Hydrodynamic modeling of floodplains with inundated trees and floating plants

Abstract

Hydrodynamic influences of inundated forests and floating plants, common on floodplains, include modifying exchange flows and thermal structure. This study added algorithms to represent these plants in a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, applied the model to a tropical floodplain, and validated the results with high resolution field measurements. The simulations reproduced temporal and spatial variation of thermal structures in vegetated and open water areas and demonstrated that vertical and horizontal temperature gradients were enhanced in the presence of vegetation. The study extends research findings obtained from laboratory experiments to in-situ situations and to vegetation not represented in the laboratory. The results are relevant to lateral and vertical exchanges of dissolved gases and solutes, and indicate that loss of inundated forests could lead to enhanced lateral exchange.