School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses
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ItemFlow and geomorphic drivers of instream plants and their biogeomorphic role in riverine ecosystems( 2023-12)Streams are important ecosystems providing multiple benefits to both biodiversity and humans. Despite their importance, many streams are severely degraded globally, driven by anthropogenic impacts such as flow regulation, urbanisation and channelisation. Instream vegetation is a critical component of the stream ecosystem providing many benefits to biota such as provision of habitat and refuge, primary production and nutrient cycling. Instream plants also act as ecosystem engineers, impacting sediment, propagule and organic matter transport and deposition. Despite their importance, many gaps exist in our understanding of the flow and geomorphic drivers of instream plants, and their biogeomorphic role. Field surveys, glasshouse trials and an experiment were combined to investigate questions related to identifying the flow and geomorphic drivers of instream vegetation, and how instream vegetation interacts with propagule and sediment transport. First, a range of streams were surveyed for instream vegetation and geomorphic components, with further geomorphic complexity and flow metrics calculated. Relationships were then investigated between the metrics and amphibious and aquatic vegetation. I then ran an experiment to assess propagule bank and sown seed emergence under a range of flooding durations and frequencies to assess relationships between flow regime and early plant recruitment. Finally, two glasshouse studies were undertaken to assess different preferential deposition locations for propagules, fine sediment and organic matter and the potential for emergent and aquatic plants to act as ecosystem engineers. More frequent flood events with a steeper rate of rise (flashier flows) were negatively associated with amphibious vegetation outcomes but less so for aquatic species. Greater geomorphic complexity, including less bank incision and more stream width and depth variation, were positively associated with instream vegetation outcomes, however, increasingly flashy flows reduced these benefits. More frequent, short flood events also reduced plant recruitment from propagules, however, effect sizes were small, suggesting a range of species may recruit under flashy flows provided other factors are suitable (e.g. refuge from high flow velocity). Greater geomorphic complexity and instream vegetation patches were also associated with more propagule, fine sediment and organic matter deposition, although bare bank samples were also highly retentive. Building on the previous study, emergent vegetation and aquatic vegetation both trapped more propagules, fine sediment and organic matter compared with non-vegetated stream locations. Importantly, however, this trapping function diminished from rural to urban streams. The findings from this thesis suggest that geomorphic complexity promotes instream vegetation outcomes, at least partially through greater deposition of propagules in a range of channel locations. Further deposition of fine sediment and organic matter likely improves recruitment of instream plants. Flashy flow regimes need to be addressed, however, if increasing instream vegetation is a priority in stream restoration, likely through various stormwater control measures. My findings also provide evidence for the importance of instream vegetation on propagule, fine sediment and organic matter deposition. Combined, these results highlight the biogeomorphic importance of instream plants, with their potential to trap propagules, fine sediment and organic matter leading to biogeomorphic succession and driving stream morphodynamics. Both passive and active revegetation approaches may be used to promote the benefits of instream plants, but further research is required. Ultimately, my research highlights the importance of instream vegetation and how to effectively restore instream plants to promote biogeomorphic processes that aid in process-based stream restoration.