Influence of floods on natural riparian forests along the Ergis River, west China

Abstract

The riparian forests along the Ergis River, west China, composed mainly of Salicaceae species, play an important role in eco-environment protection and sustainable development of local agriculture, stockbreeding, and social economy of the northern desert region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The study of the influence of floods on the natural riparian forests is imperative for the understanding of the successional process and the acceleration of conservation and restoration of forests. By investigating the relationship between floods and dispersal of seeds, sprouting, natural regeneration, the structure of the forests, and their current distribution, we conclude that: 1) the ripening and dispersal periods of Salicaceae species seeds overlap largely with flood occurrence periods, and the sprouting and natural regeneration of seeds depend greatly on flood events; 2) floods supply soil water and increase groundwater level of riparian land through flood irrigation and horizontal infiltration to maintain the normal growth of the riparian forests; 3) floods have a decisive influence on the structure, composition, and distribution pattern of riparian forests, and any disturbance in the water flow has a profound effect on these characteristics. Given these facts, some management measures for conservation and restoration of the riparian forests are proposed, including the establishment of riparian forest buffer belt, bank stabilization measures, and maintenance of flood protection.