Vegetation Drag Research Articles

Evaluating Vegetation Effects on Wave Attenuation and Dune Erosion during Hurricane

This study employs the XBeach surfbeat model (XBSB) to explore the effects of vegetation on wave attenuation and dune erosion in a case study of Mexico Beach during Hurricane Michael. The XBSB model was validated against laboratory experiments of wave-induced dune erosion and wave attenuation by vegetation. In the case study of vegetation on dunes in Mexico Beach during Hurricane Michael, different vegetation drag coefficients were evaluated to investigate the effects of vegetation on wave attenuation and dune erosion. LiDAR data of dune profiles before and after Hurricane Michael were used for model validation. The findings reveal that vegetation on dunes significantly affects wave attenuation and dune erosion. Under vegetated conditions, as the vegetation drag coefficient value increases, wave attenuation also increases, leading to a reduction of dune erosion. An increase in vegetation density enhances wave attenuation in the vegetated area, including reductions in significant wave height and flow velocity. However, the rate of change in attenuation decreases as the vegetation density increases. Through simulations under regular wave condition on Mexico Beach, an optimal vegetation density was identified as 800 units/m2. Beyond this density, additional vegetation does not substantially improve wave attenuation. Furthermore, the position of the dune crest elevation is related to the location where the alongshore flow velocity begins to decrease. The findings highlight the essential role of coastal vegetation in enhancing coastal resilience against hurricanes.

Seasonal variations in drag coefficient of salt marsh vegetation

Understanding the seasonal variations of vegetation drag coefficients is crucial for improving wave attenuation predictions and adapting to climate impacts. This study explores the seasonal changes in drag coefficients within salt marsh vegetation, using data from a year-long series of field measurements at the Chongming Dongtan Wetland. It uncovers the complex seasonal variations of drag coefficients. Results demonstrate that incorporating a nonlinear equation for characteristic flow velocity and effective vegetation length significantly improves the precision of drag coefficient predictions, ensuring a closer match with field observations. Furthermore, it introduces a refined drag coefficient formula that incorporates adjustments for vegetation stiffness and relative submergence, offering a more accurate representation of the seasonal variability in drag forces exerted by salt marsh vegetation. This enhanced formula is crucial for accurately assessing vegetation's role in wave attenuation, providing critical insights for the design and implementation of coastal defense and wetland conservation initiatives.

Comparative simulation of transpiration and cooling impacts by porous canopies of shrubs and trees

Vegetation cooling effects can effectively improve the outdoor microclimate. To explore the potential of vegetation transpiration cooling, we validated the feasibility of a new coupled porous medium and solar radiation model to simulate the interactions between vegetation transpiration and other physical processes in CFD. To emphasize the spatial extent of vegetation's influence, we compared and quantified the flow-adjustment distances(LFA) for wind speed, the temperature difference between simulated temperature and background temperature(ΔT(°C)), and water vapor mass fraction(ΔMw(g/kg)) between shrub(100m) and tree(200m) canopies: 1)For both vegetations, the LFA required for ΔT and ΔMw exceeds that of wind speed achieve fully-developed, indicating the momentum adjustment occurs more rapidly than energy and mass transport processes. 2)Vegetation drag effect depends on both leaf area density and vegetation canopy's height and width.3)Vegetation exhibits a significantly higher transpiration cooling effect under ambient relative humidity(RH)=0% than RH=60%(the mean value of ΔT, ΔTfd), for the tree(z=1.5m): ΔT fd is -5.4°C (-1.4∼-1.5°C) at RH=0%/60%. 4)At RH=60%, both shrubs and trees exhibit a notable warming phenomenon near the vegetation canopies tops(ΔTMax=1.3°C/0.9°C for shrubs/trees). This study provides and confirms a reliable numerical method for simulating the interactions of vegetation transpiration and other physical processes in urban or rural areas.

Predicting submerged vegetation drag with a machine learning-based method

Predicting submerged vegetation drag with a machine learning-based method

A multi-faceted methodology for calibration of coastal vegetation drag coefficient

The accurate prediction of wave height attenuation due to vegetation is crucial for designing effective and efficient natural and nature-based solutions for flood mitigation, shoreline protection, and coastal ecosystem preservation. Central to these predictions is the estimation of the vegetation drag coefficient (Cd). The present study undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of three distinct methodologies for estimating the drag coefficient: traditional manual calibration, calibration using a novel application of state-of-the-art metaheuristic optimization algorithms, and the integration of an empirical bulk drag coefficient formula (Tanino and Nepf, 2008) into the XBeach non-hydrostatic wave model. These methodologies were tested using a series of existing laboratory experiments involving nearshore vegetation on a sloping beach. A key innovation of the study is the first application of metaheuristic optimization algorithms for calibrating the drag coefficient, which enables efficient automated searches to identify optimal values aligning with measurements. We found that the optimization algorithms rapidly converge to precise drag coefficients, enhancing accuracy and overcoming limitations in manual calibration which can be laborious and inconsistent. While the integrated empirical formula also demonstrates reasonable performance, the optimization approach exemplifies the potential of computational techniques to transform traditional practices of model calibration. Comparing these strategies provides a framework to determine effective methodology based on constraints in determining the vegetation drag coefficient.

Experimental investigation of the total flow resistance in emergent and submerged rigid canopy flows

In canopy flows, flow resistance mainly originates from vegetation drag and depends on vegetation characteristics and flow conditions. In the present study, a series of experiments were performed in various hydraulic scenarios with high stem Reynolds numbers (2641 ≤ Red≤ 17333) using relatively sparse rigid canopies, represented with four different dimensionless vegetation densities (0.0044, 0.0098, 0.0174 and 0.0392), on a smooth bed. A novel drag plate mechanism was developed to measure the total flow resistance due to the emergent and submerged vegetation arrays in a staggered pattern under subcritical flow conditions. Manning’s roughness coefficient and Darcy–Weisbach friction factor were adopted to represent the total flow resistance in the analyses. Simple empirical relationships based on roughness concentration and submergence ratio were derived to determine the total flow resistance parameters within a broad range of stem Reynolds numbers. Although relationships were proposed in a simple form to be used for direct practical applications, they show similar or better performance in the prediction of total flow resistance parameters than the existing equations in the literature, which require considerable computational effort. Additionally, analyses demonstrated that the results of the present study and those of similar studies regarding canopy flow resistance are in good agreement. Accordingly, the novel drag plate looks promising for measuring flow resistance due to vegetation and bed conditions similar to those in nature.

Drag Coefficient of Emergent Vegetation in a Shallow Nonuniform Flow Over a Mobile Sand Bed

AbstractWidely distributed in natural rivers and coasts, vegetation interacts with fluid flows and sediments in a variable and complicated manner. Such interactions make it difficult to predict associated drag forces during sediment transport. This paper investigates the drag coefficient for an emergent vegetated patch area under nonuniform flow and mobile bed conditions, based on an analytical model solving the momentum equation following our previous work (Zhang et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027613). Emergent vegetation was modeled with rigid cylinders arranged in staggered arrays of different vegetation coverage ∅. Laboratory flume tests were conducted to measure variations in both the water and bed surfaces along a vegetated patch on a sand bed. Based on the experimental and theoretical analyses, a dimensionless drag model integrating both terms of flow properties and bed effects is proposed to predict the drag coefficient Cd over a mobile bed. The calculated values of Cd exhibit two different trends, that is, nonmonotonically or monotonically increasing along the streamwise direction, due to the combined effect of water surface gradient and bed slope. The morphodynamic response of the mobile bed to nonuniform flow manifests as an evolution in the bed slope within the vegetated patch. Ongoing scouring directs the flow's energy toward overcoming the rising Cd and bed slope, leading to a relatively stable stage with a low sediment transport rate. This study advances the existing understanding of the drag coefficient's role over a mobile bed within nonuniform flows. It also enhances the applicability of vegetation drag models in riverine restoration.

Numerical simulation of velocity distribution and pollution transport in a two-stage channel with vegetation on a floodplain

Compound cross-sections are common forms of river cross-sections in nature. Due to their more complex structure, it is more difficult to study their hydrodynamic and pollutant transport characteristics. How to establish effective models to simulate such conditions has recently become a hot topic of attention. The work presented in this article establishes a numerical model to simulate the flow velocity and pollutant transport in a compound cross-section channel using the lattice Boltzmann method and random displacement method to study the hydrodynamic and pollutant transport characteristics under flexible vegetation cover. The model can effectively generalize the vegetation drag force on the floodplain of the compound cross-section and provide the distribution pattern of flow velocity under uneven vegetation cover. At the same time, the lateral diffusion coefficients of pollutants on the main channel and floodplain are provided separately. These have higher accuracy than those determined by traditional methods that rely on simple longitudinal diffusion coefficients. This study can provide a theoretical reference for optimizing vegetation planting in compound cross-section channels.

Flow velocity adjustment in a channel with a floating vegetation canopy

Floating vegetation with unanchored and connected roots can completely cover the water surface of rivers, ditches, and streams. Eichhornia crassipes is a typical macrophyte with a stable network of roots that is present in aquatic environments, forming a complicated flow velocity adjustment. This study constructed model floating canopies and real E. crassipes canopies to investigate flow velocity adjustment and verify a new proposed velocity model. Laboratory experiments showed that flow velocity was modified in both the streamwise (x) and vertical (z) directions and impacted by the mean channel velocity, canopy density, and relative flow depth. The penetration distance δe of the Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices penetrating into the floating canopy increased to its maximum beyond the flow adjustment distance XD, where XD was the distance from the canopy leading edge to the position at which the flow was fully developed. The thickness of the bed boundary layer δb was related to the vegetation drag (FD(x)), the bed shear stress (τb(x)), and the height of the free-flow region below the canopy hg. New estimators for δe and δb were proposed and validated for floating canopies. Combined with the new estimators (δe and δb), flow continuity equation, momentum equation and four-layer divided method, a new analytical model was proposed to predict vertical profiles of velocity within and below a floating canopy in both the flow adjustment region (XD > x > 0) and fully developed flow region (x > XD). Fourteen groups of velocity data from this study and published literature were used to verify the proposed model. The predicted vertical profiles of velocity in flow adjustment and fully developed flow regions agreed with measurements under a wide range of vegetation and flow conditions, suggesting that the proposed model was capable of accurately predicting velocity profiles in a channel with a floating canopy. Finally, the model was validated in a channel with a real E. crassipes canopy. A comparison between predicted and measured velocities confirmed that the new model is valid for application in a channel with real floating macrophytes.

On deducing the drag coefficient formula of cylindrical vegetation in non-uniform channel flow

Research on water flow resistance characteristics in a vegetation environment is a hotspot in environmental fluid research, which is primarily concentrated on the calculation of the vegetation drag coefficient Cd. At present, relatively few studies exist on the resistance characteristics of vegetation under non-uniform flow conditions, resulting in few general expressions for the research of Cd for this type of condition. In response to these scientific problems, this study selects shrub vegetation as the research object and generalised it as cylinders for the simulation study. This study adopts quadraticand Gaussian functions to change the coordinate expression of cylindrical vegetation Cd and then proposes the drag formulas of cylindrical vegetation in non-uniform flow for non-rainfall and heavy rainfall conditions based on regression analysis. Finally, this study substitutes the proposed Cd formula into the Saint-Venant equation to calculate the depth of channel flow. The newly proposed equations are verified by comparing the measured flow depth data with the calculation results. This study provides technical support for refined hydrodynamic simulations of vegetated flow regions.

Characteristics of Vegetation Resistance Variation in Muddy Water Flows

The shoal area of the lower Yellow River in China is not flooded with water during the dry season, so various plants can grow. When floods overflow the plains in the flood season, the complexity of water resistance is increased due to the resistance to water flow by vegetation, which directly affects flood discharge in the beach area. The drag force coefficient (CD), Manning’s roughness coefficient (n), and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) are commonly used to characterize vegetation drag force. Such studies are commonly conducted in clear water, but flood water in the lower Yellow River is generally muddy. In order to study the effect of the same sediment content and different sedimentation thicknesses on the resistance of muddy waters containing vegetation, this study conducted experiments in a flume (length = 28 m, width = 0.5 m, and height = 0.5 m) under different deposition thicknesses. The results showed that the vegetation drag force coefficient (CD), vegetation roughness (nb), and Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient (f) all decreased logarithmically with increasing Reynolds number (Re) and Froude number (Fr). When Re > 30,000, under the conditions of different siltation thicknesses of vegetation, the vegetation roughness tended to stabilize near its minimum value. When the Reynolds number of the water flow is large (Re > 20,000), the variation of the Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient f slows down with the Reynolds number Re. Logarithmic functions were established for the above resistance coefficients and flow coefficients, and the corresponding correlation coefficients were high, indicating that the conclusions were reliable.

Quantifying hydraulic roughness in a riparian forest using a drag force‐based method

AbstractFlow resistance through riparian forests due to drag on trees is often expressed in hydraulic models with an increase in a boundary resistance factor such as Manning's n. However, when Manning's n is used as a proxy for vegetation drag, this parameter is dependent on flow conditions and a single, uniform value may be inadequate for simulating a broad range of flood magnitudes. To investigate this issue, flow resistance, and the commensurate Manning's n values through a riparian forest were computed using measured drag forces and estimates of the forest structure and tree morphology. The computed Manning's n values were applied to a 2D hydraulic model (TUFLOW) to simulate an observed flood and a range of design floods. Modelled peak flood levels for the observed flood were 0.16 m lower on average than that recorded at debris marks. There was little difference in modelled flood levels when using the computed Manning's n compared to a traditional, uniform Manning's n. Reassuringly, the traditional method appears adequate when reliable calibration data is available. Otherwise, the method developed here provides a useful alternative in cases where calibration data is limited or for testing reforestation as a nature‐based solution in river or flood management.

Fast Modeling of Vegetated Flow and Sediment Transport Over Mobile Beds Using Shallow Water Equations With Anisotropic Porosity

AbstractA two‐dimensional shallow water model based on the anisotropic porosity method is developed for predictions of water flows, sediment transport and bed morphological changes through rigid vegetation. Effects of the vegetation resistance and the spatial occupation are accounted for by adding an extra vegetation drag force and introducing porosity parameters. By defining a cell‐based porosity for the volumetric occupation and an edge‐based porosity for the flux exchange, the anisotropic property of the preferential flow can be well captured. Based on the finite volume method, the model is solved explicitly with a hybrid local time step/global maximum time step method and is parallelized using the Open MP techniques. The numerical grid convergence and quantitative accuracy of the model have been tested against a series of flume experiments for various configurations of rigid emergent vegetation over fixed or mobile beds. It is shown that using shallow water equations with anisotropic porosity, a constant drag coefficient can lead to numerical solutions of comparable accuracy as those complex empirical relations. Moreover, appropriate quantification of the stem‐scale turbulence effects brings significant improvement in modeling of the vegetation‐affected sediment transport.

Grain shear stress and bed-load transport in open channel flow with emergent vegetation

The prediction of bedload transport capacity in riverbed with aquatic vegetation is a pressing need for river restoration. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the weak bed-load transport rates with emergent vegetation for different energy slopes and vegetation densities. Such rate was observed to increase as the energy slope increased and the vegetation density decreased. The bed shear stress calculated by subtracting the vegetation drag from the total flow driving force was unable to predict the measured bed-load transport rate. On the other side, the estimation of the grain shear stress using the Einstein partitioning method considering the form drag provided a reasonable prediction. On the basis of these results, an explicit formulation for estimating grain shear stress was developed to predict the bed-load transport rate in a vegetated channel by considering the superimposition of forces. In addition, a simple relationship between grain shear stress and total shear stress was established by the boundary layer model. It was inferred that bed-load transport rate decreases with the increase of vegetation blocking factor while the total shear stress remains constant. Comparatively, the proposed models were more accurate than literature models, improving the understanding of the bed-load transport in a vegetated flow.

Longitudinal velocity profile of flows in open channel with double-layered rigid vegetation

Aquatic vegetation of different heights is widely scattered in natural rivers and is conducive to their environmental function while affecting the flow hydrodynamic conditions. A semi-analytical velocity model is constructed and used to study the longitudinal velocity profile in open channel flow through double-layered rigid vegetation. The double-layered vegetation flow is separated into three zones according to the velocity profile: 1) nearly uniform distributed velocity zone 1A in the lower region of the short vegetation layer, 2) a mixing layer zone B, 3) uniform distributed velocity zone 2A in the upper region of the tall vegetation layer. Two force equilibrium equations about the gravity-driving and vegetation drag are solved to obtain the uniform velocity distribution equations in zone 1A and 2A. The velocity of zone 1A and B is further modeled as a linear superposition of two concepts: the uniform velocity distribution term of zone 1A and a hyperbolic tangent profile. Meanwhile, longitudinal velocity and the lateral vorticity profiles of open channel flow through double-layered rigid vegetation are studied by laboratory flume tests of different vegetation arrangements exposed to two water depths and three slopes. The experimental results show that the longitudinal velocity increases with the slope increase. The verification of the velocity model is based on the instantaneous velocity measured by Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV), which shows acceptable agreement, indicating that the model can give a reference to the longitudinal velocity of multi-layered vegetation flow in some cases. The effects of wake vortices and boundary friction on the model are further explored in the discussions. The results presented in this study could contribute to the management of aquatic vegetation configurations and the restoration of freshwater ecology.

Mangrove forests can be an effective coastal defence in the Pearl River Delta, China

Coastal vegetation can reduce extreme water levels during storm events, but the controlling factors and processes in complex estuary or delta systems are still unclear. This limits an effective implementation of nature-based coastal defences in delta mega-cities in low-lying coastal areas. Here we have numerically modelled how mangroves can offer coastal protection to the large coastal cities located in the Pearl River Delta (China), such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, during strong typhoons, like Hato (2017). Water level attenuation by mangroves is effective during extreme water level conditions and differences in mangrove forests’ properties drive their coastal protection function. The local (within-wetland) attenuation of extreme water levels is more effective with wide vegetation patches and higher vegetation drag. Narrower vegetation patches can still provide non-local (upstream) water level attenuation if located in the upper estuary channels, but their design needs to avoid amplification of water levels in other delta areas.

Wave attenuation potential, sediment properties and mangrove growth dynamics data over Guyana's intertidal mudflats: assessing the potential of mangrove restoration works

Abstract. Coastal mangroves, thriving at the interface between land and sea, provide robust flood risk reduction. Projected increases in the frequency and magnitude of climate impact drivers such as sea level rise and wind and wave climatology reinforce the need to optimize the design and functionality of coastal protection works to increase resilience. Doing so effectively requires a sound understanding of the local coastal system. However, data availability particularly at muddy coasts remains a pronounced problem. As such, this paper captures a unique dataset for the Guyana coastline and focuses on relations between vegetation (mangrove) density, wave attenuation rates and sediment characteristics. These processes were studied along a cross-shore transect with mangroves fringing the coastline of Guyana. The data are publicly available at the 4TU Centre for Research Data (4TU.ResearchData) via https://doi.org/10.4121/c.5715269 (Best et al., 2022) where the collection Advancing Resilience Measures for Vegetated Coastline (ARM4VEG), Guyana, comprises of six key datasets. Suspended sediment concentrations typically exceeded 1 g L−1 with a maximum of 60 g L−1, implying that we measured merely fluid-mud conditions across a 1 m depth. Time series of wind waves and fluid-mud density variations, recorded simultaneously with tide elevation and suspended sediment data, indicate that wave–fluid-mud interactions in the nearshore may be largely responsible for the accumulation of fine, muddy sediment along the coast. Sediment properties reveal a consolidated underlying bed layer. Vegetation coverage densities in the Avicennia-dominated forest were determined across the vertical with maximum values over the first 20 cm from the bed due to the roots and pneumatophores. Generalized total wave attenuation rates in the forest and along the mudflat were between 0.002–0.0032 m−1 and 0.0003–0.0004 m−1 respectively. Both the mangroves and the mudflats have a high wave-damping capacity. The wave attenuation in the mangroves is presumably dominated by energy losses due to vegetation drag, since wave attenuation due to bottom friction and viscous dissipation on the bare mudflats is significantly lower than wave dissipation inside the mangrove vegetation. Data collected corroborate the coastal defence function of mangroves by quantifying their contribution to wave attenuation and sediment trapping. The explicit linking of these properties to vegetation structure facilitates modelling studies investigating the mechanisms determining the coastal defence capacities of mangroves.

Computational modeling of coupled waves and vegetation stem dynamics in highly flexible submerged meadows

In this study, we have developed a two-way fully coupled hydrodynamic-vegetation model that includes a spatially and temporally variable drag coefficient of flexible submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The developed model consists of a nonhydrostatic wave model (NHWAVE) that solves the Navier-Stokes equations and a numerical model for vegetation stem dynamics that solves the instantaneous forces applied by flow on vegetation stems. The results of the developed model are validated against a number of laboratory-scale experiments on wave attenuation, stem orientation, and stem base forces, and then applied to an idealized configuration to further investigate the effects of vegetation induced drag coefficient on waves velocity field, wave attenuation, and vegetation dynamics along a numerical flume. The model was able to reproduce experimental results without parameter tuning. By adopting the N-pendula approach, the stem dynamics model solves the instantaneous orientation of segments along each stem and uses this information to compute a spatially and temporally varying vegetative drag coefficient within the meadow. When compared with laboratory experiments, incorporating this new mechanism for flexible vegetation in the wave model resulted in improvement over results with rigid vegetation. Through highly detailed representation of vegetation, the model can reliably predict wave attenuation over marshes and seagrass meadows, evaluate potential storm damages to these features, and calculate instantaneous orientation of plant stems or shoots which has implications for their photosynthesis.

Natural Convection Induced by Diurnal Heating and Cooling over a Fully Vegetated Slope

In this study, by assuming a small bottom slope, asymptotic solutions were developed to discuss natural convection within rooted emergent vegetation in response to different heating and cooling mechanisms. Based upon the maximum water depth in comparison to the penetration depth of solar radiation, two scenarios in shallow and deep waters were examined. The temperature structures showed that isotherms in shallows are near vertical but become stable stratified layers (horizontal isotherms) in deep regions. In shallow regions, horizontal velocity profiles perform classic cubic shapes, while the horizontal velocity in deep regions is constant near the surface, and a local upslope flow occurs near the bottom. In shallow water, viscous effects are dominant to shape the velocity profiles, whereas vegetation drag becomes more important in deep regions. By using turbulent parameters, horizontal exchange flowrates and velocities predicted by the asymptotic solutions show good agreements with the existing measurements.

Shear layer over floodplain vegetation with a view on bending and streamlining effects

Shrubby and woody vegetation growing on floodplains profoundly influences hydrodynamic and transport processes in riverine systems. Existing hydrodynamic research is mostly focused on conditions with aquatic plants and rigid model vegetation. To appreciate the different hydrodynamic impacts of submerged floodplain and riverbank vegetation, a novel flume investigation was carried out. We simulated conditions found in riparian environments in terms of vegetation density, plant structure and flexibility, and presence of a grassy understory. Four experimental cases were defined so that vegetation exhibited different degrees of bending and streamlining. Extensive set of velocity measurements allowed reliable description of the double averaged flow. Vegetation morphology, with the flexibility-induced streamlining and dynamic motion controlled the magnitude and distribution of the vegetative drag, shaping the shear penetration within the canopy. The flows were highly heterogeneous, thus calling for spatially averaged approaches for the flow field investigation. The relative importance of dispersive momentum fluxes was high in the canopy bottom region where both Reynolds and dispersive stresses were small. The contribution of dispersive fluxes to momentum transport decreased with increasing reconfiguration. The results revealed the shear layers over floodplain vegetation to be dynamically similar to other environmental flows over porous obstructions. However, the velocity-dependent vegetative drag and deflected height introduced additional complexity in the flow simulation. Altogether our findings implied that accurate description of vegetated floodplain flows can be achieved only when plant morphology and flexibility are appropriately described in drag models.Article highlightsA novel experimental setup with flexible woody plants and grasses was used to model the hydrodynamics of vegetated floodplains.Plant morphology and flexibility controlled the vegetative drag, affecting key shear layer features, including the shear penetration.The spatially heterogeneous flows had higher dispersive stresses at the canopy bottom, where the total fluid stress was small.