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Gravel bar inundation frequency: an important parameter for understanding riparian corridor dynamics

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Abstract

Riparian zones are some of the most valuable and at the same time endangered ecosystems in the world. Their progressive degradation caused by anthropogenic pressure calls for the adoption of effective, resilient restoration strategies. However, a full understanding of the complex mechanisms governing riparian ecosystems has not yet been achieved, and many assumptions are based on qualitative findings. We quantitatively investigated the habitat conditions of a key riparian plant, the German tamarisk (Myricaria germanica), using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model that was created for a braided reach of the river Sense (Switzerland). The results demonstrate that the presence of this species in gravel bar habitats is strongly correlated with inundation frequency. The species was present on gravel bars near the main river channels, which are inundated every 4–5 years. Where the gravel bars are frequently flooded, seedlings do not survive the hydrodynamic perturbations, whereas elsewhere, where periodic flooding does not reach, M. germanica is replaced by stronger competitors. Our study contributes to an understanding of the dynamics of riparian corridors and provides a quantitative basis for developing effective restoration plans, which may involve the optimisation of hydropower regulation programmes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was performed as part of the interdisciplinary research project “The integrated management of river systems”, supported by the Swiss Federal Office for Environment (http://www.rivermanagement.ch), and as part of a research project co-financed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, South Tyrol (Italy). Moreover, we would like to thank the reviewers for helpful comments on the different stages of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Patscheider & Partner Consulting Engineers Ltd., Bozen, Italy

    W. Gostner & M. Paternolli

  2. Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    A. J. Schleiss

  3. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland

    C. Scheidegger & S. Werth

  4. Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    S. Werth

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  1. W. Gostner
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Correspondence to M. Paternolli.

Electronic supplementary material

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The study site flow duration curve (TIF 815 KB)

Surface grain size distribution curves at each transect based on pebble count analysis (TIF 808 KB)

Bars material grain size distribution curves for each volumetric sample based on sieve analysis (TIF 850 KB)

27_2017_535_MOESM4_ESM.tif

Regression curves relating specific flood discharge to drainage basin area between the available gauges for different return periods, used to derive the peak discharges at Plaffeien (TIF 1726 KB)

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Gostner, W., Paternolli, M., Schleiss, A.J. et al. Gravel bar inundation frequency: an important parameter for understanding riparian corridor dynamics. Aquat Sci 79, 825–839 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-017-0535-2

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