Assessment of the success of headwater restoration through the vegetation diversity analysis of four Oir river's tributaries (Normandy, France)

Safeguarding of riparian ecosystems is a field of major study in the comprehension and the maintenance of the health of rivers. The aim of our study is to analyze vegetation changes after passive restoration on two headwaters. Follow-ups of vegetation were carried out using 36 permanent plots of 15 m2 per brooks during five years. Our results suggest that after restoration, vegetation assemblages are comparable to those present on other headwaters considered in good ecological health. The effectiveness of the passive restoration method employed is discussed in terms of strong potential of resilience for comprehension of ecological functions and in term of sustainability for river managers.