ABSTRACT
Intensive forestation of the riparian area can deteriorate the ecosystem of gravelly or sandy bar, affect flood protection, and change the landscape of the river. Therefore, a dynamic riparian vegetation model (DRIPVEM) is developed to predict the colonization and succession of vegetation. The model consists of modules describing the dynamic process of individual trees, herbaceous plant biomass and nitrogen cycle of the riparian zone. After the validation for the vegetation succession with the observed rivers data, the model is combined with the 2-dimensional river bed deformation model and applied to a real river (i.e. Kuzuryu river in Fukui Prefecture, Japan) to obtain the effects of the geomorphological change on the vegetation patterns after a flood. The comparison of trials with and without the bed deformation model indicated that morphological change during the flood period has a substantial effect on the vegetation patterns after the flood. Furthermore, the simulation results of future condition of vegetation show possible wide application of present model for river management.
