The interactions between vegetation and erosion: new directions for research at the interface of ecology and geomorphology

Osterkamp, W. R.; Hupp, Cliff R.; Stoffel, Markus

doi:10.1002/esp.2173

Cited by 120 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 107 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…Also important is probably the higher litter cover and plant basal area cover on the grassland site that would have a direct protective effect against erosion." This interpretation is consistent with the conclusions of Abrahams et al (1995) and Parsons et al (1996), who emphasized the role of vegetation cover in controlling fluvial/slope-wash erosion rates in their plot-scale studies at WGEW. In this paper we explore the implications of these erosion rate differences for landscape morphology and topographic evolution of WGEW over geologic timescales.…”

Section: Intensive Monitoring Sitessupporting

confidence: 91%

The influence of Holocene vegetation changes on topography and erosion rates: a case study at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona

2016

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Abstract. Quantifying how landscapes have responded and will respond to vegetation changes is an essential goal of geomorphology. The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) offers a unique opportunity to quantify the impact of vegetation changes on landscape evolution over geologic timescales. The WGEW is dominated by grasslands at high elevations and shrublands at low elevations. Paleovegetation data suggest that portions of WGEW higher than approximately 1430 m a.s.l. have been grasslands and/or woodlands throughout the late Quaternary, while elevations lower than 1430 m a.s.l. changed from a grassland/woodland to a shrubland ca. 2-4 ka. Elevations below 1430 m a.s.l. have decadal timescale erosion rates approximately 10 times higher, drainage densities approximately 3 times higher, and hillslope-scale relief approximately 3 times lower than elevations above 1430 m. We leverage the abundant geomorphic data collected at WGEW over the past several decades to calibrate a mathematical model that predicts the equilibrium drainage density in shrublands and grasslands/woodlands at WGEW. We use this model to test the hypothesis that the difference in drainage density between the shrublands and grassland/woodlands at WGEW is partly the result of a late Holocene vegetation change in the lower elevations of WGEW, using the upper elevations as a control. Model predictions for the increase in drainage density associated with the shift from grasslands/woodlands to shrublands are consistent with measured values. Using modern erosion rates and the magnitude of relief reduction associated with the transition from grasslands/woodlands to shrublands, we estimate the timing of the grassland-to-shrubland transition in the lower elevations of WGEW to be approximately 3 ka, i.e., broadly consistent with paleovegetation studies. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that common vegetation changes in semi-arid environments (e.g., from grassland to shrubland) can change erosion rates by more than an order of magnitude, with important consequences for landscape morphology.

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Section: Intensive Monitoring Sitessupporting

confidence: 91%

The influence of Holocene vegetation changes on topography and erosion rates: a case study at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona

2016

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“…With respect to the latter, there is increased recognition that interactions and feedback between vegetation, water flow and sediment dynamics, control channel and floodplain form and dynamics [1,42]. If restoration schemes are to be successful in enhancing river process and form, scheme designs must account for how riparian and emergent aquatic vegetation will influence hydrogeomorphology.…”

Section: Interactions Between Riparian Vegetation and Hydrogeomorphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Flow Hydrodynamics across Open Channel Flows with Riparian Zones: Implications for Riverbank Stability

Valyrakis

Williams

2017

Water

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Riverbank vegetation is of high importance both for preserving the form (morphology) and function (ecology) of natural river systems. Revegetation of riverbanks is commonly used as a means of stream rehabilitation and management of bank instability and erosion. In this experimental study, the effect of different riverbank vegetation densities on flow hydrodynamics across the channel, including the riparian zone, are reported and discussed. The configuration of vegetation elements follows either linear or staggered arrangements as vegetation density is progressively increased, within a representative range of vegetation densities found in nature. Hydrodynamic measurements including mean streamwise velocity and turbulent intensity flow profiles are recorded via acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV)-both at the main channel and within the riverbank. These results show that for the main channel and the toe of riverbank, turbulence intensity for the low densities (λ ≈ 0 to 0.12 m −1 ) can increase up to 40% compared the case of high densities (λ = 0.94 to 1.9 m −1 ). Further analysis of these data allowed the estimation of bed-shear stresses, demonstrating 86% and 71% increase at the main channel and near the toe region, for increasing densities (λ = 0 to 1.9 m −1 ). Quantifying these hydrodynamic effects is important for assessing the contribution of physically representative ranges of riparian vegetation densities on hydrogeomorphologic feedback.

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“…Stromberg, Lite, & Dixon, 2010). Types and zonation of riparian vegetation are strongly controlled by hydrological regime (Osterkamp, Hupp, & Stoffel, 2012;Sandercock & Hooke, 2010;Tabacchi et al, 2009), and occurrence of floods can affect recruitment and survival (Pasquale, Perona, Francis, & Burlando, 2014;Perona et al, 2009). Succession, particularly on river bars, is well known .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of increase in woody vegetation in a river corridor, Northwest England, 1984–2007

Hooke

Chen

2015

Journal of Maps

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Based on observations on rivers in England over a 30-year period, it was hypothesised that the extent of woody vegetation in riparian areas has increased in many locations. Methods to map and measure changes in vegetation cover from aerial photographs were developed and tested on a 5 km reach of the River Dane in Northwest England. Riparian vegetation was divided into seven classes, and these were mapped from aerial photographs of four dates, 1984, 1996, 2001 and 2007. The results indicate an increase from 9% woody vegetation cover in the river corridor in 1984 to 32% cover in 2007, with a 40-fold increase in areas of mature woody vegetation. The results have implications for river processes, because of effects on bank erosion and sediment supply, and for land management policies, with grazing control hypothesised to be a major cause of the changes.

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The interactions between vegetation and erosion: new directions for research at the interface of ecology and geomorphology

Cited by 120 publications

References 107 publications

The influence of Holocene vegetation changes on topography and erosion rates: a case study at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona

The influence of Holocene vegetation changes on topography and erosion rates: a case study at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona

Flow Hydrodynamics across Open Channel Flows with Riparian Zones: Implications for Riverbank Stability

Evidence of increase in woody vegetation in a river corridor, Northwest England, 1984–2007

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