Articles | Volume 20, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-431-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-431-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jan 2016
Research article |
| 26 Jan 2016
An index of floodplain surface complexity
M. W. Scown
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Riverine Landscapes Research Laboratory, University of New
England, Armidale, Australia
M. C. Thoms
Riverine Landscapes Research Laboratory, University of New
England, Armidale, Australia
N. R. De Jager
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, United States
Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
R. Thapa, M. C. Thoms, M. Parsons, and M. Reid
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 175–191, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-175-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-175-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Floodplain vegetation response to flooding and drying represents one of the few quantitative studies that have used adaptive cycles. This paper examines the response of vegetation productivity (measured as NDVI) through a hypothesized adaptive cycle to determine whether the cycle repeats over time and how it is affected by differently sized flood events. Thus, it represents a significant contribution to our knowledge of floodplain vegetation response to multiple flooding and drying sequences.
Related subject area
Subject: Rivers and Lakes | Techniques and Approaches: Theory development
Impacts of science on society and policy in major river basins globally
Conceptualising surface water–groundwater exchange in braided river systems
Spatiotemporal variation of modern lake, stream, and soil water isotopes in Iceland
Evaporation and sublimation measurement and modeling of an alpine saline lake influenced by freeze–thaw on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Rediscovering Robert E. Horton's lake evaporation formulae: new directions for evaporation physics
Ionic aluminium concentrations exceed thresholds for aquatic health in Nova Scotian rivers, even during conditions of high dissolved organic carbon and low flow
Turbulence in the stratified boundary layer under ice: observations from Lake Baikal and a new similarity model
Changing suspended sediment in United States rivers and streams: linking sediment trends to changes in land use/cover, hydrology and climate
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Integrating network topology metrics into studies of catchment-level effects on river characteristics
Estimating the effect of rainfall on the surface temperature of a tropical lake
Toward a conceptual framework of hyporheic exchange across spatial scales
HESS Opinions: Science in today's media landscape – challenges and lessons from hydrologists and journalists
River water quality changes in New Zealand over 26 years: response to land use intensity
A review of current and possible future human–water dynamics in Myanmar's river basins
A century-scale, human-induced ecohydrological evolution of wetlands of two large river basins in Australia (Murray) and China (Yangtze)
Hydroclimatological influences on recently increased droughts in China's largest freshwater lake
Quantitative analysis of biogeochemically controlled density stratification in an iron-meromictic lake
Reconstruction of flood events based on documentary data and transnational flood risk analysis of the Upper Rhine and its French and German tributaries since AD 1480
A methodological approach of estimating resistance to flow under unsteady flow conditions
Quantitative historical hydrology in Europe
Quantifying groundwater dependence of a sub-polar lake cluster in Finland using an isotope mass balance approach
Variations in quantity, composition and grain size of Changjiang sediment discharging into the sea in response to human activities
The KULTURisk Regional Risk Assessment methodology for water-related natural hazards – Part 1: Physical–environmental assessment
The use of taxation records in assessing historical floods in South Moravia, Czech Republic
New method for assessing the susceptibility of glacial lakes to outburst floods in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Dissolved and particulate nutrient transport dynamics of a small Irish catchment: the River Owenabue
Water balance of selected floodplain lake basins in the Middle Bug River valley
Winter stream temperature in the rain-on-snow zone of the Pacific Northwest: influences of hillslope runoff and transient snow cover
Inverse streamflow routing
A fluid-mechanics based classification scheme for surface transient storage in riverine environments: quantitatively separating surface from hyporheic transient storage
Variation in turbidity with precipitation and flow in a regulated river system – river Göta Älv, SW Sweden
A novel approach to analysing the regimes of temporary streams in relation to their controls on the composition and structure of aquatic biota
Mass transport of contaminated soil released into surface water by landslides (Göta River, SW Sweden)
Physical and chemical consequences of artificially deepened thermocline in a small humic lake – a paired whole-lake climate change experiment
A flume experiment on the effect of constriction shape on the formation of forced pools
Shuanglei Wu and Yongping Wei
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3871–3895, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3871-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3871-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study developed a framework to understand the structures of knowledge development in 72 river basins globally from 1962–2017 using Web of Science. It was found that the knowledge systems were characterized by increasingly interconnected management issues addressed by limited disciplines and were linked more strongly to societal impacts than that to policy. Understanding the current state of knowledge casts a light on sustainable knowledge transformations for river basin management.
Scott R. Wilson, Jo Hoyle, Richard Measures, Antoine Di Ciacca, Leanne K. Morgan, Eddie W. Banks, Linda Robb, and Thomas Wöhling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 2721–2743, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2721-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2721-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Braided rivers are complex and dynamic systems that are difficult to understand. Here, we proposes a new model of how braided rivers work in the subsurface based on field observations in three braided rivers in New Zealand. We suggest that braided rivers create their own shallow aquifers by moving bed sediments during flood flows. This new conceptualisation considers braided rivers as whole “river systems” consisting of channels and a gravel aquifer, which is distinct from the regional aquifer.
David Harning, Jonathan Raberg, Jamie McFarlin, Yarrow Axford, Christopher Florian, Kristín Ólafsdóttir, Sebastian Kopf, Julio Sepúlveda, Gifford Miller, and Áslaug Geirsdóttir
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-1, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-1, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
As human-induced global warming progresses, changes to Arctic precipitation are expected, but predictions are limited by an incomplete understanding of past changes in the hydrological system. Here, we measured water isotopes, a common tool to reconstruct past precipitation, from lakes and soils across Iceland. These data will allow robust reconstruction of past precipitation changes in Iceland in future studies.
Fangzhong Shi, Xiaoyan Li, Shaojie Zhao, Yujun Ma, Junqi Wei, Qiwen Liao, and Deliang Chen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 163–178, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-163-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-163-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
(1) Evaporation under ice-free and sublimation under ice-covered conditions and its influencing factors were first quantified based on 6 years of eddy covariance observations. (2) Night evaporation of Qinghai Lake accounts for more than 40 % of the daily evaporation. (3) Lake ice sublimation reaches 175.22 ± 45.98 mm, accounting for 23 % of the annual evaporation. (4) Wind speed weakening may have resulted in a 7.56 % decrease in lake evaporation during the ice-covered period from 2003 to 2017.
Solomon Vimal and Vijay P. Singh
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 445–467, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-445-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-445-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Evaporation from open water is a well-studied problem in hydrology. Robert E. Horton, unknown to most investigators on the subject, studied it in great detail by conducting experiments and relating them to physical laws. His work furthered known theories of lake evaporation but was not recognized. This is unfortunate because it performs better than five variously complex methods across scales (local to continental; 30 min–2 months) and seems quite relevant for climate-change-era problems.
Shannon M. Sterling, Sarah MacLeod, Lobke Rotteveel, Kristin Hart, Thomas A. Clair, Edmund A. Halfyard, and Nicole L. O'Brien
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4763–4775, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4763-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4763-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Wild salmon numbers in Nova Scotia, Canada, have been plummeting in recent decades. In 2014, we launched an ionic aluminium monitoring program in Nova Scotia to see if this toxic element was a threat to salmon populations. We found that all 10 monitored rivers had ionic aluminium concentrations that exceeded the threshold for aquatic health. Our results demonstrate that elevated aluminium still threatens aquatic ecosystems and that delays in recovery from acid rain remains a critical issue.
Georgiy Kirillin, Ilya Aslamov, Vladimir Kozlov, Roman Zdorovennov, and Nikolai Granin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1691–1708, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1691-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1691-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We found that heat transported from Lake Baikal to its ice cover is up to 10 times higher than traditionally assumed and strongly affects the ice melting. The heat is transported by under-ice currents on the background of a strong temperature gradient between the ice base and warmer waters beneath. To parameterize this newly quantified transport mechanism, an original boundary layer model was developed. The results are crucial for understanding seasonal ice dynamics on lakes and marginal seas.
Jennifer C. Murphy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 991–1010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-991-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-991-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Between 1992 and 2012, concentrations of suspended sediment decreased at about 60 % of 137 US stream sites, with increases at only 17 % of sites. Sediment trends were primarily attributed to changes in land management, but streamflow changes also contributed to these trends at > 50 % of sites. At many sites, decreases in sediment occurred despite small-to-moderate increases in the amount of anthropogenic land use, suggesting sediment reduction activities across the US may be seeing some success.
Bernd R. Schöne, Aliona E. Meret, Sven M. Baier, Jens Fiebig, Jan Esper, Jeffrey McDonnell, and Laurent Pfister
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 673–696, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-673-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-673-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first annually resolved stable isotope record (1819–1998) from shells of Swedish river mussels. Data reflect hydrological processes in the catchment and changes in the isotope value of local precipitation. The latter is related to the origin of moisture from which precipitation formed (North Atlantic or the Arctic) and governed by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. Results help to better understand climate dynamics and constrain ecological changes in river ecosystems.
Eleanore L. Heasley, Nicholas J. Clifford, and James D. A. Millington
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2305–2319, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2305-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2305-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
River network structure is an overlooked feature of catchments. We demonstrate that network structure impacts broad spatial patterns of river characteristics in catchments using regulatory data. River habitat quality increased with network density, but other characteristics responded differently between study catchments. Network density was quantified using a method that can easily be applied to any catchment. We suggest that river network structure should be included in catchment-level studies.
Gabriel Gerard Rooney, Nicole van Lipzig, and Wim Thiery
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 6357–6369, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6357-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6357-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper uses a unique observational dataset of a tropical African lake (L. Kivu) to assess the effect of rain on lake surface temperature. Data from 4 years were categorised by daily rain amount and total net radiation to show that heavy rain may reduce the end-of-day lake temperature by about 0.3 K. This is important since lake surface temperature may influence local weather on short timescales, but the effect of rain on lake temperature has been little studied or parametrised previously.
Chiara Magliozzi, Robert C. Grabowski, Aaron I. Packman, and Stefan Krause
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 6163–6185, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6163-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6163-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The hyporheic zone is the area below riverbeds where surfacewater and groundwater mix. Hyporheic flow is linked to river processes and functions, but research to date has not sufficiently addressed how factors operating at different scales in time and space drive hyporheic flow variations at reach and larger scales. This review presents the scale-specific processes and interactions that control hyporheic flow, and a case study showing how valley factors affect its expression at the reach scale.
Stefanie R. Lutz, Andrea Popp, Tim van Emmerik, Tom Gleeson, Liz Kalaugher, Karsten Möbius, Tonie Mudde, Brett Walton, Rolf Hut, Hubert Savenije, Louise J. Slater, Anna Solcerova, Cathelijne R. Stoof, and Matthias Zink
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3589–3599, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3589-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3589-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Media play a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public. However, the interaction between scientists and journalists is not always straightforward. In this opinion paper, we present insights from hydrologists and journalists into the benefits, aftermath and potential pitfalls of science–media interaction. We aim to encourage scientists to participate in the diverse and evolving media landscape, and we call on the scientific community to support scientists who do so.
Jason P. Julian, Kirsten M. de Beurs, Braden Owsley, Robert J. Davies-Colley, and Anne-Gaelle E. Ausseil
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1149–1171, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1149-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1149-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
New Zealand is a natural laboratory for investigating water quality responses to land use intensity because it has one of the highest rates of agricultural intensification globally over recent decades. We interpreted water quality state and trends (1989–2014) of 77 river sites across NZ. We show that the greatest long-term negative impacts on river water quality have been increased cattle densities and legacy nutrients from intensively managed grasslands and plantation forests.
Linda Taft and Mariele Evers
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 4913–4928, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4913-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4913-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The country of Myanmar and its abundant water resources are facing major challenges due to political and economic reforms, massive investments from neighbouring countries and climate change impacts. Publications on current and future impacts from human activities and climate change on Myanmar's river basins have been reviewed in order to gain an overview of the key drivers in these human–water dynamics. The review reveals the relevance of this information with regard to human–water interactions.
Giri R. Kattel, Xuhui Dong, and Xiangdong Yang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2151–2168, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2151-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2151-2016, 2016
Y. Liu and G. Wu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 93–107, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-93-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-93-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Lake droughts result in significant hydrological, ecological and economic consequences. This study proposes approaches for quantifying the lake drought features and estimating the contributions from individual factors, taking China’s largest freshwater lake as a case examination. Our results showed that the recently increased lake droughts were due to hydroclimatic effects, with less important contributions from the water impoundments of the world’s largest dam affecting the lake outflows.
E. Nixdorf and B. Boehrer
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4505–4515, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4505-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4505-2015, 2015
I. Himmelsbach, R. Glaser, J. Schoenbein, D. Riemann, and B. Martin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4149–4164, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4149-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4149-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The article presents a long-term analysis of flood occurrence along the southern part of the Upper Rhine River system and of 14 of its tributaries in France and Germany since 1480 BC. Special focus is given to temporal and spatial variations of flood events and their underlying meteorological causes over time, knowledge about the historical aspects of flood protection and flood vulnerability, while comparing selected historical and modern extreme events, establishing a common evaluation scheme.
M. M. Mrokowska, P. M. Rowiński, and M. B. Kalinowska
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4041–4053, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4041-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4041-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents evaluation of resistance parameters: friction slope, friction velocity and Manning coefficient in unsteady flow. Theoretical description is facilitated with the analysis of field data from artificial dam-break flood waves in a small lowland watercourse. The methodology to enhance the evaluation of resistance by relations derived from flow equations is proposed. The study shows the Manning coefficient is less sensitive to simplified relations than other parameters.
G. Benito, R. Brázdil, J. Herget, and M. J. Machado
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3517–3539, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3517-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3517-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Historical hydrology combines documentary data with hydrological methods to lengthen flow records to the past centuries. We describe the methodological evolution of historical hydrology under the influence of developments in hydraulics and statistics. Analysis of 45 case studies in Europe show that present flood magnitudes are not unusual in the context of the past, whereas flood frequency has decreased, although some rivers show a reactivation of rare floods over the last two decades.
E. Isokangas, K. Rozanski, P. M. Rossi, A.-K. Ronkanen, and B. Kløve
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1247–1262, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1247-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1247-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
An iterative isotope mass balance approach was used to quantify the groundwater dependence of 67 kettle lakes and ponds. A quantitative measure for the dependence of a lake on groundwater (G index) introduced in this study revealed generally large groundwater dependency among the lakes. The isotope mass balance approach proved to be especially useful when the groundwater reliance of lakes situated in a relatively small area with similar climatic conditions needs to be determined.
J. H. Gao, J. Jia, Y. P. Wang, Y. Yang, J. Li, F. Bai, X. Zou, and S. Gao
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 645–655, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-645-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-645-2015, 2015
P. Ronco, V. Gallina, S. Torresan, A. Zabeo, E. Semenzin, A. Critto, and A. Marcomini
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 5399–5414, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-5399-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-5399-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
This paper proposes a methodology, shaped by the EU Flood Directive, for the integrated assessment of flood risk at the regional scale for multiple receptors (i.e. people, economic activities, natural and semi-natural systems and cultural heritage) based on the subsequent assessment of hazards, exposure and vulnerability. By means of MCDA and GIS tools, it supports the ranking of the area, sub-areas and hotspots at risk, in order to evaluate the benefits of different risk prevention scenarios.
R. Brázdil, K. Chromá, L. Řezníčková, H. Valášek, L. Dolák, Z. Stachoň, E. Soukalová, and P. Dobrovolný
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 3873–3889, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3873-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3873-2014, 2014
A. Emmer and V. Vilímek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 3461–3479, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3461-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3461-2014, 2014
S. T. Harrington and J. R. Harrington
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 2191–2200, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2191-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2191-2014, 2014
J. Dawidek and B. Ferencz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1457–1465, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1457-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1457-2014, 2014
J. A. Leach and R. D. Moore
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 819–838, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-819-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-819-2014, 2014
M. Pan and E. F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4577–4588, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4577-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4577-2013, 2013
T. R. Jackson, R. Haggerty, and S. V. Apte
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2747–2779, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2747-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2747-2013, 2013
G. Göransson, M. Larson, and D. Bendz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2529–2542, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2529-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2529-2013, 2013
F. Gallart, N. Prat, E. M. García-Roger, J. Latron, M. Rieradevall, P. Llorens, G. G. Barberá, D. Brito, A. M. De Girolamo, A. Lo Porto, A. Buffagni, S. Erba, R. Neves, N. P. Nikolaidis, J. L. Perrin, E. P. Querner, J. M. Quiñonero, M. G. Tournoud, O. Tzoraki, N. Skoulikidis, R. Gómez, M. M. Sánchez-Montoya, and J. Froebrich
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3165–3182, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3165-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3165-2012, 2012
G. Göransson, M. Larson, D. Bendz, and M. Åkesson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1879–1893, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1879-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1879-2012, 2012
M. Forsius, T. Saloranta, L. Arvola, S. Salo, M. Verta, P. Ala-Opas, M. Rask, and J. Vuorenmaa
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 2629–2642, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-2629-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-2629-2010, 2010
D. M. Thompson and C. R. McCarrick
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 1321–1330, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-1321-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-1321-2010, 2010
Cited articles
Amoros, C. and Bornette, G.: Connectivity and biocomplexity in waterbodies of
riverine floodplains, Freshw. Biol., 47, 761–776, 2002.
Bar Massada, A. and Radeloff, V. C.: Two multi-scale contextual approaches
for mapping spatial pattern, Landsc. Ecol., 25, 711–725, 2010.
Bayley, P. B.: Understanding large river: floodplain ecosystems, BioScience,
45, 153–158, 1995.
Cadenasso, M. L., Pickett, S. T. A., and Grove, J. M.: Dimensions of
ecosystem complexity: heterogeneity, connectivity, and history, Ecol. Complex., 3, 1–12, 2006.
De Jager, N. R. and Rohweder, J. J.: Spatial patterns of aquatic habitat
richness in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA, Ecol.
Ind., 13, 275–283, 2012.
De Jager, N. R., Thomsen, M., and Yin, Y.: Threshold effects of flood
duration on the vegetation and soils of the Upper Mississippi River
floodplain, USA, Forest Ecol. Manage., 270, 135–146, 2012.
De Rose, R. C., Prosser, I. P., Wiesse, M., and Hughes, A. O.: Patterns of
erosion and sediment and nutrient transport in the Murray-Darling Basin,
Technical Report 32/03, CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, Australia, 2003.
Dollar, E. S. J., James, C. S., Rogers, K. H., and Thoms, M. C.: A framework
for interdisciplinary understanding of rivers as ecosystems, Geomorphology,
89, 147–162, 2007.
Dorner, B., Lertzman, K., and Fall, J.: Landscape pattern in topographically
complex landscapes: issues and techniques for analysis, Landscape Ecology, 17, 729–743, 2002.
Fagan, S. D. and Nanson, G. C.: The morphology and formation of
floodplain-surface channels, Cooper Creek, Australia, Geomorphology, 60,
107–126, 2004.
Florsheim, J. L. and Mount, J. F.: Restoration of floodplain topography by
sand-splay complex formation in response to intentional levee breaches, Lower
Cosumnes River, California, Geomorphology, 44, 67–94, 2002.
Flotemersch, J. E., Leibowitz, S. G., Hill, R. A., Stoddard, J. L., Thoms, M.
C., and Tharme, R. E.: A watershed integrity definition and assessment
approach to support strategic management of watersheds, River Res.
Appl., https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.2978, 2015.
Forman, R. T. T. and Godron, M.: Patches and structural components for a
landscape ecology, BioScience, 31, 733–740, 1981.
Frost, N. J., Burrows, M. T., Johnson, M. P., Hanley, M. E., and Hawkins,
S. J.: Measuring surface complexity in ecological studies, Limnol.
Oceanogr.-Meth., 3, 203–210, 2005.
Gurnell, A. M. and Petts, G. E.: Island-dominated landscapes of large
floodplain rivers, a European perspective, Freshw. Biol., 47, 581–600, 2002.
Hamilton, S. K., Kellndorfer, J., Lehner, B., and Tobler, M.: Remote sensing
of floodplain geomorphology as a surrogate for biodiversity in a tropical
river system (Madre de Dios, Peru), Geomorphology, 89, 23–38, 2007.
Holling, C. S.: Cross-scale morphology, geometry, and dynamics of ecosystems,
Ecological Monographs, 62, 447–502, 1992.
Hughes, F. M. R.: The influence of flooding regimes on forest distribution
and composition in the Tana River floodplain, Kenya, J. Appl. Ecol., 27, 475–491, 1990.
Hughes, F. M. R.: Floodplain biogeomorphology, Prog. Phys.
Geogr., 21, 501–529, 1997.
Hupp, C. R. and Osterkamp, W. R.: Riparian vegetation and fluvial geomorphic
processes, Geomorphology, 14, 277–295, 1996.
Hynes, H.: The stream and its valley, Verhandlungen des Internationalen
Verein Limnologie, 19, 1–15, 1975.
Junk, W. J., Bayley, P. B., and Sparks, R. E.: The flood pulse concept in
river-floodplain systems, in Proceedings of the International Large River
Symposium, edited by: Dodge, D. P., 110–127, Canadian Special Publication
of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 106, Canadian Government Publishing
Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, 1989.
Kovalenko, K., Thomaz, S., and Warfe, D.: Habitat complexity: approaches and
future directions, Hydrobiologia, 685, 1–17, 2012.
Levin, S. A.: Ecosystems and the biosphere as complex adaptive systems,
Ecosystems, 1, 431–436, 1998.
Loreau, M., Mouquet, N., and Hold, R. D.: Meta-ecosystems: a theoretical
framework for a spatial ecosystem ecology, Ecol. Lett., 6, 673–679, 2003.
McGarigal, K., Tagil, S., and Cushman, S.: Surface metrics: an alternative to
patch metrics for the quantification of landscape structure, Landsc. Ecol.,
24, 433–450, 2009.
Miller, A. J.: Valley morphology and boundary conditions influencing spatial
patterns of flood flow, in Natural and Anthropogenic Influences in Fluvial
Geomorphology: The Wolman Volume, edited by: Costa, J. E., Miller, A. J.,
Potter, K. W., and Wilcock, P. R., 57–82, American Geophysical Union,
Washington, D. C., 1995.
Murray, O., Thoms, M., and Rayburg, S.: The diversity of inundated areas in
semiarid flood plain ecosystems, in Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology
of Fluvial Systems, edited by: Rowan, J. S., Duck, R. W., and Werritty, A., 277–286, IAHS Press,
Wallingford, UK, 2006.
Nanson, G. C.: Episodes of vertical accretion and catastrophic stripping: a
model of disequilibrium flood-plain development, Geol. Soc.
Am. Bull., 97, 1467–1475, 1986.
Nanson, G. C. and Beach Forest, H. F.: succession and sedimentation on a
meandering-river floodplain, northeast British Columbia, Canada, J.
Biogeogr., 4, 229–251, 1977.
Nanson, G. C. and Croke, J. C.: A genetic classification of floodplains,
Geomorphology, 4, 459–486, 1992.
Norris, R. H., Linke, S., Prosser, I. P., Young, W. J., Liston, P., Bauer,
N., Sloane, N., Dyer, F., and Thoms, M.: Very-broad-scale assessment of human
impacts on river condition, Freshw. Biol., 52, 959–976, 2007.
O'Neill, R. V., Johnson, A. R., and King, A. W.: A hierarchical framework for
the analysis of scale, Landsc. Ecol., 3, 193–205, 1989.
Panin, A. V., Sidorchuk, A. Y., and Chernov, A. V.: Historical background to
floodplain morphology: examples from the East European Plain, in Floodplains:
Interdisciplinary Approaches, edited by: Marriott, S. B. and Alexander, J.,
217–229, Geological Society Special Publication No. 163, Geological Society,
London, UK, 1999.
Papadimitriou, F.: Modelling indicators and indices of landscape complexity:
an approach using G.I.S., Ecol. Ind., 2, 17–25, 2002.
Parsons, M. and Thoms, M. C.: Hierarchical patterns of physical–biological
associations in river ecosystems, Geomorphology, 89, 127–146, 2007.
Phillips, J. D.: Sources of nonlinearity and complexity in geomorphic
systems, Prog. Phys. Geogr., 27, 1–23, 2003.
Pinay, G., Black, V. J., Planty-Tabacchi, A. M., Gumiero, B., and Décamps,
H.: Geomorphic control of denitrification in large river floodplain
soils, Biogeochemistry, 50, 163–182, 2000.
Pollock, M. M., Naiman, R. J., and Hanley, T. A.: Plant species richness in
riparian wetlands – a test of biodiversity theory, Ecology, 79, 94–105, 1998.
Prosser, I. P., Rutherfurd, I. D., Olley, J. M., Young, W. J., Wallbrink, P.
J., and Moran, C. J.: Large-scale patterns of erosion and sediment transport
in river networks, with examples from Australia, Mar. Freshw.
Res., 52, 81–99, 2001.
Rossi, R. E., Mulla, D. J., Journel, A. G., and Eldon, H. F.: Geostatistical
tools for modeling and interpreting ecological spatial dependence, Ecol.
Monogr., 62, 277–314, 1992.
Salo, J.: External processes influencing origin and maintenance of inland
water-land ecotones, in The Ecology and Management of Aquatic-Terrestrial
Ecotones, edited by: Naiman, R. J. and Décamps, H., 37–64, Unesco,
Paris, France, 1990.
Schumm, S. A.: The Fluvial System, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, 338 pp., 1977.
Scown, M. W., Thoms, M. C., and De Jager, N. R.: Floodplain complexity and
surface metrics: Influences of scale and geomorphology, Geomorphology, 245,
102–116, 2015a.
Scown, M. W., Thoms, M. C., and De Jager, N. R.: Measuring floodplain spatial
patterns using continuous surface metrics at multiple scales, Geomorphology,
245, 87–101, 2015b.
Scown, M. W., Thoms, M. C., and De Jager, N. R.: Measuring spatial pattern in
floodplains: a step towards understanding the complexity of floodplain
ecosystems, in River Science: Research and Management for the 21st Century,
edited by: Greenwood, M. T., Thoms, M. C., and Wood, P. J., John
Wiley and Sons, London, UK, 103–131, 2016.
Southwood, T. R. E.: Habitat, the templet for ecological strategies?, J.
Animal Ecol., 46, 337–365, 1977.
Stanford, J. A., Lorang, M. S., and Hauer, F. R.: The shifting habitat mosaic
of river ecosystems, Verhandlungen des Internationalen Verein Limnologie, 29,
123–136, 2005.
Straatsma, M. W. and Baptist, M. J.: Floodplain roughness parameterization
using airborne laser scanning and spectral remote sensing, Remote Sens.
Environ., 112, 1062–1080, 2008.
Thapa, R., Thoms, M. C., and Parsons, M.: An adaptive cycle hypothesis of
semi-arid floodplain vegetation productivity in dry and wet resource states,
Ecohydrology, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1609, 2015.
Thoms, M. C.: Floodplain–river ecosystems: lateral connections and the
implications of human interference, Geomorphology, 56, 335–349, 2003.
Thoms, M. C.: Variability in riverine ecosystems, River Research and
Applications, 22, 115–151, 2006.
Thoms, M. C., Parker, C. R., and Simons, M.: The dispersal and storage of
trace metals in the Hawkesbury River valley, in River Management: The
Australasian Experience, edited by: Brizga, S. and Finlayson, B., 197–219,
John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK, 2000.
Thoms, M. C., Southwell, M., and McGinness, H. M.: Floodplain–river
ecosystems: fragmentation and water resources development, Geomorphology, 71,
126–138, 2005.
Thorp, J. H., Thoms, M. C., and Delong, M. D.: The Riverine Ecosystem
Synthesis: Towards Conceptual Cohesiveness in River Science, Elsevier,
Amsterdam, 208 pp., 2008.
Tockner, K. and Ward, J. V.: Biodiversity along riparian corridors, Archiv
für Hydrobiologie, Supplementband, Large Rivers, 11, 293–310, 1999.
Tokeshi, M. and Arakaki, S.: Habitat complexity in aquatic systems: fractals and beyond, Hydrobiologia, 685, 27–47, 2012.
Ward, J. V., Tockner, K., and Schiemer, F.: Biodiversity of floodplain river
ecosystems: ecotones and connectivity, Regulated Rivers: Research &
Management, 15, 125–139, 1999.
Warner, R. F.: Floodplain evolution in a New South Wales coastal valley,
Australia: spatial process variations, Geomorphology, 4, 447–458, 1992.
Whited, D. C., Lorang, M. S., Harner, M. J., Hauer, F. R., Kimball, J. S.,
and Stanford, J. A.: Climate, hydrologic disturbance, and succession: drivers
of floodplain pattern, Ecology, 88, 940–953, 2007.
Wiens, J. A.: Riverine landscapes: taking landscape ecology into the water,
Freshw. Biol., 47, 501–515, 2002.
Short summary
An index of floodplain surface complexity is developed in this paper and applied to eight floodplains from different geographic settings. Floodplain width and sediment yield were associated with the index or with sub-indicators, whereas hydrology was not. These findings suggest that valley and sediment conditions are important determinants of floodplain surface complexity, and these should complement hydrology as a focus of floodplain research and management.
An index of floodplain surface complexity is developed in this paper and applied to eight...
