Wood recruitment and retention: The fate of eroded trees on a braided river explored using a combination of field and remotely-sensed data sources

This paper investigates wood recruitment and deposition dynamics in a large gravel-bed, braided river (Tagliamento River, Italy). We used a combination of field measurements, automatically repeated ground images, and remotely sensed surveys to quantify wood input through bank erosion and associated downstream deposition. Two sites were investigated where floods caused the erosion of vegetated island edges. A lidar survey preceding the erosion events provided data on the morphology and vegetation structure of the eroded areas, allowing estimation of the number of trees that were uprooted. Sequences of ground-based images acquired automatically (and supported by field measurements) showed the time, number, and location of deposited trees. Results show that the complex morphology of braided rivers induces specific deposition patterns. We observed wide dispersal of wood on gravel bars, with jams characterised by a small number of logs (on average 2–3) and, in many cases, only a single log. A large proportion of the eroded trees (up to 40%) were deposited on the nearest downstream bar. This illustrates significant wood retention close to the recruitment site, with the remaining wood dispersed widely downstream. Differences in the observed level of local wood retention were associated with the proximity of the erosion site to the main channel and differences were also observed in retention between the peak and the falling limb of flood events, confirming that water depth and probably flow velocity are the crucial parameters controlling wood deposition.

► Braided rivers are characterised by specific wood recruitment/retention patterns. ► Field and remotely sensed data combine to provide useful insights into wood dynamics. ► A sizeable proportion of trees are deposited on the nearest downstream bar. ► The location of bank erosion and water level control wood retention.