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Impact of hydrodynamic changes on the zonation of helophytes

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Abstract

Water movement has a strong impact on the development and persistence of helophyte stands along large water bodies. The decline ofScirpus andPhragmites stands in the Rhine-Meuse estuary (The Netherlands), due to changed hydrodynamic conditions (reduced tidal action, increased shoreline erosion), illustrates the effects of large-scale hydrological regulation. Hydrodynamic factors partly explain the distribution and composition of helophyte vegetation bordering the open water. A vertical zonation emerges during the stages of dispersal, germination, seedling establishment and adult growth of the plants. Differences between species may result in the occupation of different water-depth zones. Additionally, gradients of wave exposure result in a horizontal zonation along water bodies. Restrictions to helophyte development due to the hydrological regime and wave attack should be taken into account in wetland restoration studies. Water-level management, instead of a strict control of water levels, should be one of the key elements of water management in the future.

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Author notes

  1. Hugo Coops

    Present address: Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment (RIZA), P.O. Box 17, 8200, AA Lelystad, The Netherlands

  2. Gerard Van Der Velde

    Present address: Department of Ecology, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525, ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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    1. Hugo Coops
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    2. Gerard Van Der Velde
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    Coops, H., Van Der Velde, G. Impact of hydrodynamic changes on the zonation of helophytes. Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology 30, 165–173 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02272236

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