EGS XXV General Assembly, Nice, France, April 2000

HS03.01 Hydrological functions of ecosystem: Vegetation controls on water flow and sediment yield at the catchment scales

Event Information

The water circulation process, mainly composed of rainfall interception, transpiration, and rainwater runoff in forested basins, is directly related to stream discharge in the downstream reach of rivers as an indispensable boundary condition. At large scale, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between forest states and hydrological features. At smaller scales, areas vegetated with plants like riparian forests offer protection against landslides, river bank erosion, and retention during high floods; they improve water quality, act as natural habitats for plants and animals and must be considered as self-regenerating natural resources that also guarantee a better quality of life as recreational areas. River control work in the past destroyed a lot of these areas causing severe problems such as the acceleration of floodwaves towards downstream. In order to restore the natural function of riparian forests complex problems of interactions between the floodplain morphology, the flow field in open rivers (with and without submerged vegetation) and the fringe of the forest arise. The flow field inside the forest depending on the spacing of the trees and bushes and transport and deposition processes of sediment have to be considered. Papers which address any aspect of vegetation dominated hydrological and hydraulic changes in the stream discharge and in the sediment transport at multi-scales are welcome. Linking this session with the other three in theme 1 is intended to provide an attractive "mini"-conference". Potential participants will be all the more interested in attending, knowing that there will be several sessions to interest them, over a period of perhaps three days. The other sessions are: 02: River restoration and the lessons of past channelization 03: Hydrology and wise use of wetlands 04: Nutrient management and nutrient removal

Preliminary List of Solicited Speakers

Co-Sponsorship