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Lookup NU author(s): James HardwickORCiD, Dr Christopher HackneyORCiD, Lizzie Keen, Professor Clare FitzsimmonsORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Riverbank erosion is a naturally occurring process that influences riparian zone habitats. However, anthropogenic activities are increasing rates of riverbank erosion. Climate change and hydrological and physical modifications drive riparian zone perturbations. Whilst native riparian vegetation can reduce riverbank erosion, the proliferation of non-native riparian plant species has been linked to riverbank instability, with marked changes in fluvial erosional regimes attributed to invasion by species such as Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam) or Tamarix (Tamarisk) into riparian zones. Yet, the role of non-native plant species in modulating riverbank erosion remains unclear, in part due to the lack of investigations that quantify geomorphic change. We systematically assessed the relevant ecological and geomorphological literature to determine current understanding and to offer recommendations for future research on non-native plant—riverbank erosion. Included articles focused on a limited number of non-native plant species across a restricted range of habitats types, with dependency on topographic change and generally short study duration obscuring potential causal links or feedback cycles. It is critical in the face of parallel rapid proliferation of riparian non-native plant species and climate change effects, that we improve mechanistic understanding of their role in riverbank erosion.
Author(s): Hardwick J, Hackney CR, Keen L, Fitzsimmons C, Willby N, Pattison Z
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: River Research and Applications
Year: 2025
Volume: 41
Issue: 4
Pages: 757-772
Print publication date: 01/05/2025
Online publication date: 21/01/2025
Acceptance date: 03/01/2025
Date deposited: 08/01/2025
ISSN (print): 1535-1459
ISSN (electronic): 1535-1467
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4420
DOI: 10.1002/rra.4420
Data Access Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in The role of non-native plant species in modulating riverbank at https://zenodo.org/records/12819597.
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