Abstract
The ecological dynamics of riparian areas interact with sediment transport in river systems, which plays an active role in riparian vegetation growth in the floodplain. The fluvial dynamics, hydraulics, hydro-meteorological and geomorphological characteristics of rivers are associated with sediment transport in river systems and around the riparian area. The flood disturbance, sediment with nutrients and seeds transported by river, sediment deposition, and erosion phenomena in the floodplain change the bare land area to vegetation area and vice versa. The difference in riparian vegetation area in the river floodplain is dependent on the sediment grain size distribution which is deposited in the river floodplain. Mathematical models describing vegetation growth in a short period exist in literature, but long-term modelling and validations are still lacking. In order to cover long-term vegetation growth modelling, a Dynamic Riparian Vegetation Model (DRIPVEM) was proposed. This paper highlights the existing modelling technique of DRIPVEM coupled with a Dynamic Herbaceous Model used to establish the interactive relationship of sediment grain sizes and riparian vegetation in the floodplain.
Highlights
Riparian vegetation plays a significant role in the ecological balance of a riparian area [1].Riparian area is a transitional semiterrestrial zone extending from the edges of water bodies to the edges of upland communities and regularly interacts with river water, flow alterations, sediment, and nutrients [2,3,4]
The Dynamic Riparian Vegetation Model (DRIPVEM) coupled with a Dynamic Herbaceous Model was used to describe vegetation dynamics in the riparian zone
DRIPVEM coupled with a Dynamic Herbaceous Model considered most of the physical, chemical, and biological interactive parameters, for examples flood disturbance, riparian morphology, median sediment sizes (D50 ), erosion depth, deposition areas, allometric relationships of trees growth, shading effects of trees canopy, self-thinning phenomenon, availability of nutrients in water, and sediment with riparian zone, etc
Summary
Riparian vegetation plays a significant role in the ecological balance of a riparian area [1]. The morphological alterations in riparian area caused by a flood event either supports or suppresses the riparian vegetation, which depends on the sediment grain sizes deposited on the original sediment surface or exposed of previous underlying. The area of vegetation coverage in the riparian zone is directly dependent on zone is directly dependent on the availability of water, nutrients available in water and sediment the availability of water, nutrients available in water and sediment before and after the flood event, before and after the flood event, and exchange of nutrients from atmosphere to the floodplain [8]. The low interacting flood events in the downstream area curtail the sediment transport and transport and make the river channel more stable [20]. The nutrients from the atmosphere, human disturbance, and flooding play a role for riparian vegetation growth [29].
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