Fluvial biogeomorphology

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Fluvial biogeomorphology

• Research using GI
• a case study of the Sabie River 1999-2000

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1999
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2000
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Hypothesis

• H0 Riparian vegetation communities are not
  preferentially related to fluvial
  geomorphological processes because ecological and
  fluvial systems function independently in
  seasonally intermittent rivers

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Define channel boundary
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Distribution of vegetation communities

• 1999 photo
• Target communities
• Riparian floor forest (Breonadia spp.)
• Riparian fringe forest (Ficus spp.)
• Water tolerant shrubs (Diospirus spp.)
• Reeds (Phragmites spp.)

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Vegetation communities
Riparian floor forest
Water tolerant shrubs
Reeds
Riparian fringe forest
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Classify vegetation communities
Riparian fringe forest
Reeds
Water tolerant shrubs
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Classify vegetation communities
Riparian fringe forest
Reeds
Water tolerant shrubs
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Geomorphological features

• 2000 photo
• Bedrock pavement
• Isolated bedrock outcrops
• Sandy barforms

Fluvial features

• 2000 photo
• Rapids
• Distributary channels

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Morphological features
Bedrock pavement
Isolated rock
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Classify river features
Barforms
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Classify river features
barform
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Testing the hypothesis
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Compare morphology and vegetation communities
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Quantify areas
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Analysis conclusion

• Cross-tabulate areas of vegetation communities
  against geomorphological features
• Normalise for total area of each geomorphological
  feature type i.e. convert to
• Analyse distribution - is there an even
  distribution?
• Accept / reject H0