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Summary 1. Plant physical ecosystem engineers can influence vegetation population and community dynamics by modifying, maintaining or creating habitats. They may also have the potential to act upon biotic processes, such as seed dispersal. 2. Examples exist of reduction in seed dispersal distances in vegetated compared to unvegetated terrestrial environments, and concentration of seed deposits associated with plant patches. Such effects in aquatic environments have been little studied, but the engineering effect of plant patches on patterns of flow velocity and sediment deposition in streams suggests that they may play a similar role. 3. In this study, we assess the potential of an emergent aquatic species, Sparganium erectum, to play a role in physically modifying river habitats and trapping seeds by examining patterns of seed deposition and substrate type in 47 river reaches across England and southern Scotland, U.K. 4. Areas of the river channel within or adjacent to S. erectum patches harboured more plant seeds and more species than unvegetated areas and had finer, sandier substrates with higher organic matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus content. Most seed species were competitive, indicating that they were well suited to colonise the competitive environment of an S. erectum patch, and could potentially further stabilise accumulated sediments and contribute to landform development. 5. We demonstrate that S. erectum patches influence both the physical environment and the retention of seeds, in consistent patterns across the channel bed, for a range of lowland rivers that vary in stream power and geology and which can be expected to vary in levels of supply of fine sediment and seeds. 6. Our findings support the hypothesis that the fundamental influence of a riverine ecosystem‐engineering species on slowing fluid flow links the habitat creation process of sediment sorting and retention to seed trapping. We suggest the process is applicable to a wide range of aquatic and riparian vegetation. We also suggest that the mono‐specific and competitive growth, which is typical of these engineering species, will strongly influence the recruitment of trapped seeds.

Aquatic vegetation plays a role in engineering river channels by altering patterns of flow velocity, sediment dynamics and, consequently, development and turnover of habitats. This could potentially aid in the rehabilitation of over-widened, straightened channels, and, less desirably, reduce channel conveyance and contribute to flooding problems. Therefore, it is important to understand the environmental conditions in which in-stream and marginal vegetation can reach sufficient abundance for these engineering roles to have a significant impact on the physical environment.Macrophyte and environmental data from 1653 river reaches across Great Britain were collated. Specific stream power (SSP) was calculated to represent hydrological disturbance and a median bed calibre index and percentage sand and finer sediment were used to characterize substrate size, since stream energy and sediment properties are two major physical controls on aquatic vegetation. Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed subtly different physical habitat 'preferences' between species of contrasting morphology. Correlations of additional environmental data with SSP indicated that this physical disturbance variable also reflects gradients in stress variables describing nutrient availability and latitude and so is a useful integrator of a number of important pressures on plant survival.A conceptual model was produced which indicates ranges of SSP which may determine the significance of aquatic macrophytes in channel engineering processes. This model could contribute to predicting the potential for macrophyte growth within a given reach thus indicating its capacity for self-restoration or the likelihood of weed problems.

This paper explores the geomorphological context and impact of the widely‐occurring, linear emergent macrophyte, Sparganium erectum. Forty‐seven sites across Britain were selected for field investigation, spanning the range of environmental conditions within which Sparganium erectum had been found to be present in previous analyses of national data sets. A combination of descriptive graphs and statistics, principal components analysis, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to explore the large multivariate data set collected at the 47 sites. The analyses showed that Sparganium erectum is present in significant quantities in relatively narrow and shallow (< 18 m wide and < 0.9 m deep to the limit of terrestrial vegetation), low gradient (maximum 0.004) channels of varying bed sediment calibre (cobble to silt). Within these environments, S. erectum stands (features) were associated with fine sediment retention, aggradation and submerged landform construction, leading to bench development and so, potentially, to adjustments in channel form and position. Sediment retention and landform construction within S. erectum features was most strongly apparent within reaches with a relatively high S. erectum cover and the presence of large area S. erectum features. It was also associated more weakly with S. erectum features that were comprised of relatively higher densities of plants with relatively smaller inter‐plant spacing and fewer leaves. The sediment retained in S. erectum features and associated bench and bank toe deposits showed larger numbers and species of viable seeds, indicating the potential for colonization and growth of other species on S. erectum features once they aggrade above the low flow water level and are no longer a suitable habitat for S. erectum. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.