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Publications (135)
Gebirgsflüsse gehören zu den am stärksten gefährdeten Ökosystemen der Welt. Staudämme, Ausleitungen, Flussregulierungen und Nutzungen des Umlandes haben zu massiven Veränderungen des Wasser-und Sedimenthaushaltes geführt. Im Rahmen einer global angelegten Studie (Maier et al. 2021) wurde erstmals die weltweite Verbreitung der häufigsten Flusstypen...
River alterations for natural hazard mitigation and land reclamation result in habitat decline and fragmentation for riparian plant species. Extreme events such as floods are responsible for additional local species loss or population decline. Tributaries might provide refugia and subsequent source populations for the colonization of downstream sit...
Restoring natural fluvial dynamics is fundamental for sustaining biodiversity and functional integrity of river and floodplain ecosystems. In Central Europe, however, pervasive river regulation and bank protection have greatly impaired ecosystem functioning and many water bodies fail to achieve a good ecological status within the European Water Fra...
Viele Alpenflüsse wurden bereits Ende des 19. und in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhun-derts durch den Menschen umfassend verändert. Dies betrifft im besonderen Ausmaß die für die Alpen charakteristischen und historisch häufig vorkommenden Umlagerungsflüs-se. Diese wurden-bis auf einige noch bestehende große Umlagerungsflüsse in Oberitali-en-vor al...
Aim: This chapter provides a global review of the riparian vegetation of the major mountain regions and includes a high proportion of the worldwide braided rivers. The focus is on characteristic and frequent native and invasive non-native plants in the different geomorphological phases of the riparian vegetation communities.
Main methods: Nine glob...
•Aim:
This analysis explored the worldwide distribution of the river channel types within mountain regions to determine their characteristics on a global scale. Following the general overview, braided rivers were analyzed in more detail.
•Main methods:
The study area included all 204 major mountain ranges of the world, wherein 120 representative re...
This report summarizes the value of the river Vjosa system as one of the few remaining reference sites for dynamic floodplains in Europe. The morphological floodplain of the Vjosa is characterized by an exceptionally high near-nature status, hence representing an extreme rare reference site for medium sized rivers in Europe. The high values of habi...
The large flood pulse of the Amazon basin is a principal driver of environmental heterogeneity with important implications for ecosystem function and the assembly of natural communities. Understanding species ecological response to the flood pulse is thus a key question with implications for theories of species coexistence, resource management, and...
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
To date, no survey on the diverse channel patterns existing prior to the major phase of river regulation in the mid-19th – early 20th century has been elaborated at the scale of the whole European Alps. The present paper fills this knowledge gap. The historical channel forms of the 143 largest Alpine rivers with catchments larger than 500 km² (tota...
Translocations are applied in the context of infrastructure projects to preserve certain vegetation types. Within the EIA of a large hydropower project in the Austrian Alps, manifold mitigation measures were defined. Among those, the transplantation of about 1.4 ha Carex -fen at an altitude of about 2000 m was defined. One year before the start of...
The goals of the European Water Framework Directive changed the perspective on rivers from human to ecosystem-based river management. After decades of channelizing and damming rivers, restoration projects are applied with more or less successful outcomes. The anthropogenic influence put on rivers can change their physical parameters and result in a...
Under natural conditions, the structure and development of river corridors is controlled by an interplay of hydrological, geomorphological and ecological processes. Over the past decade, the concept of biogeomorphology has become increasingly popular to describe and analyze the manifold feedback mechanisms within river systems leading to an increas...
The potential natural vegetation (PNV) is a useful benchmark for the restoration of large river floodplains because very few natural reference reaches exist. Expert-based approaches and different types of ecological models (static and dynamic) are commonly used for its estimation despite the conceptual differences they imply. For natural floodplain...
ContextLarge near-natural rivers have become rare in Europe, a fact reflected in the high conservation status of many riverine ecosystems. While the Balkan still harbors several intact river corridors, most of these are under pressure from planned hydropower constructions. Unfortunately, there is little information available on the hydromorphodynam...
Die Auen der Oberen Isar flussauf des Sylvensteinspeichers zählen trotz verschiedener wasser- und energiewirtschaftlicher Eingriffe bis heute zu den naturschutzfachlich wertvollsten Flächen des Nordalpenraums. Zum ersten Mal für den Alpenbogen haben hier Reich et al. (2008) eine vollständige Zeitreihe über die Auswirkungen verschiedener
Bewirtschaf...
The chapter provides a quantitative and qualitative overview over the different forms of channel patterns of the largest 143 rivers in the Alps (rivers with catchments larger than 500 km²) prior to channelization in the early 19th century. A comparison with the current state of the river courses is presented.
Die Auenökosysteme der Alpenflüsse zeichnen sich durch das Wechselspiel von Wachstum und Zerstörung aus. Standorte und deren Lebewelt kommen und gehen rasch. Die Erfolgsstrategie der Lebewesen ist durch ein schnelles "Besetzen" von neu geschaffenen Kies- und Sandflächen ("first come, first served") gekennzeichnet.
Ein Spezifikum der Fließgewässer in den Alpen sind die kurzen, jedoch häufigen Hochwasserspitzen und in Verbindung mit dem hohen Geschiebetrieb eine extreme Morphodynamik. Diese bestimmt die Wuchsbedingungen und vor allem das Störungsregime der Auen. Die Lebensgemeinschaften sind an die von Störung und Zerstörung ausgelösten Veränderungen in der Ze...
Most large rivers in Europe and North America suffered flow regulations and channelization in the 19th and 20th century. To study the effects of the altered site conditions on the development of floodplain vegetation and create a benchmark map for their restoration, we calibrated and applied a dynamic floodplain vegetation model that accounts for t...
European willows (Salicaceae) are pioneer species in temperate zone floodplains. The species are considered invasive and introduction can lead to substantial alteration of floodplain vegetation communities and ecosystem functioning. Invasive spread of different Salicaceae have been attributed to differences in flood tolerance, growth and dispersal...
The floodplains of the Vjosa River in the south of Albania count as one of the most magnificent riparian ecosystems of the Balkan peninsula, standing out due to their natural hydromorphodynamic fluvial processes. A broad main stream with anabranch-es, open gravel bars and islands, and pioneer vegetation, as well as bushes of willows, poplars and ta...
For the interpretation of non-accessible biotopes and habitat types in the Alpine zone, the usage of satellite remote sensing is currently promoted. Recent sensor technology and the availability of satellite data, such as the European Sentinel-2 with high spatial resolution and a high repetition rate of up to 5 days, bear a great potential to suppo...
We physically modelled the effect of a patch of ri-parian vegetation on the bed shear stress distribution in a 5 m wide flume. Assessment of the mobility of bedload tracers in repeated runs yielded the shear stress distribution for a range of discharges.
The Mediterranean region is recognized as one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots, but disconnection of habitats and fluxes of energy and nutrients have made them particularly vulnerable to external perturbations in the current context of global warming. This paper presents a multitemporal approach to understand how past human impacts have led to pres...
Die übergeordneten Ziele des LIFE+-Traisen-Projektes liegen in der Schaffung von naturnahen Gewässer- und Auenbiozönosen und einer Erhöhung der Biodiversität im „Europaschutzgebiet Tullnerfelder Donauauen“. Erreicht werden sollen diese Ziele durch eine optimale Vernetzung des neu angelegten und ungesicherten Traisenflussbettes mit den großflächig a...
Mediterranean rivers in intensive agricultural watersheds usually display outgrowths of macrophytes – notably alien species – due to a combination of high concentrations of nutrients in the water runoff and low flows resulting from water abstraction for irrigation. Standard mechanical and chemical control is used to mitigate the problems associated...
Vegetation ist ein integraler Bestandteil der Fließgewässer und ihrer Überflutungsflächen. Neben ihren Funktionen für ein intaktes Ökosystem ist die Vegetation auch maßgeblich am Abflussgeschehen beteiligt. Der Einfluss flexibler Vegetation auf Strömung und Sedimenthaushalt ist komplex, da die Strömung die Form der Pflanze und diese wiederum die St...
The channelization and the construction of several
hydropower plants led to the incision of the Danube (KLASZ
et al. 2016). Aggradation at the levees further disconnects
the river from its floodplain (KLASZ et al. 2014). This study
investigates the effect of the incision on the floodplain.
How has the incision changed the physical habitat
parameter...
The dwarf bulrush (Typha minima Funck ex Hoppe) is a characteristic alpine pioneer herb that occurs primarily along wild rivers. However, since the 1970s this indicator species has become locally extinct in Germany, and nearly so in Austria. Ongoing population declines are expected to be the result of wide spread river regulation and resulting alte...
Fluvial disturbances, especially floods and droughts, are the main drivers of the successional patterns of riparian vegetation. Those disturbances control the riparian landscape dynamics through the direct interaction between flow and vegetation. The main aim of this work is to investigate the specific paths by which fluvial disturbances, distribut...
Many riparian ecosystems in European temperate regions have lost their inherent, highly dynamic character due to human-induced impacts such as river channelization and flow regulation. The lower course of the Allier River (France) is one of the last remaining free meandering river segments, and thus, constitutes an opportunity to investigate ripari...
As a consequence of historical damming and channelization, most large rivers are disconnected from their floodplains, which therefore endure severe deficits in fluvial dynamics. Regaining some degree of lateral connectivity can lead to improved geomorphological and biological interactions. Yet, it is necessary to take into account limitations posed...
Invasive alien plant species negatively impact native plant communities by out-competing species or changing abiotic and biotic conditions in their introduced range. River systems are especially vulnerable to biological invasions, because waterways can function as invasion corridors. Understanding interactions of invasive and native species and the...
Climate change and river regulation are negatively impacting riparian vegetation. To evaluate these impacts, process-based models are preferred over data-driven approaches. However, they require extensive knowledge about ecohydrological processes. To facilitate the implementation of such process-based models, the key drivers of riparian woodland su...
Riparian succession drivers regarding patch location and shape
Multi-temporal analysis of river-floodplain processes is a key tool for the identification of reference conditions or benchmarks, and for the evaluation of deviations or deficits as a basis for process-based river restoration in large modified rivers. This study developed a methodology for benchmarking fluvial processes at river segment level, focu...
During higher discharges, riparian vegetation becomes partially or fully submerged and interacts with the flow and sediment transport by acting as a roughness element to the flow. The geometry of flexible vegetation such as willows adjusts to the drag forces exerted by the flow, resulting in a strong variation of the flow resistance depending on th...
Die Koralpe (Steirisches Randgebirge, höchste Erhebung: Großer Speikkogel mit 2.140 m) ist hinsichtlich ihrer Endemitenfauna und-ora eines der bedeutendsten Biodiversitäts-zentren des Ostalpenraumes. Vom Koralpenmassiv sind insgesamt 111 für das österreichische Bundesgebiet endemische und subendemische Tier-und 20 PPanzenarten nachgewiesen. Die Tie...
p>The CASiMiR-vegetation model is a software that recreates the physical processes influencing the survival and recruitment of riparian vegetation, based on the relationship between ecologically relevant flow regime components and riparian vegetation metrics that reflect the vegetation’s responses to flow regime change. Working at a flow response g...
The project "Vienna’s Wood" brought many new insights towards a better understanding of the largely unregulated Viennese Danube floodplains in river morphological, aquatic/vegetation ecological, forestal and environmental historical perspective. The results allow answering the following research questions:
1. What annual erosion and aggradation ra...
The CASiMiR-vegetation model is a software that recreates the physical processes influencing the survival and recruitment of riparian vegetation, based on the relationship between ecologically relevant flow regime components and riparian vegetation metrics that reflect the vegetation’s responses to flow regime change. Working at a flow response gui...
Riparian ecosystems are highly dynamic and are subject to hydrogeomorphological processes. In Europe, the lower Allier River (France) is one of the last remaining meandering rivers with laterally dynamic sections. For this study, we developed an original method to analyse the vegetation assemblages and succession processes. The analysis includes bo...
Within riparian landscapes, river flows and stages determine habitat gradients from less to more dynamic, and these support different plant species and their life history stages that are adapted to specific positions along these gradients. The gradients are characterized by physical processes that vary in magnitude and duration, and these shape the...
In Portugal, the definition of environmental flows is generally based on aquatic species requirements and disregards other biotic components of the fluvial ecosystem. Such approach excludes the interanual variability that rules longer lifecycles from the practiced environmental flows, therefore removing its long-term perspective of the fluvial syst...
River regulation is a global phenomenon and will intensify due to increased water demand and climate change. Flow restoration is required from water managers but a robust tool does not exist yet for Mediterranean rivers. This thesis aims to develop a holistic approach to determine environmental flows with a long-term perspective of the fluvial syst...
The disturbance requirements of riparian vegetation were determined in two Mediterranean rivers based on riparian vegetation modeling. The assessment of the riparian vegetation disturbance requirements was consistent in selecting the best disturbance regime. Such outcome may suggest the probable applicability of this approach to rivers in general a...
Analysis of river-floodplain processes is a key tool for the establishment of reference conditions in large modified rivers and the basis of process-based river restoration. Since most large rivers lack pristine reaches, there is a need for the study of historical situations prior to major impacts in the river system. Therefore, in order to compreh...
What do we know about the natural productivity of riparian forests on large rivers prior to regulation and about their function as a source of raw materials and renewable energy? Can we draw conclusions for a sustainable resource management based on a historical reconstruction of the available timber resources centuries ago?
An interdisciplinary r...
RÉSUMÉ
Que savons-nous de la productivité naturelle des forêts alluviales des grands fleuves avant les travaux de régulation à la fin du 19eme siècle ? Quelle était leur importance en termes de ressources et de source d'énergie ? Ces modèles historiques (pré-aménagements) peuvent-ils être utilisé pour définir des objectifs en termes de gestion dur...
Riparian ecosystems are highly dynamic ecosystems subjected to hydrogeomorphological processes. Their geomorphological, sedimentological and hydrological heterogeneity makes them one of the richest ecosystems in terms of species diversity. In addition, riparian zones also provide numerous ecosystem functions and services to society. In the European...
One of the most salient causes of the degradation of freshwater systems is the physical habitat changes attributed to river damming. Environmental flows reduce such degradation but are still generally based on the requirements of aquatic species and disregard other biotic components of the ecosystem, such as riparian vegetation. Nevertheless, when...
The dwarf bulrush (Typha minima Funck ex Hoppe) is a characteristic pioneer plant whose natural ranges are alpine wild river landscapes. Due to river regulations and the construction of hydropower plants Typha minima and its dynamic habitats are highly endangered. After its disappearance at the Upper Drau River in Carinthia, Typha minima got resett...
Global circulation models forecasts indicate a future temperature and rainfall pattern modification worldwide. Such phenomena will become particularly evident in Europe where climate modifications could be more severe than the average change at the global level. As such, river flow regimes are expected to change, with resultant impacts on aquatic a...
