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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Borbala Hortobagyi
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Within riparian corridors, biotic-abiotic feedback mechanisms occur between woody vegetation strongly influenced by hydrogeomorphic constraints (e.g., sediment transport and deposition, shear stress, hydrological variability), fluvial landforms, and morphodynamics, which in turn are modulated by the established vegetation. During field investigations in spring 2015, we studied 16 alluvial bars (e.g., point and lateral bars) within the dynamic riparian corridor of the Allier River (France) to assess the aptitude of three pioneer riparian Salicaceae species (Populus nigra L., Salix purpurea L., and Salix alba L.) to establish and act as ecosystem engineers by trapping sediment and constructing fluvial landforms. Our aim is to empirically identify the preferential establishment area (EA; i.e., the local areas where species become established) and the preferential biogeomorphic feedback window(BFW; i.e., where and to what extent the species and geomorphology interact) of these three species on alluvial bars within a 20-km-long river reach. Our results show that the EA and BFW of all three species vary significantly along the longitudinal profile, i.e., upstream-downstream exposure on the alluvial bars, as well as transversally, i.e., the main hydrological connectivity gradient from the river channel toward the floodplain. In the present-day context of the Allier River, P. nigra is the most abundant species, appearing to act as the main engineer species affecting landform dynamics at the bar scale; S. purpureais established and acts as an ecosystem engineer at locations on alluvial bars that are most exposed to hydrosedimentary flow dynamics, while S. alba is established on the bar tail close to secondary channels and affects the geomorphology in mixed patches along with P. nigra. Our study highlights the role of functional trait diversity of riparian engineer species in controlling the extent of fluvial landform construction along geomorphic gradients within riparian corridors exposed to frequent hydrogeomorphic disturbances.
Author(s): Hortobágyi B, Corenblit D, Steiger J, Peiry J-L
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Geomorphology
Year: 2018
Volume: 305
Pages: 94-111
Print publication date: 15/03/2018
Online publication date: 31/08/2017
Acceptance date: 23/08/2017
ISSN (print): 0169-555X
ISSN (electronic): 1872-695X
Publisher: Elsevier BV
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.08.048
DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.08.048
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