Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The role of riparian vegetation in shaping river morphology is widely recognized. The interaction between vegetation growth and riverbed evolution is characterized by complex non-linear feedbacks, which hinder direct estimates of the... more
The role of riparian vegetation in shaping river morphology is widely recognized.
The interaction between vegetation growth and riverbed evolution
is characterized by complex non-linear feedbacks, which hinder direct estimates
of the role of key elements on the morphological evolutionary trajectories
of gravel-bed rivers. Adopting a simple theoretical framework, we develop
a numerical model which couples hydro-morphodynamics with biomass
dynamics. We perform a sensitivity analysis considering several parameters
as
ood intensity, type of vegetation and groundwater level. We nd that the
inclusion of vegetation determines a threshold behavior, identifying two possible
equilibrium con gurations: un-vegetated vs. vegetated bars. Stable vegetation
patterns can establish only under speci c conditions, which depend
on the di erent environmental and species-related characteristics. From a management
point of view, model results show that relatively small changes in
water availability or species composition may determine a sudden shift between
dynamic un-vegetated conditions to more stable, vegetated rivers.
The interaction between vegetation growth and riverbed evolution
is characterized by complex non-linear feedbacks, which hinder direct estimates
of the role of key elements on the morphological evolutionary trajectories
of gravel-bed rivers. Adopting a simple theoretical framework, we develop
a numerical model which couples hydro-morphodynamics with biomass
dynamics. We perform a sensitivity analysis considering several parameters
as
ood intensity, type of vegetation and groundwater level. We nd that the
inclusion of vegetation determines a threshold behavior, identifying two possible
equilibrium con gurations: un-vegetated vs. vegetated bars. Stable vegetation
patterns can establish only under speci c conditions, which depend
on the di erent environmental and species-related characteristics. From a management
point of view, model results show that relatively small changes in
water availability or species composition may determine a sudden shift between
dynamic un-vegetated conditions to more stable, vegetated rivers.