Unravelling the physical template of a terminal flood plain-wetland sediment storage system

Author(s)
Rayburg, S
Thoms, Martin
Lenon, E
Publication Date
2006
Abstract
Flood plain-wetlands are hotspots of biological diversity and productivity, especially in semiarid environments and this is driven by water subsidies as well as the physical and chemical properties of flood plain-wetland soils. The purpose of this study is to examine surface soil characteristics in a complex, spatially diverse terminal flood plain-wetland to determine whether the surface soil characteristics follow a hydraulic gradient or reflect the more complex spatial mosaic. Surface soil samples (163) were collected from a regular grid with an average spacing of 1.8 km. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed to elicit spatial patterns in soil character and a series of surface maps of soil characteristics were derived to further explore spatial patterns within the flood plain-wetland complex. Results show surface soil characteristics to be spatially heterogeneous at multiple spatial scales and more complex than can be described by a series of hydraulic gradients.
Citation
Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, p. 304-313
ISBN
1901502686
Link
Publisher
IAHS Press
Series
IAHS Publication
Title
Unravelling the physical template of a terminal flood plain-wetland sediment storage system
Type of document
Conference Publication
Entity Type
Publication

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