Abstract
Powerful alluvial rivers in the northern Alborz mountain ranges erode river banks due to having high slopes. Most of these rivers flow in forest areas. In this research, the rate of the river bank erosion was examined using the exposed roots of the trees. For this purpose, 8 reaches of Lavij Stream were investigated. To determine the first year of root exposure, two sets of macroscopic and microscopic indicators were utilized. Accordingly, the rate of the stream bank erosion was estimated. The results were analyzed by using statistical test, which showed insignificant differences between the two groups of indicators. Due to its more abundance (frequency) on the margins and easy detection of its root through the exposure (macroscopic and microscopic) indicators, Alnus glutinosa (black alder) species could be more easily and accurately analyzed as compared with any other tree species in the region. The mean erosion rate of the riverbank using the extruded roots was estimated to be 0.08 m/yr. The hydrological analyses of flood flows showed that 95% of Lavij Stream bank erosion was caused by the river bank full discharges with a return period of 1–3 years.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmadi H, Feizania S (1999) Quaternary Formations (Theoretical and Applied Principles in Natural Resources). Tehran: Tehran University Press.
Allan JD (2004) Landscapes and rivers capes: the influence of land use on stream ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 35: 257–284. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.35.120202.110122
Bodoque JM, Díez-Herrero M, Martín-Duque JF, et al. (2005) Sheet Erosion Rates Determined by Using Dendrogeomorphological Analysis of Exposed Tree roots: Two Examples from Central Spain. Catena 64(1): 81–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2005.08.002
Bodoque JM, Lucia M, Ballesteros JA, et al. (2011) Measuring medium-term sheet erosion in gullies from trees: A case study using dendrogeomorphological analysis of exposed pine roots in central Iberia, Geomorphology 134(3-4): 417–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.07.016
Carlquist S (2001) Comparative Wood Anatomy: Systematic, Ecological, and Evolutionary Aspects of Dicotyledon Wood. Springer-Verlag: Berlin Heidelberg.
Carrara PE, Carroll TR (1979) The determination of erosion rates from exposed tree roots in the Piceance Basin, Colorado. Earth Surface Processes and landforms 4(4): 307–317. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290040402
Corona CH, Lopez Saez J, Rovera G, et al. (2011) High resolution, quantitative reconstruction of erosion rates based on anatomical changes in exposed roots at Draix, Alpes de Haute-Provence — critical review of existing approaches and independent quality control of results. Geomorphology 125: 433–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.10.030
Dick BM, Hey R, Peralta P, et al. (2014) Estimating annual riverbank erosion rates–A dendrogeomorphic method, River Research and Applications 30: 845–856. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.2682
Gartner H, Schweingruber FH, Dikau R (2001) Determination of Erosion Rates by Analyzing Structural Changes in the Growth Pattern of Exposed Roots. Dendrochronologia 19: 81–91.
Gartner H (2007) Tree roots methodological review and new development in dating and quantifying erosive processes. Geomorphology 86: 243–251. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.09.001
Gers E, Florin N, Gartner H, et al. (2001) Application of shrubs for dendrogeomorphological analysis to reconstruct spatial and temporal landslide movement patterns — A preliminary study. Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie Supplementband 125:163–175.
Hitz O, Gartner H, Heinrich I, Monbaron M (2008) Application of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) roots to determine erosion rates in mountain torrents. Catena 72: 248–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2007.05.008
Kessler AC, Gupta SC, Brown MK (2013) Assessment of river bank erosion in Southern Minnesota rivers post European settlement, Geomorphology 201: 312–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.07.006
Lawler DM (1993) The measurement of river bank erosion and lateral channel change: a review. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 18: 777–821. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290180905
Lopez Saez J, Corona C, Stoffel M, et al. (2011) Mapping of erosion rates in marly badlands based on a coupling of anatomical changes in exposed roots with slope maps derived from LiDAR data. Earth Surface Processes and Landform 36:1162–1171. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2141
Malik I, Matyja M (2008) Bank erosion history of a mountain stream determined by means of anatomical changes in exposed tree roots over the last 100 years (Bila Opava River — Czech Republic). Geomorphology 98: 126–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.02.030
Martin DJ, Ely C, Wemple BC (2019) Bank erosion in an Andean páramo river system: Implications for hydrodevelopment and carbon dynamics in the neotropical Andes, Journal of Mountain Science 16(2): 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5110-3
Norair S (2016) Streambank erosion assessment: application of dendrogeomorphology, numerical watershed modeling, and model characterization. PHD Thesis. Baylor University.
Pelfini M, Santilli M (2006) Dendrogeomorphological analyses on exposed roots along two mountain hiking trails in the Central Italian Alps. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography 88(3): 223–236. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0459.2006.00297.x
Pizzuto J, O’Neal M (2009) Increased mid-twentieth century riverbank erosion rates related to the demise of mill dams, South River, Virginia. Geology 37(1): 19–22. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25207A.1
Savi S, Schneuwly-Bollschweiler M, Bommer-Denns B, et al. (2013) Geomorphic coupling between hillslopes and channels in the Swiss Alps. Earth surface processes and landform 38(9): 959–969. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3342
Simpson A, Turner I, Brantley E, Helms B (2014) Bank erosion hazard index as an indicator of near-bank aquatic habitat and community structure in a southeastern Piedmont stream, Ecological Indicators 43: 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.02.002
Stoffel M, Corona C, Ballesteros-Cánovas JA, Bodoque M (2013) Dating and quantification of erosion processes based on exposed roots. Earth-Science Reviews 123: 18–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.04.002
Stotts S, O’Neal M, Pizzuto J, Hupp C (2014) Exposed tree root analysis as a dendrogeomorphic approach to estimating bank retreat at the South River, Virginia. Geomorphology 223:10–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.06.012
Winchester V, Gartner H, Bezzi M (2007) Geomorphological Variations, Chapter: Dendrogeomorphological Applications, Editors: Andrew S. Goudie, Jan Kalvoda Publisher: Nakladatelstvi P3K, 182–203.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hosseinzadeh, M.M., Matsh Beyranvand, S. & Esmaili, R. Analysis of channel bank erosion rate using exposed roots of trees: a case study of lavij stream, northern Alborz Mountains, Iran. J. Mt. Sci. 17, 1096–1105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5558-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5558-9