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Links Between Lateral Vegetation Zones and River Flow

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Abstract

Plant species are known to be distributed on river banks in a sequence of community zones from the water’s edge to the outer riparian area. The interplay between flow and landscape is thought to drive the existence of these zones, and specifically, between a lower zone that is inundated most years and an upper zone that is inundated less frequently. There remains no consensus on the number of zones present, what their links to flow might be or whether the same zones occur in different basins. This paper reports on the number and nature of vegetation zones along South African rivers in different geographical areas and their relationship to the flow regime. River bank sites in four climatic areas of South Africa were found to support four vegetation zones (in two groups) despite major differences in vegetation community types, climate and patterns of river flow. The Wet bank and Dry Bank zones were separated at an elevation that correlated well with the 1:2 year flood line. If vegetation zones along rivers can be linked in this generic way to the flow regime of a river, it will strengthen our ability to predict vegetation changes likely to occur with flow modifications.

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Notes

  1. Manning resistance (n) is a composite factor that accounts for the effects of many forms of flow resistance. In general, n increases as turbulence and flow retardation effects increase (Gordon et al. 1992).

  2. Where: (y) is stage, (Q) is discharge and (a), (b) and (c) are constants. (c) Denotes the depth of discharge cessation and thus is often zero in riffles where zero discharge occurs at zero depth, but non-zero in pools.

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Acknowledgments

The Water Research Commission for funding this study and Southern Waters Ecological Research and Consulting cc for logistic and office support. Dr Andrew Birkhead for directions to study sites and hydraulic data associated with these.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Waters Ecological Research and Consulting cc, PO Box 12414, Mill Street, 8010, Western Cape, South Africa

    M. K. Reinecke & C. A. Brown

  2. Institute for Water Studies, Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535, Cape Town, South Africa

    C. A. Brown & J. M. King

  3. Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    M. K. Reinecke & K. J. Esler

  4. Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    K. J. Esler

  5. Aurecon, Aurecon Centre, 1 Century City Drive, Waterford Precinct, Century City, South Africa

    M. T. Kleynhans

  6. Centre for Statistical Consultation, Faculty of Accountancy and Statistics, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    M. Kidd

Authors
  1. M. K. Reinecke
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  2. C. A. Brown
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  3. K. J. Esler
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  4. J. M. King
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  5. M. T. Kleynhans
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Correspondence to M. K. Reinecke.

Appendix

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Table 5

Table 5 Differentiating species for each zone type in each community
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Reinecke, M.K., Brown, C.A., Esler, K.J. et al. Links Between Lateral Vegetation Zones and River Flow. Wetlands 35, 473–486 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-015-0634-6

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