Aquatic plant diversity in four river floodplains: a comparison at two hierarchical levels

Authors: Bornette G.¹; Piegay H.²; Citterio A.²; Amoros C.³; Godreau V.⁴

Source: Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 10, Number 10, October 2001 , pp. 1683-1701(19)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

The present study focuses on the role ofenvironmental factors in plant diversity and community organization at both water-body and river floodplain levels. The cover of each plant species was measured at 841 sampling plots along 63 cut-off channels located in four river floodplains. Environmental variables were documented either at river level (suspended matter, water physico-chemistry, river slope) or at cut-off channel level (channel capacity, slope, substrate grain-size). At both river and cut-off channel levels, increasing slope (i.e. increasing erosion during floods) and decreasing nutrient-content of the water raise species richness and uniqueness (number of species found only in one river), according to hypotheses on the combined role of disturbances and productivity in biodiversity. Rivers that are not eroded during floods are nutrient-rich and present the lowest richness and uniqueness at the river level, but dewatering combined with high connectivity increase richness at the cut-off channel level.

Keywords: competition; cut-off channels; disturbance; erosion; large rivers; nutrients; plant communities; uniqueness

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: UMR CNRS 5023 ‘Ecology of Fluvial Hydrosystems’, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France (bornette@avosnes.univ-lyon1.fr; fax: +33-472-431141) 2: UMR CNRS 5600 ‘Environnement – Ville-Société’, 18 rue Chevreul, 69362 Lyon Cedex 07, France 3: UMR CNRS 5023 ‘Ecology of Fluvial Hydrosystems’, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France 4: Conservatoire des Sites Naturels Bourguignons, BP 110, 21803 Quétigny, France

Publication date: 2001-10-01

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• In this Subject: Ecology
• By this author: Bornette G. ;  Piegay H. ;  Citterio A. ;  Amoros C. ;  Godreau V.

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