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1
McGinness, Heather M., Anthony D. Arthur, and Julian R. W. Reid. "Woodland bird declines in the Murray–Darling Basin: are there links with floodplain change?" Rangeland Journal 32, no. 3 (2010): 315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj10016.
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Woodland bird population declines in Australia have been attributed to various factors including habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation. However, the influence of altered water availability in the landscape upon woodland bird populations has not been examined, particularly in terms of changes in flood regimes and subsequent loss of floodplain productivity. In this review, we examine the importance to woodland birds of floodplains, floods, and associated vegetation communities, highlighting potential links between declining water availability, habitat degradation, and bird populations. Floodplain woodlands and forests may be important refuges for woodland bird populations because (1) floodplain woodlands and forests comprise some of the largest and most continuous vegetation remnants in south-east Australia; and (2) floods intermittently supply water, sediment and nutrients that drive greater primary and secondary productivity than found in woodlands not subject to flooding. However, floodplains in south-east Australia have been subject to substantial flow regime change, driven predominantly by dams and irrigation water use. Consequently, habitat quality for woodland birds has been degraded, potentially exacerbating population declines. We suggest that despite such change, floodplain communities and their requisite floods remain of great importance for the persistence, productivity and diversity of woodland birds in Australian drylands. We hypothesise that (1) the influence of flooding upon primary and secondary productivity in floodplain and riparian zones is a key driver of resident bird populations, and a key determinant of nomadic/migratory bird use of a site; (2) alterations in flooding and consequent changes in productivity and condition of floodplain vegetation have contributed to observed declines in resident woodland birds in Australian drylands; and (3) the influence of flooding upon productivity extends beyond local populations of floodplain residents to non-floodplain populations via dispersal, and that floodplain woodlands often act as a source population for surrounding non-floodplain woodlands. We make several testable predictions regarding these hypotheses.
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Marren, Philip M., James R. Grove, J. Angus Webb, and Michael J. Stewardson. "The Potential for Dams to Impact Lowland Meandering River Floodplain Geomorphology." Scientific World Journal 2014 (2014): 1–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/309673.
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The majority of the world's floodplains are dammed. Although some implications of dams for riverine ecology and for river channel morphology are well understood, there is less research on the impacts of dams on floodplain geomorphology. We review studies from dammed and undammed rivers and include influences on vertical and lateral accretion, meander migration and cutoff formation, avulsion, and interactions with floodplain vegetation. The results are synthesized into a conceptual model of the effects of dams on the major geomorphic influences on floodplain development. This model is used to assess the likely consequences of eight dam and flow regulation scenarios for floodplain geomorphology. Sediment starvation downstream of dams has perhaps the greatest potential to impact on floodplain development. Such effects will persist further downstream where tributary sediment inputs are relatively low and there is minimal buffering by alluvial sediment stores. We can identify several ways in which floodplains might potentially be affected by dams, with varying degrees of confidence, including a distinction between passive impacts (floodplain disconnection) and active impacts (changes in geomorphological processes and functioning). These active processes are likely to have more serious implications for floodplain function and emphasize both the need for future research and the need for an “environmental sediment regime” to operate alongside environmental flows.
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Garnett, Jeffrey A., and Darold P. Batzer. "Longitudinal variation in community structure of floodplain fishes along two rivers of the southeastern USA." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71, no. 9 (September 2014): 1291–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0422.
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Many studies have examined whether longitudinal variation exists in fish communities within stream channels. Yet despite the acknowledged importance of adjacent floodplain ecosystems, no study has investigated longitudinal variation in fish communities in floodplain wetlands. We conducted a study to determine if distinct fish communities exist between upper and lower river floodplains. We predicted that floodplains in the upper portions of a watershed will be dominated by opportunistic riverine fish. In contrast, floodplains farther downstream in the watershed will primarily consist of obligate floodplain fishes. We sampled fishes at 21 floodplain sites along the lengths of the Oconee–Altamaha and Broad–Savannah river systems of Georgia, USA, during the 2008 and 2009 flood seasons. A modified mark–recapture method was utilized to estimate probabilities of species detection and occupancy. Ordination and analysis of similarity using species site occupancy estimates identified two unique communities related to floodplain position, and indicator species analysis supported our hypothesis of community distinction based on life history traits. Water resource managers should consider how flood pulse character influences fish communities when regulating flow regimes.
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Pittock, Jamie, Kate Auty, C. Max Finlayson, Kate Lyons, John Koehn, Richard Loyn, and Matthew J. Colloff. "Evidence-based conservation of the northern Victorian floodplain." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 134, no. 2 (February 14, 2023): 108–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs22004.
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The floodplain wetlands of northern Victoria are crucial for conservation of biodiversity and the livelihoods of people. Extensive ecosystem degradation and recent extreme floods and droughts have highlighted the urgent need for more sustainable management. We draw on expertise in ecology, hydrology, climatology and governance to synthesise key knowledge and options for enhanced conservation of the floodplains. A key finding is the need for more flexible mechanisms for delivering water to the diverse array of wetlands. A key option is ‘relaxing constraints’ that involves agreements with selected landholders to enable pulses of environmental water to fill river channels and safely spill onto low-lying floodplain wetlands. This should improve conservation of biodiversity, better manage flood risk and support a diverse range of local agricultural and recreational industries. These options may aid Victorians to find better ways of managing the rich lands, waters and biota of the floodplains in the southern part of the Murray–Darling Basin.
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Boucek, Ross E., Mariajesus Soula, Felipe Tamayo, and Jennifer S. Rehage. "A once in 10 year drought alters the magnitude and quality of a floodplain prey subsidy to coastal river fishes." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73, no. 11 (November 2016): 1672–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2015-0507.
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Disturbances that alter cross-habitat food web linkages can lead to whole-scale changes to aquatic systems. In coastal rivers of the Everglades (Florida, U.S.A.), increases in rainfall inundate adjacent floodplains, providing habitat for floodplain fish and macroinvertebrate species. In the dry season, rainfall decreases and floodplains dry, forcing floodplain prey into these river systems. These prey provide a prey subsidy for an estuarine predator, the common snook (Centropomus undecimalis). In 2011, severe drought impacted the region, likely affecting this prey subsidy. In this study, we ask (i) did the 2011 drought affect the magnitude and composition of floodplain prey subsidies to the common snook? and (ii) if species composition changed, were there energetic differences between the pre- and post-disturbance prey species? Results showed that 1 year after the drought, subsidies to the common snook decreased by 75%. On top of that decrease in overall flux, diet composition of the common snook switched from floodplain fishes to drought-tolerant floodplain macroinvertebrates. Lastly, energetic analyses showed that these postdrought macroinvertebrate prey subsidies had 43% less calories than floodplain fishes. Our findings illustrate the importance of considering not only the biomass that transfers from one food web to the next, but also how the species composition of the subsidy may affect incorporation into recipient food webs.
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Hill, Nicholas M., and David J. Garbary. "Habitat may limit herb migration at the northern edge of the Appalachian deciduous forest *This paper is dedicated to our botanical mentor, the late Dr. Sam P. Vander Kloet." Botany 89, no. 9 (September 2011): 635–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b11-055.
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Forest herbs account for greater species richness than any other plant type in deciduous forests and are the most vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. We examined whether the limited distribution of rare Appalachian forest herbs in Nova Scotia is related to edaphic specialization or a history of anthropogenic disturbance. Remnant populations are restricted to floodplain forest, where both habitat factors and disturbance history differ significantly from those of adjacent upland sugar maple forest. Contrasting soil and litter layers between floodplain stands and adjacent upland sites revealed the latter to be deficient in key cations (calcium, magnesium, boron); however, regression models for uplands and for floodplains showed that native herb richness was related to soil fertility in each case. Soil calcium accounted for most of the species richness variation among floodplains for native herbs and for a large seeded guild that contains most of the rare species on floodplains. Given the widespread anthropogenic decalcification of forest soils throughout eastern North America, conservation efforts must (i) increase and connect deciduous forest floodplain ecosystems and (ii) understand how to manage and create suitable cation-rich migration corridors in the forest landscape.
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Higgisson, William, Dianne Gleeson, Linda Broadhurst, and Fiona Dyer. "Genetic diversity and gene flow patterns in two riverine plant species with contrasting life-history traits and distributions across a large inland floodplain." Australian Journal of Botany 68, no. 5 (2020): 384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt20074.
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Gene flow is a key evolutionary driver of spatial genetic structure, reflecting demographic processes and dispersal mechanisms. Understanding how genetic structure is maintained across a landscape can assist in setting conservation objectives. In Australia, floodplains naturally experience highly variable flooding regimes that structure the vegetation communities. Flooding plays an important role, connecting communities on floodplains and enabling dispersal via hydrochory. Water resource development has changed the lateral-connectivity of floodplain-river systems. One possible consequence of these changes is reduced physical and subsequent genetic connections. This study aimed to identify and compare the population structure and dispersal patterns of tangled lignum (Duma florulenta) and river cooba (Acacia stenophylla) across a large inland floodplain using a landscape genetics approach. Both species are widespread throughout flood prone areas of arid and semiarid Australia. Tangled lignum occurs on floodplains while river cooba occurs along rivers. Leaves were collected from 144 tangled lignum plants across 10 sites and 84 river cooba plants across 6 sites, on the floodplain of the lower and mid Lachlan River, and the Murrumbidgee River, NSW. DNA was extracted and genotyped using DArTseq platforms (double digest RADseq). Genetic diversity was compared with floodplain-river connection frequency, and genetic distance (FST) was compared with river distance, geographic distance and floodplain-river connection frequency between sites. Genetic similarity increased with increasing floodplain-river connection frequency in tangled lignum but not in river cooba. In tangled lignum, sites that experience more frequent flooding had greater genetic diversity and were more genetically homogenous. There was also an isolation by distance effect where increasing geographic distance correlated with increasing genetic differentiation in tangled lignum, but not in river cooba. The distribution of river cooba along rivers facilitates regular dispersal of seeds via hydrochory regardless of river level, while the dispersal of seeds of tangled lignum between patches is dependent on flooding events. The genetic impact of water resource development may be greater for species which occur on floodplains compared with species along river channels.
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Pettit, N. E., P. Bayliss, and R. Bartolo. "Dynamics of plant communities and the impact of saltwater intrusion on the floodplains of Kakadu National Park." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 7 (2018): 1124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf16148.
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The distribution of vegetation communities on floodplains within Kakadu National Park, in tropical northern Australia, is related to micro-topography and, therefore, water depth and duration of flooding. Floodplains of the Kakadu Region, because of their proximity to the coast, are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with saltwater intrusion, as a result of sea-level rise, being a serious risk. Our main objectives were to determine the variability of the distribution of plant communities on the floodplains and understand the potential risk of increased saltwater intrusion to these communities. We present data on the natural salinity-tolerance range of selected floodplain plants and discuss the likely effects of saltwater intrusion on floodplain plant distributions and productivity. The results of change analysis using high spatial-resolution satellite data showed the importance of the variation of water availability in determining patterns of plant communities. Hydrodynamic modelling suggests that sea level rises will result in 40% of the floodplain transformed into saline habitats by 2070. The most obvious effect of this would be the conversion of the freshwater vegetation to salt-tolerant mangroves and other salt-marsh plants, with a concomitant change in animals and their use of these areas.
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Brown, T. T., and C. A. Fuller. "Stress and parasitism of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in dry and floodplain environments." Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 12 (December 2006): 1833–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-183.
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We hypothesized that flooding represents an environmental stressor that might affect the corticosterone levels, parasite prevalence, and life history of small mammals living in floodplain environments. We compared populations of white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818)) on floodplains and dry areas. We found more males on floodplains (p = 0.008) and more females on dry areas (p = 0.005). There were no differences in mass (p > 0.05) or intestinal parasite prevalence (p = 0.665) between dry and floodplain habitats, but bot fly larvae were significantly more prevalent in males living on floodplains (p = 0.043). Floodplain animals had significantly higher levels of corticosterone than dry-area animals in fall, and lower levels in summer (F[1,20] = 4.483, p = 0.047). In addition, we found that animals with intestinal parasites had higher levels of corticosterone than those that were without parasites (p = 0.014) or that harbored bot fly larvae (p = 0.001). Floodplains seem to be harsher environments than dry areas, but this may be a result of differences in habitat rather than a direct result of flooding.
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Stephenson, Sarah A., Tiffanie M. Nelson, Claire Streten, Karen S. Gibb, David Williams, Paul Greenfield, and Anthony A. Chariton. "Sea-level rise in northern Australia's Kakadu National Park: a survey of floodplain eukaryotes." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 7 (2018): 1134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18067.
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Forecasted climate-change models predict that much of northern Australia’s coastal habitats will be in retreat because of saltwater intrusion (SWI) from sea-level rise. A region of primary concern is the nutrient-rich and biodiverse floodplains of world heritage-listed Kakadu National Park (KNP). To understand the implications of SWI, we need fundamental baseline information for floodplain biota from the South Alligator River, KNP, northern Australia, and informative data on how increased and prolonged exposure to salt is likely to shape the eukaryotic community. To assist in addressing these key knowledge gaps, we used amplicon sequencing to examine the composition of eukaryotic soil communities from the South Alligator River floodplain, an ecologically important area at the ‘coalface’ of sea-level rise. Samples were obtained from three river zones and three floodplain morphologies, capturing a wide range of habitats and episodic exposures to both saltwater and freshwater. We found that both the floodplain morphology and positioning along the river significantly influenced eukaryotic composition. However, the influence of these variables varied greatly among the floodplain morphologies, with correlative evidence suggesting that both salinity and pH played a dominant role in shaping communities within lower parts of the floodplain, with this being particularly evident in those regions subjected to major tidal influence (estuarine funnel and sinuous, and cuspate).
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Galatowitsch, M. L., and D. P. Batzer. "Benefits and costs ofLeptophlebia(Ephemeroptera) mayfly movements between river channels and floodplain wetlands." Canadian Journal of Zoology 89, no. 8 (August 2011): 714–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z11-044.
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Dramatic drift of nymphs of the mayflies Leptophlebia Westwood, 1840 and Siphlonurus Eaton, 1868 (47 600 individuals/trap per hour) was observed between a southeastern USA river and adjacent floodplain following natural flooding events. Active movements of these nymphs against the water flow were also detected. Large numbers of leptophlebid nymphs reside in floodplains during the winter and spring, but how and why they colonize and develop in temporary habitats is uncertain. We detected few environmental advantages (i.e., temperature, food abundance or quality) for mayflies in floodplains compared with river habitats. Despite this, experiments indicated that mayflies had 36% higher growth rates in the floodplain than in the river and demonstrated tolerance to short-term drying (up to 12 d). Migration entails costs of migrating against flows during daylight when vulnerability to predation is high, colonizing a habitat subject to drying, hypoxia, and supporting amphibian predators, with few apparent benefits. Dispersal into wetlands may be attributed to avoiding swift river flows or exploiting largely fishless habitats. However, dispersal could be an evolutionary relic of behavior beneficial in more northerly habitats; our study populations of Leptophlebia mayflies were at the southern extreme of their range and perhaps operating suboptimally. Our results emphasize the importance of river–floodplain linkages to the ecology of both habitats.
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Preobrazhenskaia, E. S., and P. N. Amosov. "Yellow-breasted bunting <i>Ocyris aureolus</i> (Pallas, 1773) (Aves, Passeriformes) in the Northern European Russia." Povolzhskiy Journal of Ecology, no. 1 (June 18, 2023): 97–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.35885/1684-7318-2023-1-97-106.
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Our studies of the distribution and abundance of the yellow-breasted bunting (Ocyris aureolus) were carried out on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region and in certain bordering areas of the Komi Republic in 2001–2022. A total of 57 meadow and meadow-swamp territories were surveyed, and a number of them – repeatedly in several years. In 2001–2011, the yellow-breasted bunting was found in almost all the surveyed territories, except some dry meadows and extreme northeastern floodplain lands in the lower reaches of the Mezen river. But already in these years, there were trends towards a decrease in its numbers, as indicated by the records carried out in the floodplain of the Pinega river for several years. In subsequent years, the yellow-breasted bunting was recorded on vast grasslands in the floodplains of large rivers only. A relatively high density was observed only in three (out of 35 surveyed) sections of flood meadows, in the floodplains of the Northern Dvina river and Vaga river. In most of the territories where it was found, only 1–3 individuals were recorded. In addition to dry meadows, it has ceased to occur in small-area floodplain meadows. Since the habitat conditions of the yellow-breasted bunting at the northwestern borders of its range have not changed significantly, the cause for this decrease in its numbers there can be considered the deterioration of habitat conditions during the flight and wintering.
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Shaw, John D., Edmond C. Packee, Sr., and Chien-Lu Ping. "Growth of balsam poplar and black cottonwood in Alaska in relation to landform and soil." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 31, no. 10 (October 1, 2001): 1793–804. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x01-119.
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While constructing site index curves for balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) and western black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray) for interior and southcentral Alaska, we found variations in growth patterns that appeared to be related to landform and soil properties. We characterized soils for 42 of 65 site index plots in an attempt to explain site productivity variation. We found significant negative correlations between site index and elevation. Region, landform, and floodplain characteristics (especially sediment deposition) significantly affected poplar growth rate and soil development patterns. Nutrient availability and recycling appear to be mediated by flooding through scouring or burial of surface organic layers. Soil pH patterns related to O-horizon development and salt crust formation and dissolution described previously for the Tanana River floodplain do not hold for all floodplains in Alaska. At similar latitudes and elevations, upland locations may have higher site indices than frequently sedimented floodplain locations because upland soil development is relatively uninterrupted. Floodplain locations experiencing little or no sediment accumulation after establishment of poplar stands tend to have higher site indices than those experiencing frequent sediment accumulation. At some floodplain locations, site index was positively correlated with rooting depth.
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Morton, SR, KG Brennan, and MD Armstrong. "Distribution and Abundance of Ducks in the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory." Wildlife Research 17, no. 6 (1990): 573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9900573.
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Aerial surveys between 1981 and 1984 were used to identify monthly trends in the abundance of wandering whistling-duck Dendrocygna arcuata, plumed whistling-duck D. eytoni, radjah shelduck Tadorna radjah, Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa, and grey teal A. gibberifrons on five floodplains of the Alligator Rivers region, 250 km east of Darwin in the monsoonal north of the Northern Territory. Ground surveys were conducted during the same period on one of the floodplains, the Magela plain, to provide more detailed information. The Magela floodplain was inhabited by few ducks during the wet season (November to March), but numbers then increased to dramatic peaks in the late dry season. The Nourlangie floodplain and Boggy Plain (a large backswamp of the South Alligator floodplain) showed similar patterns, but the numbers of ducks were usually fewer. Ducks were uncommon on the shallower East Alligator and Cooper floodplains except for relatively brief periods in the wet season. The ground surveys suggested that ducks sought out the persistent swamps that characterise the Magela floodplain in the dry season. Ground surveys also indicated that aerial surveys underestimated densities; on the basis of correction factors calculated from the ground surveys, peak numbers on the five floodplains were roughly estimated to be 400 000 wandering whistling-ducks, 70 000 plumed whistling-ducks, 20 000 radjah shelducks, 50 000 Pacific black ducks, and 50 000 grey teal. Pink-eared ducks Malacorhynchus membranaceus and hardhead Aythya australis were recorded sporadically in low numbers. The Alligator Rivers region acted as a dry season refuge for large concentrations of ducks because of the atypical persistence of freshwaters on the Magela and Nourlangie floodplains and some of the backswamps of the South Alligator, such as Boggy Plain. The large aggregations appear to be unique in Australia.
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van Iersel, Wimala, Menno Straatsma, Hans Middelkoop, and Elisabeth Addink. "Multitemporal Classification of River Floodplain Vegetation Using Time Series of UAV Images." Remote Sensing 10, no. 7 (July 19, 2018): 1144. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs10071144.
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The functions of river floodplains often conflict spatially, for example, water conveyance during peak discharge and diverse riparian ecology. Such functions are often associated with floodplain vegetation. Frequent monitoring of floodplain land cover is necessary to capture the dynamics of this vegetation. However, low classification accuracies are found with existing methods, especially for relatively similar vegetation types, such as grassland and herbaceous vegetation. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery has great potential to improve the classification of these vegetation types owing to its high spatial resolution and flexibility in image acquisition timing. This study aimed to evaluate the increase in classification accuracy obtained using multitemporal UAV images versus single time step data on floodplain land cover classification and to assess the effect of varying the number and timing of imagery acquisition moments. We obtained a dataset of multitemporal UAV imagery and field reference observations and applied object-based Random Forest classification (RF) to data of different time step combinations. High overall accuracies (OA) exceeding 90% were found for the RF of floodplain land cover, with six vegetation classes and four non-vegetation classes. Using two or more time steps compared with a single time step increased the OA from 96.9% to 99.3%. The user’s accuracies of the classes with large similarity, such as natural grassland and herbaceous vegetation, also exceeded 90%. The combination of imagery from June and September resulted in the highest OA (98%) for two time steps. Our method is a practical and highly accurate solution for monitoring areas of a few square kilometres. For large-scale monitoring of floodplains, the same method can be used, but with data from airborne platforms covering larger extents.
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Stoffels, R. J., K. R. Clarke, R. A. Rehwinkel, and B. J. McCarthy. "Response of a floodplain fish community to river-floodplain connectivity: natural versus managed reconnection." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71, no. 2 (February 2014): 236–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0042.
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To restore lateral connectivity in highly regulated river-floodplain systems, it has become necessary to implement localized, “managed” connection flows, made possible using floodplain irrigation infrastructure. These managed flows contrast with “natural”, large-scale, overbank flood pulses. We compared the effects of a managed and a natural connection event on (i) the composition of the large-bodied fish community and (ii) the structure of an endangered catfish population of a large floodplain lake. The change in community composition following the managed connection was not greater than that exhibited between seasons or years during disconnection. By contrast, the change in fish community structure following the natural connection was much larger than that attributed to background, within- and between-year variability during disconnection. Catfish population structure only changed significantly following the natural flood. While the natural flood increased various population rates of native fishes, it also increased those of non-native carp, a pest species. To have a positive influence on native biodiversity, environmental flows may need to be delivered to floodplains in a way that simulates the properties of natural flood pulses. A challenge, however, will be managing river-floodplain connectivity to benefit native more than non-native species.
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Baker, Matthew E., and Burton V. Barnes. "Landscape ecosystem diversity of river floodplains in northwestern Lower Michigan, U.S.A." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 28, no. 9 (September 1, 1998): 1405–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x98-107.
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We present a classification and comparison of river floodplains using an ecological, multifactor approach integrating physiography, hydrology, soil, and vegetation within a relatively homogenous macroclimate. Aerial photographs and field reconnaissance were used to locate 22 river valley transects along nine major rivers in the Manistee National Forest, northwestern Lower Michigan. Distinct ecosystems along each transect were sampled extensively. Twenty-three floodplain ecosystem types were identified and classified primarily on the basis of physiographic systems and fluvial landforms within a regional context. Physiographic systems are broad-scale, surficial landforms characterized by distinctive form, parent material, soil, hydrologic regimes, and vegetation. We examined landscape ecosystem differences between different physiographic systems, within a physiographic system, and on a single fluvial landform. Different physiographic systems have different kinds and patterns of floodplain ecosystems in successive valley segments along a river. Within a physiographic system, the physiographic position of different fluvial landforms and ecosystem types within a single fluvial landform leads to marked ecosystem diversity laterally away from the river. The results indicate that physiography is an important determinant of floodplain ecosystem diversity and that an ecological, multifactor approach is useful in distinguishing floodplain ecosystems at multiple scales within a regional context.
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Zuijdgeest, A. L., R. Zurbrügg, N. Blank, R. Fulcri, D. B. Senn, and B. Wehrli. "Seasonal dynamics of carbon and nutrients from two contrasting tropical floodplain systems in the Zambezi River basin." Biogeosciences 12, no. 24 (December 21, 2015): 7535–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7535-2015.
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Abstract. Floodplains are important biogeochemical reactors during fluvial transport of carbon and nutrient species towards the oceans. In the tropics and subtropics, pronounced rainfall seasonality results in highly dynamic floodplain biogeochemistry. The massive construction of dams, however, has significantly altered the hydrography and chemical characteristics of many (sub)tropical rivers. In this study, we compare organic-matter and nutrient biogeochemistry of two large, contrasting floodplains in the Zambezi River basin in southern Africa: the Barotse Plains and the Kafue Flats. Both systems are of comparable size but differ in anthropogenic influence: while the Barotse Plains are still in large parts pristine, the Kafue Flats are bordered by two hydropower dams. The two systems exhibit different flooding dynamics, with a larger contribution of floodplain-derived water in the Kafue Flats and a stronger peak flow in the Barotse Plains. Distinct seasonal differences have been observed in carbon and nutrient concentrations, loads, and export and retention behavior in both systems. The simultaneous retention of particulate carbon and nitrogen and the net export of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen suggested that degradation of particulate organic matter was the dominant process influencing the river biogeochemistry during the wet season in the Barotse Plains and during the dry season in the Kafue Flats. Reverse trends during the dry season indicated that primary production was important in the Barotse Plains, whereas the Kafue Flats seemed to have both primary production and respiration occurring during the wet season, potentially occurring spatially separated in the main channel and on the floodplain. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of particulate organic matter showed that soil-derived material was dominant year-round in the Barotse Plains, whereas the Kafue Flats transported particulate organic matter that had been produced in the upstream reservoir during the wet season. Stable carbon isotopes suggested that inputs from the inundated floodplain to the particulate organic-matter pool were important during the wet season, whereas permanent vegetation contributed to the material transported during the dry season. This study revealed effects of dam construction on organic-matter and nutrient dynamics on the downstream floodplain that only become visible after longer periods, and it highlights how floodplains act as large biogeochemical reactors that can behave distinctly differently from the entire catchment.
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Power, Mary E., Gary Parker, William E. Dietrich, and Adrian Sun. "How does floodplain width affect floodplain river ecology? A preliminary exploration using simulations." Geomorphology 13, no. 1-4 (September 1995): 301–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0169-555x(95)00039-8.
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Malanson, George P., and John A. Kupfer. "Simulated fate of leaf litter and large woody debris at a riparian cutbank." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 23, no. 4 (April 1, 1993): 582–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x93-077.
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Leaf litter and woody debris are important sources of carbon for stream ecosystems, but the patterns of such inputs are variable. To clarify the processes that may lead to such variations, we modified a computer simulation model of forest dynamics to record the production, transport, and decomposition of leaf litter and woody debris given conditions found on a floodplain. The species chosen represent those of floodplains in the central Mississippi River valley, United States. We examined differences in model results when the conditions simulated were (i) a floodplain forest interior or a riparian cutbank edge, (ii) high or low flood regimes, and (iii) with or without the direct removal of material by flood flows. Projections of productivity of floodplain interior sites were similar to those observed in other studies in comparable areas. The inclusion of edge effects increased litter and debris production significantly. There were differences in how material produced was apportioned: there was a greater input to the river that had edge effects and, trivially, flood removal; there was greater on-site storage otherwise. Interaction effects were found because of the dependence on initial productivity. This simulation indicates that the particular local effects of hydrological and geomorphological processes will affect the fate of carbon on floodplains and reveals the importance of a spatially explicit conceptualization of forest dynamics.
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Nielsen, Daryl L., Robert A. Cook, Nathan Ning, Ben Gawne, and Rochelle Petrie. "Carbon and nutrient subsidies to a lowland river following floodplain inundation." Marine and Freshwater Research 67, no. 9 (2016): 1302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14390.
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Despite the perceived importance of floodplain inundation to the functioning of lowland rivers, there is limited understanding of the contribution that floodplains make to the main river channel during floods. In 2010, substantial flooding occurred throughout south-eastern Australia, which provided an opportunity to quantify the export of biological material and nutrients from a floodplain back in to the main river channel. We quantified the amounts of zooplankton, phytoplankton, dissolved organic carbon and nutrients within the main river channel of the River Murray immediately upstream of the Barmah–Millewa Forest, and at two sites immediately downstream of the forest during two flood events in July and October of 2010. Results demonstrated that although a smaller flood event in July did not contribute substantially to an increase in the measured parameters, a much larger flood in October contributed 0.4 tonnes (t) of phytoplankton; 7t of zooplankton and 300t of dissolved organic carbon. This suggests that small floods will provide minimal resource subsidies back into the main channel after the cessation of flooding. In comparison, larger floods that result in large volumes of floodplain water returning to the river will provide substantial subsidies of terrestrially derived resources.
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Zurbrügg, R., S. Suter, M. F. Lehmann, B. Wehrli, and D. B. Senn. "Organic carbon and nitrogen export from a tropical dam-impacted floodplain system." Biogeosciences 10, no. 1 (January 4, 2013): 23–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-23-2013.
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Abstract. Tropical floodplains play an important role in organic matter transport, storage, and transformation between headwaters and oceans. However, the fluxes and quality of organic carbon (OC) and organic nitrogen (ON) in tropical river-floodplain systems are not well constrained. We explored the quantity and characteristics of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM, respectively) in the Kafue River flowing through the Kafue Flats (Zambia), a tropical river-floodplain system in the Zambezi River basin. During the flooding season, > 80% of the Kafue River water passed through the floodplain, mobilizing large quantities of OC and ON, which resulted in a net export of 69–119 kg OC km−2 d−1 and 3.8–4.7 kg ON km−2 d−1, 80% of which was in the dissolved form. The elemental C : N ratio of ~ 20, the comparatively high δ13C values of −25‰ to −21‰, and its spectroscopic properties (excitation-emission matrices) showed that DOM in the river was mainly of terrestrial origin. Despite a threefold increase in OC loads due to inputs from the floodplain, the characteristics of the riverine DOM remained relatively constant along the sampled 410-km river reach. This suggests that floodplain DOM displayed properties similar to those of DOM leaving the upstream reservoir and implied that the DOM produced in the reservoir was relatively short-lived. In contrast, the particulate fraction was 13C-depleted (−29‰) and had a C : N ratio of ~ 8, which indicated that POM originated from phytoplankton production in the reservoir and in the floodplain, rather than from plant debris or resuspended sediments. While the upstream dam had little effect on the DOM pool, terrestrial particles were retained, and POM from algal and microbial sources was released to the river. A nitrogen mass balance over the 2200 km2 flooded area revealed an annual deficit of 15 500–22 100 t N in the Kafue Flats. The N isotope budget suggests that these N losses are balanced by intense N-fixation. Our study shows that the Kafue Flats are a significant local source of OC and ON to downstream ecosystems and illustrates how the composition of riverine OM can be altered by dams and floodplains in tropical catchments.
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Ringeval, B., S. Houweling, P. M. van Bodegom, R. Spahni, R. van Beek, F. Joos, and T. Röckmann. "Methane emissions from floodplains in the Amazon Basin: challenges in developing a process-based model for global applications." Biogeosciences 11, no. 6 (March 21, 2014): 1519–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1519-2014.
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Abstract. Tropical wetlands are estimated to represent about 50% of the natural wetland methane (CH4) emissions and explain a large fraction of the observed CH4 variability on timescales ranging from glacial–interglacial cycles to the currently observed year-to-year variability. Despite their importance, however, tropical wetlands are poorly represented in global models aiming to predict global CH4 emissions. This publication documents a first step in the development of a process-based model of CH4 emissions from tropical floodplains for global applications. For this purpose, the LPX-Bern Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPX hereafter) was slightly modified to represent floodplain hydrology, vegetation and associated CH4 emissions. The extent of tropical floodplains was prescribed using output from the spatially explicit hydrology model PCR-GLOBWB. We introduced new plant functional types (PFTs) that explicitly represent floodplain vegetation. The PFT parameterizations were evaluated against available remote-sensing data sets (GLC2000 land cover and MODIS Net Primary Productivity). Simulated CH4 flux densities were evaluated against field observations and regional flux inventories. Simulated CH4 emissions at Amazon Basin scale were compared to model simulations performed in the WETCHIMP intercomparison project. We found that LPX reproduces the average magnitude of observed net CH4 flux densities for the Amazon Basin. However, the model does not reproduce the variability between sites or between years within a site. Unfortunately, site information is too limited to attest or disprove some model features. At the Amazon Basin scale, our results underline the large uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions. Sensitivity analyses gave insights into the main drivers of floodplain CH4 emission and their associated uncertainties. In particular, uncertainties in floodplain extent (i.e., difference between GLC2000 and PCR-GLOBWB output) modulate the simulated emissions by a factor of about 2. Our best estimates, using PCR-GLOBWB in combination with GLC2000, lead to simulated Amazon-integrated emissions of 44.4 ± 4.8 Tg yr−1. Additionally, the LPX emissions are highly sensitive to vegetation distribution. Two simulations with the same mean PFT cover, but different spatial distributions of grasslands within the basin, modulated emissions by about 20%. Correcting the LPX-simulated NPP using MODIS reduces the Amazon emissions by 11.3%. Finally, due to an intrinsic limitation of LPX to account for seasonality in floodplain extent, the model failed to reproduce the full dynamics in CH4 emissions but we proposed solutions to this issue. The interannual variability (IAV) of the emissions increases by 90% if the IAV in floodplain extent is accounted for, but still remains lower than in most of the WETCHIMP models. While our model includes more mechanisms specific to tropical floodplains, we were unable to reduce the uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions of the Amazon Basin. Our results helped identify and prioritize directions towards more accurate estimates of tropical CH4 emissions, and they stress the need for more research to constrain floodplain CH4 emissions and their temporal variability, even before including other fundamental mechanisms such as floating macrophytes or lateral water fluxes.
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Welti, N., E. Bondar-Kunze, M. Mair, P. Bonin, W. Wanek, G. Pinay, and T. Hein. "Mimicking floodplain reconnection and disconnection using <sup>15</sup>N mesocosm incubations." Biogeosciences 9, no. 11 (November 5, 2012): 4263–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4263-2012.
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Abstract. Floodplain restoration changes the nitrate delivery pattern and dissolved organic matter pool in backwaters, though the effects these changes have are not yet well known. We performed two mesocosm experiments on floodplain sediments to quantify the nitrate metabolism in two types of floodplains. Rates of denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and anammox were measured using 15N-NO3 tracer additions in mesocosms of undisturbed floodplain sediments originating from (1) restored and (2) disconnected sites in the Alluvial Zone National Park on the Danube River downstream of Vienna, Austria. DNRA rates were an order of magnitude lower than denitrification and neither rate was affected by changes in nitrate delivery pattern or organic matter quality. Anammox was not detected at any of the sites. Denitrification was out-competed by assimilation, which was estimated to use up to 70% of the available nitrate. Overall, denitrification was higher in the restored sites, with mean rates of 5.7 ± 2.8 mmol N m−2 h−1 compared to the disconnected site (0.6 ± 0.5 mmol N m−2 h−1). In addition, ratios of N2O : N2 were lower in the restored site indicating a more complete denitrification. Nitrate addition had neither an effect on denitrification, nor on the N2O : N2 ratio. However, DOM (dissolved organic matter) quality significantly changed the N2O : N2 ratio in both sites. Addition of riverine-derived organic matter lowered the N2O : N2 ratio in the disconnected site, whereas addition of floodplain-derived organic matter increased the N2O : N2 ratio in the restored site. These results demonstrate that increasing floodplains hydrological connection to the main river channel increases nitrogen retention and decreases nitrous oxide emissions.
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Morton, SR, KG Brennan, and MD Armstrong. "Distribution and abundance of grebes, pelicans, darters, cormorants, rails and terns in the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory." Wildlife Research 20, no. 2 (1993): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930203.
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Aerial surveys between 1981 and 1984 were used to identify monthly trends in the abundance of Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), darters (Anhinga melanogaster), little pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos), and whiskered terns (Chlidonias hybrida) on five floodplains of the Alligator Rivers region, 250 km east of Darwin in the monsoonal Northern Territory. Ground surveys were conducted during the same period on one of the floodplains, the Magela plain. The aerial surveys indicated that the Magela floodplain was inhabited by few of these birds during the wet season (November-March), but that numbers then increased substantially in the dry season. The Nourlangie floodplain showed similar patterns, but the numbers of birds tended to be lower. Birds were generally uncommon on the shallower East Alligator and Cooper floodplains. Ground surveys suggested that the birds sought out the persistent swamps that characterise the Magela floodplain in the dry season. Ground surveys also indicated that aerial surveys underestimated densities; on the basis of correction factors calculated from ground surveys, peak numbers on the five floodplains were roughly estimated to be about 2000 darters, 9000 little pied cormorants, 55 000 Australian pelicans and 50 000 whiskered terns. Little black cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostrus) were sometimes abundant, but their sporadic occurrence prevented analysis of seasonal trends. Australasian grebes (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius), buff-banded rails (Rallus philippensis), Baillon's crakes (Porzana pusilla), white-browed crakes (Poliolimnas cinereus), purple swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio), Eurasian coots (Fulica atra), silver gulls (Larus novaehollandiae), white-winged terns (Chlidonias leucoptera), gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica) and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia) were recorded in low numbers. The Alligator Rivers region acted as an important dry season refuge because of the unusually persistent fresh waters of the Magela and Nourlangie floodplains and some of the backswamps of the South Alligator, such as Boggy Plain.
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Nagayama, Shigeya, Munehiro Oota, Tomohiko Fujita, Jyun-ichi Kitamura, Toshifumi Minamoto, Seiichi Mori, Masayuki Kato, et al. "Autumn dispersal and limited success of reproduction of the deepbody bitterling (Acheilognathus longipinnis) in terrestrialized floodplain." Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, no. 423 (2022): 4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2022004.
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The terrestrialization of floodplains has become a concern to river managers and ecologists because it has degraded habitats for floodplain-dependent organisms. We examined the temporal distributions of the endangered deepbody bitterling (Acheilognathus longipinnis) throughout its life history, which is an autumn-spawning annual fish spending its egg and larval stages in unionid mussels and emerging in spring, to understand its population decline in the terrestrialized floodplains of the Kiso River, central Japan. We first validated our A. longipinnis environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling method and observed an 89.3% probability of consistency between the eDNA and the direct capture surveys of 56 floodplain waterbodies (FWBs). Subsequently, the temporal distributions with autumn dispersal (9 of 14 FWBs) were found using time-series eDNA samples collected from 14 FWBs on a floodplain with a length and width of 1.4 and 0.2 km, respectively. In the following spring, juveniles were only detected in the two FWBs connected to the river channel. Moreover, the direct capture data revealed that juveniles occurred in 52.9% (9/17) of the connected FWBs, but only in 5.1% (2/39) of the FWBs isolated from the river channel. Autumn dispersal of A. longipinnis would be disadvantageous for reproduction in terrestrialized floodplains with numerous isolated FWBs.
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Besemer, Katharina, Markus M. Moeseneder, Jesus M. Arrieta, Gerhard J. Herndl, and Peter Peduzzi. "Complexity of Bacterial Communities in a River-Floodplain System (Danube, Austria)." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71, no. 2 (February 2005): 609–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.71.2.609-620.2005.
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ABSTRACT Natural floodplains play an essential role in the processing and decomposition of organic matter and in the self-purification ability of rivers, largely due to the activity of bacteria. Knowledge about the composition of bacterial communities and its impact on organic-matter cycling is crucial for the understanding of ecological processes in river-floodplain systems. Particle-associated and free-living bacterial assemblages from the Danube River and various floodplain pools with different hydrological characteristics were investigated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The particle-associated bacterial community exhibited a higher number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and was more heterogeneous in time and space than the free-living community. The temporal dynamics of the community structure were generally higher in isolated floodplain pools. The community structures of the river and the various floodplain pools, as well as those of the particle-associated and free-living bacteria, differed significantly. The compositional dynamics of the planktonic bacterial communities were related to changes in the algal biomass, temperature, and concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients. The OTU richness of the free-living community was correlated with the concentration and origin of organic matter and the concentration of inorganic nutrients, while no correlation with the OTU richness of the particle-associated assemblage was found. Our results demonstrate the importance of the river-floodplain interactions and the influence of damming and regulation on the bacterial-community composition.
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Ringeval, B., S. Houweling, P. M. van Bodegom, R. Spahni, R. van Beek, F. Joos, and T. Röckmann. "Methane emissions from floodplains in the Amazon Basin: towards a process-based model for global applications." Biogeosciences Discussions 10, no. 10 (October 29, 2013): 16713–803. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-16713-2013.
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Abstract. Tropical wetlands are estimated to represent about 50% of the natural wetland emissions and explain a large fraction of the observed CH4 variability on time scales ranging from glacial-interglacial cycles to the currently observed year-to-year variability. Despite their importance, however, tropical wetlands are poorly represented in global models aiming to predict global CH4 emissions. This study documents the first regional-scale, process-based model of CH4 emissions from tropical floodplains. The LPX-Bern Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPX hereafter) was modified to represent floodplain hydrology, vegetation and associated CH4 emissions. The extent of tropical floodplains was prescribed using output from the spatially-explicit hydrology model PCR-GLOBWB. We introduced new Plant Functional Types (PFTs) that explicitly represent floodplain vegetation. The PFT parameterizations were evaluated against available remote sensing datasets (GLC2000 land cover and MODIS Net Primary Productivity). Simulated CH4 flux densities were evaluated against field observations and regional flux inventories. Simulated CH4 emissions at Amazon Basin scale were compared to model simulations performed in the WETCHIMP intercomparison project. We found that LPX simulated CH4 flux densities are in reasonable agreement with observations at the field scale but with a~tendency to overestimate the flux observed at specific sites. In addition, the model did not reproduce between-site variations or between-year variations within a site. Unfortunately, site informations are too limited to attest or disprove some model features. At the Amazon Basin scale, our results underline the large uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions. In particular, uncertainties in floodplain extent (i.e., difference between GLC2000 and PCR-GLOBWB output) modulate the simulated emissions by a factor of about 2. Our best estimates, using PCR-GLOBWB in combination with GLC2000, lead to simulated Amazon-integrated emissions of 44.4 ± 4.8 Tg yr−1. Additionally, the LPX emissions are highly sensitive to vegetation distribution. Two simulations with the same mean PFT cover, but different spatial distributions of grasslands within the basin modulated emissions by about 20%. Correcting the LPX simulated NPP using MODIS reduces the Amazon emissions by 11.3%. Finally, due to an intrinsic limitation of LPX to account for seasonality in floodplain extent, the model failed to reproduce the seasonality in CH4 emissions. The Inter Annual Variability (IAV) of the emissions increases by 90% if the IAV in floodplain extent is account for, but still remains lower than in most of WETCHIMP models. While our model includes more mechanisms specific to tropical floodplains, we were unable to reduce the uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions of the Amazon Basin. Our results stress the need for more research to constrain floodplain CH4 emissions and their temporal variability.
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Gallardo, B., S. Gascón, M. González-Sanchís, A. Cabezas, and F. A. Comín. "Modelling the response of floodplain aquatic assemblages across the lateral hydrological connectivity gradient." Marine and Freshwater Research 60, no. 9 (2009): 924. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf08277.
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Hydrological connectivity is one of the main controlling factors of habitats and aquatic assemblages on river floodplains. Nevertheless, the lack of universal measures of river–floodplain connectivity (i.e. the lateral hydrological connectivity, LHC) limits the comparison of the response of aquatic assemblages to hydrological connectivity and impedes the understanding of floodplain functioning across different systems. To address these needs, we tested the ability of six different LHC surrogates to model changes in richness, abundance and composition of aquatic assemblages across a Mediterranean floodplain (Ebro River, NE Spain). As shown by generalised additive models, LHC surrogates explained 15% to 65% of the richness and abundance of aquatic assemblages. Zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and phytoplankton showed overlapping peaks of richness at flood duration rates of 5, 15 and 30 days year–1 respectively. Redundancy analyses showed that LHC surrogates explained 17% to 37% of aquatic assemblage composition. Distance to the river and flood duration were the most important determinants of macroinvertebrate composition, whereas flood magnitude and water-level variability best accounted for the variance in zooplankton and phytoplankton compositions. Models based on LHC surrogates such as those presented here can help in predicting the consequences of restoration measures and may be useful in setting restoration goals for aquatic assemblages.
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Parker, Israel D., Roel R. Lopez, Reema Padia, Meghan Gallagher, Raghupathy Karthikeyan, James C. Cathey, Nova J. Silvy, and Donald S. Davis. "Role of free-ranging mammals in the deposition of Escherichia coli into a Texas floodplain." Wildlife Research 40, no. 7 (2013): 570. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13082.
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Context The role of wildlife in faecal pollution of water bodies (deposition of Escherichia coli (E. coli)) is not well understood. Current water-quality and land-use planning research largely relies on unreliable wildlife data (e.g. poor sourcing of abundance estimates, population density estimates applied to multiple fundamentally different areas, suspect or insufficiently described data collection techniques) Aims Our goal for the present research was to investigate deposition of E. coli into a floodplain by free-ranging mammals. Objectives of the research were to determine the density of important free-ranging meso- and large mammals in the study area, determine faecal E. coli loads for each species, and evaluate spatial data on species-specific faecal deposition. Methods We conducted our research in south-eastern Texas, USA, on two cattle ranches bisected by Cedar Creek (44-km long). Cedar Creek has elevated E. coli concentrations. We conducted mark–recapture and mark–resight population density estimates (2008/09) for meso- and large mammals in the study areas. We collected faecal samples from all captured wildlife. We also conducted transects through the study area to determine faecal-deposition patterns. Key results We found that raccoons (Procyon lotor), wild pigs (Sus scrofa), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) all had substantial faecal E. coli loads and population densities, thus implying an important role in E. coli deposition into the study floodplain. All species were widely distributed through the floodplain. Conclusions Free-ranging mammals contribute E. coli to floodplains and potentially affect water quality. We determined that four species commonly found in floodplains throughout North America all contributed E. coli to the study floodplain, thus implying mammal E. coli contributions in many locations and this is potentially important for E. coli management. Implications Improved locally specific mammal population estimates and estimates of locally derived E. coli concentration will improve floodplain and water-quality models that often depend on data of various quality. Additionally, our analyses demonstrated the need for continued research into the role of wildlife in E. coli deposition.
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Zurbrügg, R., S. Suter, M. F. Lehmann, B. Wehrli, and D. B. Senn. "Organic carbon and nitrogen export from a tropical dam-impacted floodplain system." Biogeosciences Discussions 9, no. 6 (June 28, 2012): 7943–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-9-7943-2012.
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Abstract. Tropical floodplains play an important role in organic matter transport, storage, and transformation between headwaters and oceans. However, the fluxes and quality of organic carbon (OC) and organic nitrogen (ON) in tropical river-floodplain systems are not well constrained. We explored the quantity and characteristics of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM) in the Kafue River flowing through the Kafue Flats (Zambia). The Kafue Flats are a tropical dam-impacted river-floodplain system in the Zambezi River basin. During the flooding season, >80% of the Kafue River water passed through the floodplain, mobilizing large quantities of OC and ON, which resulted in a net export of 75 kg OC km−2 d−1 and 2.9 kg ON km−2 d−1, 80% of which was in the dissolved form. Mass budget estimates showed that ON export, denitrification, and burial caused an annual deficit of ~21 000 t N yr−1 in the Kafue Flats. A N isotope balance and the δ15N of DON and PON suggest that N-fixation must level out the large N losses. The elemental C:N ratio of ~20, the δ13C values of higher than −24‰, and spectroscopic properties (excitation-emission matrices) showed that DOM in the river was mainly of terrestrial origin. Despite a threefold increase in OC loads due to inputs from the floodplain, the river DOM characteristics remained relatively constant along the sampled 400-km river reach. This suggested that floodplain DOM had similar properties than DOM from the upstream reservoir. In contrast, based on its low δ13C of −29‰ and the C:N ratio of ~8, POM originated from phytoplankton production in the upstream reservoir and in the floodplain. While the reservoir had little impact on DOM properties, terrestrial POM was efficiently trapped and, instead, phytoplankton-derived POM was discharged to the downstream Kafue Flats.
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Malison, Rachel L., Lisa A. Eby, and Jack A. Stanford. "Juvenile salmonid growth, survival, and production in a large river floodplain modified by beavers (Castor canadensis)." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 72, no. 11 (November 2015): 1639–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2015-0147.
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Beavers (Castor canadensis) may strongly influence juvenile salmon production by damming spring brooks that are primary rearing habitats on expansive floodplains of large Pacific Rim salmon rivers. We studied three floodplain rearing habitats in the Kwethluk River, Alaska: free-flowing (beaver-free, n = 3) and beaver-influenced (below beaver dams, n = 4) spring brooks and early-successional beaver ponds (n = 4). We analyzed juvenile coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytschwa) salmon movement, survival, densities, and growth using a multistate robust capture–mark–recapture design. Survival (46% to 80%) and densities (0.9 fish·m−2) were highest in beaver-free spring brooks. Ponds had lower salmon densities, producing less biomass per unit area than beaver-influenced or beaver-free spring brooks (1.87 ± 0.57 g·m−2 vs. 2.98 ± 1.22 and 3.23 ± 0.73 g·m−2). However, ponds covered 2× greater area than either type of spring brook and therefore produced more salmon biomass at the floodplain scale than either type of spring brook (175 kg vs. 149 kg in beaver-influenced spring brooks and 140 kg in beaver-free spring brooks). We conclude that beaver damming of floodplain spring brooks produces bigger juveniles and more total biomass, but spring brooks produce significantly more, albeit smaller, coho and Chinook juveniles. Thus, the presence of beavers on the floodplain increases habitat variation, which provides a larger range of growth opportunities for juvenile salmon.
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Almeida, Nadiny Martins, Janet Higuti, Vitor Góis Ferreira, and Koen Martens. "A new tribe, two new genera and three new species of Cypridopsinae (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Cyprididae) from Brazil." European Journal of Taxonomy 762 (August 4, 2021): 1–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.762.1451.
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We describe one new tribe, two new genera and three new species of the subfamily Cypridopsinae Kaufmann, 1900 from Brazilian floodplains. Brasilodopsis gen. nov. belongs in the nominal tribe Cypridopsini, and both new species in this new genus were found in both sexual and asexual populations. Brasilodopsis baiabonita gen. et sp. nov. has a wide distribution and was found in three of the four major Brazilian floodplains. Brasilodopsis amazonica gen. et sp. nov. was recorded only from the Amazon floodplain. Brasilodopsis baiabonita gen. et sp. nov. has a subtriangular shape in lateral view, whereas Brasilodopsis amazonica gen. et sp. nov. is more elongated and has more rounded dorsal margins in both valves, as well as more pronounced external valve ornamentation, consisting of rimmed pores in shallow pits. Paranadopsis reducta gen. et sp. nov. was found in asexual populations in the Upper Paraná River floodplain only and differs from other Cypridopsinae in the more elongated carapace, an A1 with strongly reduced chaetotaxy (hence the specific name) and the total absence of caudal rami in females. Because of these strong reductions in valve and limb morphology, Paranadopsini trib. nov. is created within the Cypridopsinae for this intriguing new genus and species.
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MacKinnon, Brett D., Jay Sagin, Helen M. Baulch, Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt, and Timothy D. Jardine. "Influence of hydrological connectivity on winter limnology in floodplain lakes of the Saskatchewan River Delta, Saskatchewan." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73, no. 1 (January 2016): 140–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2015-0210.
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Globally, hydrological connectivity between rivers and their floodplains has been reduced by river flow management and land transformation. The Saskatchewan River Delta is North America’s largest inland delta and a hub for fish and fur production. To determine the influence of connectivity on limnology within this northern floodplain, water chemistry and stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) were analyzed during the winter of 2014 in 26 shallow lakes along a hydrological gradient. A total of five lake connectivity categories were determined by optical remote sensing imagary of surface water coverage area from years of varying flood intensities. Accuracy of categories was verified by degree of 18O and 2H enrichment within lakes. Both isotopes showed marked successional enrichment between connectivity categories, with more isolated lakes exhibiting greater enrichment. Water chemistry in lakes with greater connectivity to the main channel were characterized by higher pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and sulfates and lower total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and ammonium compared with more isolated lakes. These findings illustrate how connectivity influences water chemistry in northern floodplain lakes and how it might determine the suitability of these lakes as winter refuge for fishes. Additionally, our study provides supporting evidence for the effective use of optical remote sensing imagery, an inexpensive and accessible source of data for researchers, when determining connectivity characteristics of large northern floodplain systems. Additionally, this study provides further evidence that the inundation of floodplain lakes by river water during peak discharge has an impact on the conditions within the lakes long into the winter ice-cover season. Understanding the year-round influence of river–floodplain connection is imperative for assessing potential impacts of climate change and future water regulation on such ecosystems.
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Kroon, Frederieke J., and Dean H. Ansell. "A comparison of species assemblages between drainage systems with and without floodgates: implications for coastal floodplain management." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63, no. 11 (November 1, 2006): 2400–2417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f06-134.
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Coastal floodplains provide essential nursery habitat for a large number of fish and prawn species, many of which are commercially and recreationally important. Human activities in coastal floodplains, such as those associated with agriculture and (or) development, can have detrimental impacts on this nursery function. We examined the potential role of flood mitigation structures, in particular tidal floodgates, in depleting estuarine and inshore fisheries stocks in eastern Australia. We compared species assemblages (abundance and biomass) in reference and gated drainage systems in the Clarence River floodplain (New South Wales, Australia) over a 1-year period. We subsequently determined which environmental variables were associated with the observed patterns in species assemblages. Our results show that abundance, biomass, and assemblages of juvenile fishes and invertebrates differed significantly and consistently between drainage systems with and without floodgates. The major environmental variables of concern in systems with floodgates were (i) presence of a floodgate, (ii) elevated concentrations of nutrients, and (iii) abundance of aquatic weeds. We discuss our findings in light of potential strategies to improve coastal floodplain management for fisheries production purposes.
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Morton, SR, KG Brennan, and MD Armstrong. "Distribution and abundance of herons, egrets, ibises and spoonbills in the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory." Wildlife Research 20, no. 1 (1993): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930023.
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Aerial surveys between 1981 and 1984 were used to identify monthly trends in the abundance of Pacific herons (Ardea pacifica), pied herons (Ardea picata), cattle egrets (Ardeola ibis), great egrets (Egretta alba), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), intermediate egrets (Egretta intermedia), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopica), straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) and royal spoonbills (Platalea regia) on five floodplains of the Alligator Rivers region, 250 km east of Darwin in the monsoonal Northern Territory. Ground surveys were conducted during the same period on one of the floodplains, the Magela. The aerial surveys indicated that the Magela floodplain was inhabited by few of these birds during the wet season (November-March), but that numbers then increased substantially in the dry season. The Nourlangie floodplain and Boggy Plain (a large backswamp of the South Alligator floodplain) showed similar patterns, but the numbers of birds tended to be lower. Birds were generally uncommon on the shallower East Alligator and Cooper floodplains, except for egrets in the wet season. Ground surveys suggested that the birds sought out the persistent swamps that characterise the Magela foodplain in the dry season. Ground surveys also indicated that aerial surveys underestimated densities. On the basis of correction factors calculated from ground surveys, peak numbers on the five floodplains were roughly estimated to be about 4000 pacific herons, 50 000 pied herons, 300 000 egrets (primarily intermediate egrets), 60 000 glossy ibis, 16 000 sacred ibis, 80 000 straw-necked ibis and 35 000 royal spoonbills. Great-billed herons (Ardea sumatrana), white-faced herons (Ardea novaehollandiae), striated herons (Butorides striata), rufous night herons (Nycticorax caledonicus), black bitterns (Dupetor flavicollis) and yellow-billed spoonbills (Platalea flavipes) were recorded sporadically in low numbers. The Alligator Rivers region acted as a dry-season refuge for herons, egrets, ibises and spoonbills because of the unusually persistent fresh waters of the Magela and Nourlangie floodplains and some of the backswamps of the South Alligator, such as Boggy Plain.
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DAVIS, S. R., A. G. BROWN, and M. H. DINNIN. "Floodplain connectivity, disturbance and change: a palaeoentomological investigation of floodplain ecology from south-west England." Journal of Animal Ecology 76, no. 2 (March 2007): 276–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01209.x.
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Ragonha, Flávio Henrique, Gisele Daiane Pinha, Danielle Katharine Petsch, Maria Cristina Dreher Mansur, and Alice Michiyo Takeda. "First records of Freshwater Bivalves of Ilha Grande National Park, Paraná, Brazil." Iheringia. Série Zoologia 104, no. 1 (March 2014): 14–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-4766201410411420.
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The Ilha Grande National Park, Paraná, Brazil, is located in the Upper Paraná River and has characteristics typical of a floodplains. This protected area includes lagoons connected and disconnected to the Paraná River, although the latter also connect during periods of high water level, thus composing a heterogeneous group of lacustrine environments. The enormous potential the flora and fauna diversities are still little known to the region, as can be seen through benthic invertebrates, inclunding bivalves mollusks. The granulometric composition of these floodplain lagoons was formed mainly by mud and very fine sand. Furthermore, organic matter composition was predominantly of fine particulate. The other abiotic factors differed from lagoons located within the island of the park to those located in the left margin of Paraná River. The results demonstrated the importance of abiotic factors such as the physical composition of granulometric texture, organic matter and macrophyte banks, to the establishment of bivalves in these floodplain lagoons. We recorded bivalves of Pisidium (native), Diplodon (native), and Corbicula (invasive). The highest values of Diplodon sp. density were observed at São João/C lake, for Pisidium sterkianum (Pilsbry, 1897) at São João/M lake, and to Jatobá/C lagoon with high density of invasive species Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774). This study to obtain conduct the first records of freshwater bivalves in floodplains lagoon in the Ilha Grande National Park, and provides contributions to better understanding the ecology of these mollusks. The recording of native species in the region of Upper Paraná River floodplain after a lomg period without new records, demonstrated the importance of protecting the lagoons of the Ilha Grande National Park as they can be a possible refuge to some species of native freshwater bivalves.
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Jones, Robert H., and Rebecca R. Sharitz. "Effects of root competition and flooding on growth of Chinese tallow tree seedlings." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 20, no. 5 (May 1, 1990): 573–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x90-074.
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In separate experiments, tolerance of root competition and of flooding were assessed for seedlings of Chinese tallow tree (Sapiumsebiferum (L.) Roxb.), an invasive species in some North American floodplains. In the root competition experiment, pots containing seedlings of Chinese tallow tree and a native North American floodplain species (green ash, Fraxinuspennsylvanica Marsh.) were buried in the soil of a closed-canopied floodplain forest in South Carolina. Approximately half of the pots were invaded by roots of surrounding vegetation. In both species, total seedling mass in invaded pots was 70% of that in uninvaded pots. In the flood tolerance experiment, potted seedlings of tallow tree and a highly flood-tolerant species (water tupelo, Nyssaaquatica L.) were subjected to flooded and well-drained treatments in two light regimes: 20 and 100% of full sunlight. Mortality of flooded tallow trees was lower than of flooded tupelos (0 vs. 7.5%). Growth reductions under flooding were similar for both species in 20% light, but greater for tallow tree than for tupelo in 100% light. Flooded tallow trees produced hypertrophied lenticels and adventitious roots. Sensitivity to root competition and high flood tolerance may explain why seedlings of Chinese tallow tree are concentrated in low wet areas of floodplain forests.
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Čerba, Dubravka, Miran Koh, Barbara Vlaičević, Ivana Turković Čakalić, Djuradj Milošević, and Milica Stojković Piperac. "Diversity of Periphytic Chironomidae on Different Substrate Types in a Floodplain Aquatic Ecosystem." Diversity 14, no. 4 (March 31, 2022): 264. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d14040264.
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Different types of water bodies in lowland river floodplains represent vital biodiversity havens and encompass diverse microhabitats, which are essential for structuring different macroinvertebrate communities. Chironomidae larvae (Diptera) are an inseparable part of these communities, with their high richness and abundance. In three water body types within the Danube floodplain Kopački Rit in Croatia, over the course of four sampling campaigns, we recorded 51 chironomid taxa in periphyton on macrophytes, twigs, and glass slides. The most diverse were chironomid communities on macrophytes, whilst month-old periphyton on twigs supported the least taxa. Cricotopus gr. sylvestris, Dicrotendipes lobiger, Dicrotendipes spp., Endochironomus albipennis, Glyptotendipes pallens agg., Polypedilum sordens and Polypedilum spp. were present in all studied microhabitats. The type of substrate is a very important factor influencing Chironomidae diversity and abundance, which was evident in the presence and dominance of Corynoneura gr. scutellata and Monopelopia tenuicalcar in the dense macrophyte canopy epiphyton. Finding pristine floodplains such as Kopački Rit can be very challenging, as such areas are increasingly altered by human activities. Studies of resident species and the extent to which changes in the parent river influence floodplain communities are important for the protection and restoration of the floodplains.
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Schindler, Melanie, Franziska Schäfer, Tobias W. Donath, and Kristin Ludewig. "No evidence for flooding stress memory in saplings of eight hardwood floodplain forest species." Plant Ecology 222, no. 4 (February 23, 2021): 469–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11258-021-01120-w.
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AbstractAlluvial floodplain forests became rare in many parts of Europe, due to anthropogenic changes. Therefore, restoration of floodplain forests is important, but a difficult task because of the complex environmental conditions. The zonation of woody species in floodplains is mainly determined by hydrological conditions, not only within one year but also during the previous years. Tolerance to flooding can be regarded as a key factor for the successful establishment. We examined whether a previous flooding showed an increased flooding tolerance of saplings from eight woody floodplain forest species after a recurrent flooding under controlled common garden conditions at the research station Gießen-Leihgestern (Germany). This would indicate a stress memory towards flooding stress. The individuals of the experiment already experienced a partial flooding of three different durations (three, six or nine weeks) or no flooding in the previous year. After nine months of recovery, these fourteen-month-old saplings were again either exposed to a partial flooding of nine weeks or no flooding. We assessed foliar injury and growth in terms of plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter three weeks (short-term recovery) and nine months (medium-term recovery) after flooding. The saplings showed no increased tolerance to a recurrent flooding irrespective of the previous experienced flooding duration. Therefore, no immediate stress memory towards flooding stress could be observed. To recover after flooding seems to be the better option compared to forming a stress memory, which explained that most species showed a decreased foliar injury after medium-term compared to short-term recovery period.
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MARTÍN-CLOSAS, CARLES, and JEAN GALTIER. "Plant Taphonomy and Paleoecology of Late Pennsylvanian Intramontane Wetlands in the Graissessac-Lodève Basin (Languedoc, France)." PALAIOS 20, no. 3 (June 1, 2005): 249–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/palo.2003.p03-119.
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Abstract The Late Pennsylvanian Graissessac-Lodève basin is a small, fluvio-palustrine depocenter located in the southern part of the Massif Central (France). A taphonomic and sedimentologic study carried out in this area allows a reconstruction of Late Carboniferous vegetation in an intramontane context. The paleoecology of such limnic settings is poorly known, and this study permits detailed comparison with paralic basins for the first time. The Graissessac peat mires developed in abandoned fluvial channels, in floodplains, and above distal alluvial fans. The vegetation was dominated by monospecific stands of the arborescent lycopsid Sigillaria brardii, whereas the tree fern Psaronius occurred during the later stages of mire accretion. This is in contrast to coeval North American peat mires, which generally were dominated by tree ferns and pteridosperms throughout the mire profile. Stephanian floodplains and distal alluvial fans of the Graissessac-Lodève Basin were devoid of vegetation, with the exception of isolated thickets of sphenopsids that were composed of Calamites and Sphenophyllum. These plants were found growing in situ in the floodplain mudstones as well as in fine-grained sands of secondary channels. Parautochthonous foliage assemblages of ferns and pteridosperms found in floodplain mudstones represent the most diverse plant community. The plants supplying these remains were growing in exposed areas close to floodplains. Large logs attributed to cordaitaleans and monotypic assemblages of large Cordaites leaves were found in fluvial sediments, and suggest that the plants were riparian elements in the basin.
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Chikhlyaev, Igor V., and Alexander B. Ruchin. "Ecological Analysis and Biodiversity of the Helminth Community of the Pool Frog Pelophylax lessonae (Amphibia: Anura) from Floodplain and Forest Water Bodies." Diversity 14, no. 4 (March 27, 2022): 247. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d14040247.
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This work presents an ecological analysis of the community and biodiversity of helminths of Pelophylax lessonae (Camerano, 1882) from floodplain and forest reservoirs of the European part of Russia. The material for the work was personal collections of helminths made from 2018–2021 in the National Park “Smolny” (Republic of Mordovia). Two hundred and thirty-five amphibian specimens were examined from nine reservoirs and three types of hydrobiocoenoses: (1) floodplains of a medium-sized river (in terms of catchment area); (2) floodplains of a small river; (3) a number of isolated forest reservoirs. Twenty-four species of helminths have been registered: Trematoda (20) and Chromadorea (4). Similar features (common species of trematodes and nematodes) were determined as well as differences in the composition and structure of the helminth fauna, the level of infestation by individual species and groups of helminths, diversity, and community structure. Amphibians of the river floodplain have a richer helminth fauna, they are more infected with a large number of helminths, and their community is more complex. Amphibians of isolated forest ponds, on the contrary, have fewer helminths, they are generally less infected, and their community is simplified (reduced). Having intermediate indicators of composition, structure, and degree of infestation, frogs from the forest floodplain of the small river—differ in the most diverse and maximally evenness community of helminths. The results of the study demonstrate the influence of biotopic factors on the formation of an amphibian helminth community.
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Welti, N., E. Bondar-Kunze, M. Mair, P. Bonin, W. Wanek, G. Pinay, and T. Hein. "Mimicking floodplain reconnection and disconnection using <sup>15</sup>N mesocosm incubations." Biogeosciences Discussions 9, no. 4 (April 2, 2012): 4133–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-9-4133-2012.
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Abstract. Floodplain restoration changes the nitrate delivery pattern and dissolved organic matter pool in backwaters but other effects are not yet well known. We performed two mesocosm experiments to quantify the nitrate metabolism in two types of floodplains. Rates of denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and anammox were measured using 15N tracer additions in mesocosms containing undisturbed floodplain sediments originating from (1) restored and (2) disconnected sites in the Alluvial Zone National Park on the Danube River downstream of Vienna, Austria. DNRA rates were an order of magnitude lower than denitrification and neither rate was affected by changes in nitrate delivery pattern or organic matter quality. Anammox was not detected at any of the sites. Denitrification was out-competed by assimilation which was estimated to use up to 70% of the available nitrate. Overall, denitrification was higher in the restored sites, with mean rates of 5.7±2.8 mmol N m−2 h−1 compared to the disconnected site (0.6±0.5 mmol N m−1 h−1). In addition, ratios of N2O : N2 were lower in the restored site indicating a more complete denitrification. Nitrate addition did not have any effect on denitrification, nor on the N2O : N2 ratio. However, DOM quality significantly changed the N2O : N2 ratio in both sites. Addition of riverine derived organic matter lowered the N2O : N2 ratio in the disconnected site, whereas addition of floodplain derived organic matter increased the N2O : N2 ratio in the restored site. These results demonstrate that increasing floodplains hydrological connection to the main river channel increases nitrogen retention and decreases nitrous oxide emissions.
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Pusey, Bradley J., Timothy D. Jardine, Stuart E. Bunn, and Michael M. Douglas. "Sea catfishes (Ariidae) feeding on freshwater floodplains of northern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 12 (2020): 1628. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf20012.
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Flooding of the terminal floodplains of northern Australian rivers provides a greatly expanded, productive habitat accessed by both freshwater and estuarine fishes. This study aimed to determine the extent to which sea catfishes (Ariidae) make use of floodplains and the reasons for doing so (i.e. spawning, feeding). Nine species were collected from floodplains and adjacent distributaries of the Mitchell and Flinders rivers; floodplain use was largely restricted to freshwater species. Evidence of prior wet season spawning was recorded for some species, and mesenteric lipid deposits indicated that fish were in good condition. However, little evidence of spawning on floodplains was found. Stomach content analysis and stable isotope analysis indicated dietary partitioning, particularly between freshwater and estuarine species, but also within freshwater species, and indicated that some species were responsive to variations in food availability. Isotope analyses suggest extensive movement between freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats at different life history stages for the catfish assemblage studied. Terminal floodplains of northern Australian rivers provide important temporary habitat for adult sea catfishes to feed upon, but do not appear to be used as spawning grounds.
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Krauss, Ken W. "Floodplain ecology: A novel wetland community of the Amazon." Current Biology 32, no. 16 (August 2022): R879—R881. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.041.
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FINLAYSON, C. M. "Plant Ecology of Australia's Tropical Floodplain Wetlands: A Review." Annals of Botany 96, no. 4 (August 10, 2005): 541–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mci209.
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Krásná, Kateřina, Lenka Štěrbová, Marcela Prokopová, Jiří Jakubínský, Pavel Vyvlečka, and Vilém Pechanec. "Ecological Status of Floodplains and their Potential to Carbon Storage: Case Study From Three Watersheds in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic." Journal of Landscape Ecology 16, no. 3 (December 1, 2023): 94–131. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2023-0019.
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Abstract Floodplains are important ecosystems that contribute to the ecological stability of the landscape. A number of ecosystem functions and services are significantly influenced by ecological aspects of floodplain habitats. This article focuses on the ecological quality and estimated amount of carbon stored in the biomass of habitats located in the studied watersheds, with an emphasis on floodplains. The habitats and their ecological quality were determined and assessed using the Biotope Valuation Method (BVM), an expert method for evaluating habitat (biotope) types based on eight ecological characteristics, mainly concerning various aspects of their biodiversity and vulnerability. The objective of this study is to compare the resulting assessments of habitats located in floodplains with assessments of habitats situated in the surrounding landscape. The study was carried out on three selected small stream watersheds in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, which differ from each other in terms of the predominant land use and the overall level of anthropogenic pressure on the landscape. The results indicate that floodplains have a higher ecological value compared to the surrounding landscape, except for floodplains in areas with intensive agriculture. The ability of floodplains to store carbon in biomass turned out to be higher in the watershed with a higher percentage of tree stands, where woody plants store significantly more carbon in the biomass compared to other types of vegetation. It has been shown that human pressure on floodplains and land use significantly affects ecosystem functions and services. In addition to the intensity of agriculture, these were, in particular, pressures from an expansion of built-up areas and infrastructure developments, and forest management. In this study, forest stands in floodplain were more stable and had a more beneficial species composition than forests in the surrounding landscape.
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Makarova, M. A. "International scientific-practical conference “Floodplain and Delta biogeocenoses of the Holarctic: biological diversity, ecology and evolution”, held in the Astrakhan region on May 13–18, 2019." Vegetation of Russia, no. 36 (December 12, 2019): 80–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.31111/vegrus/2019.36.80.
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The International scientific-practical conference “Floodplain and delta biogeocenoses of the Holarctic: biological diversity, ecology and evolution” took place in the Astrakhan region on May 13–18, 2019. The conference was organized by the Astrakhan State University and Papanin Institute for biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The conference lasted four days; altogether 27 participants fr om 12 organizations including the universities, several institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences and botanical gardens. 14 oral and one poster presentations were given. The conference was attended by scientists from Astrakhan, Borok, Arkhangelsk, Tobolsk, Surgut, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. Correspondence participants of the conference were from Belarus, England and Italy. 39 articles are published in the Proceeding of the conference (Floodplain…, 2019). During three days three excursions to the floodplain, desert and steppe ecosystems were held for the conference participants, wh ere they could see the flora, vegetation and landscapes of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, Berli sands, Baskunchak salt lake and Bolshoye Bogdo Mountain. In the last day participants proposed the idea of creating a Floodplain scientific community in the Russia.
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Koroleva, N. V., D. V. Ershov, Е. V. Tikhonova, Т. Yu Braslavskaya, A. О. Kharitonova, E. A. Gavrilyuk, D. G. Grummo, and A. V. Sudnik. "Detection of the key biotope of boreal floodplain meadows in the Smolenskoe Poozerye National Park based on satellite and topographic data." Theoretical and Applied Ecology, no. 3 (September 25, 2023): 28–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.25750/1995-4301-2023-3-028-036.
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The research shows the possibility of identifying a key biotope of boreal floodplain meadows in the Smolenskoe Poozerye National Park on the basis of spectral and topographic characteristics of the territory. The key biotope E3.47 according to EUNIS is a meadow along large rivers with areas of calm flow; it freeze every winter and affected by flooding in spring. This category includes areas that are open or poorly overgrown with woody and shrubby vegetation. Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite images (ESA Sentinel-2, 2019) are used to determine areas of floodplain meadows. The geospatial assessment of boreal floodplain meadows is carried out using the method of uncontrolled classification of “K-means” of ten spectral channels of Sentinel-2 satellite images obtained over six seasons, including the flood period. As a result of cluster analysis, classes that are spectrally close to meadow communities are selected. These classes located along flood-plains of rivers, with the elevation difference from the water line not exceeding 5 m. This elevation corresponds to the maximum possible rise of water in rivers during a flood for the studied area. A topographic index using a digital elevation model (DEM) and a hydrographic terrain network are used to correct the selected classes. The accuracy of recognition of the floodplain meadows class is determined using a matrix of error in 133 segments along the 4 transects located in floodplain and dry meadow communities. The convergence of result between the floodplain meadows classification and ground surveys data was 75% (Cohen’s kappa equals 0.53).