Bio-geomorphic effects on tidal channel evolution : impact of vegetation establishment and tidal prism change

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
The long-term (10-100 years) evolution of tidal channels is generally considered to interact with bio-geomorphic evolution of the surrounding intertidal platform. Here the AA. studied how the geometric properties of tidal channels (channel drainage density and channel width) change as (1) vegetation establishes on an initially bare intertidal platform and (2) sediment accretion on the intertidal platform leads to a reduction in the tidal prism (i.e. water volume that during a tidal cycle floods to and drains back from the intertidal platform). Based on a time series of aerial photographs and digital elevation models, the AA. derived the channel geometric properties at different time steps during the evolution from an initially low-elevated bare tidal flat towards a high-elevated vegetated marsh. They found that vegetation establishment causes a marked increase in channel drainage density.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2013, vol. 38, n°. 2, p. 122-132, nombre de pages : 11, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley