplain

Most large rivers in Europe and North America suffered flow regulations and channelization in the 19th and 20th century. To study the effects of the altered site conditions on the development of floodplain vegetation and create a benchmark map for their restoration, we calibrated and applied a dynamic floodplain vegetation model that accounts for the processes recruitment as well as morphodynamic disturbance and physiologic stress on vegetation to reconstruct the succession dynamics of the floodplain vegetation of a segment of the Rhine River from shortly after it was channelized (1872) until today (2016). The model calibration was based on historical maps and hydrologic data. Our simulation demonstrated a steady, one‐way progression of the vegetation communities towards mature phases without regression to younger stages. It was possible to attribute this development to a lack of morphodynamic disturbances strong enough to reset succession and to identify physiological stress caused by long inundations periods as the most relevant controlling factor of succession. The resulting vegetation distribution (2016) can be considered an estimation of the potential natural vegetation (PNV) under altered site conditions. The good agreement of the model results with an expert‐based PNV map showed that our approach is a good alternative to create benchmark maps for floodplain conservation and restoration projects. From a research and practitioners' viewpoint, it has the big advantage over the traditional approach that it allows to analyse different points in time as well as to be comprehensive and reproducible.