River - Riparian Vegetation Interactions
type: CreativeWork
description: The river and the riparian ecosystem are two dynamical systems which exhibit complex spatio-temporal interactions. Because of the possible implications for engineering works and environmental management, in recent times a number of studies has focused on this topic, considering both large- and small-scale problems. Riparius is a latin word which derives from ripa (riverbank) and means 'that frequents riverbanks'. The riparian ecosystem is thus a community of individuals which lives close to the river and is regularly influenced by fresh water. Both the flora and the fauna are part of this highly dynamic community, and the research in this years has produced results for both the groups. In this thesis the attention will be focused on plants. Riparian vegetation is of great interest because of its double role, passive and active. In the first role (i.e. the passive one) the biological activity is not considered and only the effect of vegetation morphological and mechanical characteristics on river dynamics is discussed. From this point of view vegetation merely affects the roughness, hydraulic resistance, and bank erodibility in the same manner as any a-biotic element with the same mechanical and morphological characteristics. The active role is due to the biotic changes intrinsic to living vegetation. From this point of view, vegetation is no longer seen as a static element, but as an element with temporal and spatial dynamics, which can influence the geomorphology of the river. In fact, if the vegetation distribution along the banks changes, or the native species are substituted by exotic ones, the mechanical effects of vegetation change, leading then to possible changes of river geometry. Riparian vegetation is closely linked to the hydrology of the river, in particular to the stochastic water level fluctuations and to the erosion/sedimentation processes. Floods and erosion/ sedimentation processes, in fact, influence the growth of plants to a great extent. Flood e…
abstract: The river and the riparian ecosystem are two dynamical systems which exhibit complex spatio-temporal interactions. Because of the possible implications for engineering works and environmental management, in recent times a number of studies has focused on this topic, considering both large- and small-scale problems. Riparius is a latin word which derives from ripa (riverbank) and means 'that frequents riverbanks'. The riparian ecosystem is thus a community of individuals which lives close to the river and is regularly influenced by fresh water. Both the flora and the fauna are part of this highly dynamic community, and the research in this years has produced results for both the groups. In this thesis the attention will be focused on plants. Riparian vegetation is of great interest because of its double role, passive and active. In the first role (i.e. the passive one) the biological activity is not considered and only the effect of vegetation morphological and mechanical characteristics on river dynamics is discussed. From this point of view vegetation merely affects the roughness, hydraulic resistance, and bank erodibility in the same manner as any a-biotic element with the same mechanical and morphological characteristics. The active role is due to the biotic changes intrinsic to living vegetation. From this point of view, vegetation is no longer seen as a static element, but as an element with temporal and spatial dynamics, which can influence the geomorphology of the river. In fact, if the vegetation distribution along the banks changes, or the native species are substituted by exotic ones, the mechanical effects of vegetation change, leading then to possible changes of river geometry. Riparian vegetation is closely linked to the hydrology of the river, in particular to the stochastic water level fluctuations and to the erosion/sedimentation processes. Floods and erosion/ sedimentation processes, in fact, influence the growth of plants to a great extent. Flood e…
author: TEALDI, STEFANO
language: eng
keywords: Settore ICAR/01 - Idraulica
date published: 2012
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:51:03Z
provider: Politecnico di Torino
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Politecnico di Torino

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2497016

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.6092/polito/porto/2497016