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Niche construction within riparian corridors. Part I: Exploring biogeomorphic feedback windows of three pioneer riparian species, Allier River, France

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Borbala Hortobagyi

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Abstract

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.


Publication metadata

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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