Riverscape – sediment dynamics and connectivity

From very wet to very dry – near-natural river ecosystems are much more than just water: they form a corridor that includes gravel banks, floodplain forests and ponds. Rivers thus belong to the most diverse ecosystems on earth. In English, a specific term was created for this purpose: "riverscapes" - in demarcation and analogy to landscape. One reason for the diversity is spatial and temporal dynamics. Floods destroy and create habitats; for example, by causing sediment rearrangement. Animals and plants have adapted to the dynamics and are often even dependent on it. Many streams have lost their dynamics through channelization and regulation. Re-initiating riverine dynamics is a complex task, especially in a heavily exploited country like Switzerland.

In the research project "Riverscapes - sediment dynamics and connectivity", the topic of the previous program phase - sediments and sediment dynamics - is further deepened and extended due to its timeliness and urgency, always with regard to hydraulic engineering as well as ecological aspects. A special focus is on connectivity. The project concentrates on two main aspects:

  1. Sediment transport: importance in terms of safety and ecology, especially in medium-sized rivers

  2. River corridor: Optimal design, use and maintenance in terms of safety and ecology.

Overview article on the content and structure of the project for download

Lebensraum Gewässer – Sedimentdynamik und Vernetzung: Forschungsprogramm «Wasserbau und Ökologie» Vetsch, D., Allen, J., Belser, A., Boes, R., Brodersen, J., Fink, S., Franca, M., Juez, C., Nadyeina, O., Christopher, R. T., Scheidegger, Ch., Schleiss, A., Siviglia, A., Weber, Ch., Weitbrecht, V., 2018, Wasser, Energie und Luft 1: 19-24 [pdf, 599 KB]

Project phase

Concluded
2017-2021

Project leaders' team

Anna Belser (FOEN, project coordination)
Giovanni de Cesare (LCH)
Christoph Scheidegger (WSL)
David Vetsch (VAW)
Christine Weber (Eawag)

Advisory group

Cantonal authorities: Norbert Kräuchi (AG), Christian Marti (ZH), Vinzenz Maurer (BE), Erik Olbrecht (GR), Pascale Ribordy (FR), Thomas Stucki (AG)
Other institutions: Lukas Hunzinger (Flussbau AG SAH), Benjamin Leimgruber (AquaViva), Tamara Ghilardi (CSD Ingenieurs SA), Roger Pfammatter (SWV), Sandro Ritler (Holinger AG)

Steering board

FOEN: Rémy Estoppey, Susanne Haertel-Borer, Andreas Knutti, Carlo Scapozza
Research institutions: Robert Boes (VAW), Christoph Hegg (WSL), Giovanni de Cesare (LCH), Johny Wüest (Eawag)

Expert consulting FOEN

Diego Dagani, Katharina Edmaier, Lorenzo Gorla,
Thomas Gregor, Christian Holzgang, Stephan Lussi, Antoine Magnollay, Manuel Nitsche, Martin Pfaundler, Adrian Schertenleib.

Products & Publications

  • Environmental Studies

    Individual Chapters

    Info-Flyer

    Interactive Map

    Stop Motion Movies

    1. Blue and green - and closely connected

    2. The riverscape as a habitat

    3. On the road with the Rolling Stones

    4. Human intervention

    5. Dynamic diversity

    • Fink, S., Belser, A., De Cesare, G., Weber, C., Vetsch, D., 2023. "Lebensraum Gewässer - Seidmentdyamik und Vernetzung": Veröffentlichung aus der praxisorientierten Forschung im Wasserbau und Ökologie. N + L Inside 23(2): 27-32. pdf

    • Fink S., Belser A., Juez C., Scheidegger C., Weber C., Vetsch D., 2018. „Lebensraum Gewässer – Sedimentdynamik und Vernetzung“, ein Projekt im Forschungsprogramm „Wasserbau und Ökologie“. N + L Inside 18:27-32. pdf

    • Fink, S., Senn-Irlet, B., Scheidegger, C., & Gross, A., 2020. Quelles sont les espèces fongiques qui fructifient fréquemment dans les plaines inondables et comment nous devons les protéger? Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde (4): 16-17. pdf

    • Fink, S., Senn-Irlet, B., Scheidegger, C., & Gross, A., 2020. Welche Pilze kommen in Flussauen häufig vor und wie können wir sie schützen? Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde (4): 14-15. pdf

    • Fink, S., & Scheidegger, C., 2020. Monitoring von naturschutzrelevanten Pflanzen und Flechten in Auenlandschaften. Ingenieurbiologie: Mitteilungsblatt (4): 45-54. pdf

    • Fink, S., Scheidegger, C., 2022. Naturschutzplanung für Fliessgewässer-Auen unter Klimawandel. Auenmagazin: Magazin des Auenzentrums Neuburg a.d. Donau (21): 10-15. pdf

    • Rachelly, C., 2022. Sediment Supply Control on River Widening Morphodynamics and Refugia Availability. VAW-Mitteilungen. 265. Zürich: Eigenverlag der Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau, Hydrologie und Glaziologie (VAW), ETH Zürich.

    • Schleiss, A.J., Bühlmann, I., Thalmann, M., Maechler, G., Juez, C. und Franca, M. (2018). Feinsedimentdynamik in revitalisierten Flüssen. KW Korrespondenz Wasserwirtschaft 11(4):211-216, doi: 10.3243/kwe2018.04.004 pdf

    • Schroff R., Mörtl C., De Cesare G., 2021. Wirkungskontrolle einer Sedimentzugabe: Habitatvielfalt und Kolmation. WasserWirtschaft, 111(9): 68–76.

    • Schroff, R., Mörtl, C., Vonlanthen, P., De Cesare, G., 2022. Impacts et enjeux de charriage d’une crue artificielle – Exemple de la Petite Sarine 2020. Wasser Energie Luft, 114 (2): 75-84.

    • Schwindt, S., Franca, M.J. and Schleiss, A.J. (2018). Teildurchgängige Geschiebesammler für sicheren Rückhalt [Partially permeable sediment traps for safe bed load retention], Wasserwirtschaft 108(4):18-23, doi:10.1007/s35147-018-0026-y pdf

    • Twining, C.W., Weber, C., Kowarik, C., Gossner, M.M., Graham, C.H., Matthews, B. et al., 2022. Zum Fressen gern: Unsere Gewässer aus der Vogelperspektive. WEL 114: 68-74.

    • Vetsch, D., Allen, J., Belser, A., Boes, R., Brodersen, J., Fink, S., Franca, M., Juez, C., Nadyeina, O., Christopher, R. T., Scheidegger, Ch., Schleiss, A., Siviglia, A., Weber, Ch., Weitbrecht, V., 2018: Lebensraum Gewässer – Sedimentdynamik und Vernetzung : Forschungsprogramm «Wasserbau und Ökologie». Wasser, Energie und Luft, 110 (1): 19-24 pdf

    • van Rooijen, E., 2022. The Development and Application of a New Automatic Fluvial Mesohabitat Approach. VAW-Mitteilungen. 267. Zürich: Eigenverlag der Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau, Hydrologie und Glaziologie (VAW), ETH Zürich.

    • Weber, C., 2018. "Mögen Biber und Forelle die Rolling Stones? Über Kies und Co in kleinen Gewässern." Ingenieurbiologie 2018(4): 21-28. pdf

    • Weber, C., Belser, A., De Cesare, G., Fink, S., Vetsch, D., 2022. Wasserbau UND Ökologie: Zusammenarbeit über Disziplinen und Berufsfelder hinweg. Ingenieurbiologie 20: 12-20. pdf

    • Dubuis, R., De Cesare, G., 2022. Influence of vertical fluxes on the clogging of riverbed by fine sediment. Proceedings of the 39th IAHR World Congress. 659-666.

    • Dubuis, R., De Cesare, G., 2023. The clogging of riverbeds: A review of the physical processes. Earth-Science Reviews, 239: 104374.

    • Fink, S., Gross, A., Senn-Irlet, B., Scheidegger, C., 2021. Citizen science data predict high potential for macrofungal refugia outside protected riparian areas. Fungal Ecology, 49: 100981

    • Fink, S., Hoppler-Wiedmer, A., Zengerer, V., Egger, G., Schletterer, M., Scheidegger, C., 2022. Gene flow in a pioneer plant metapopulation (Myricaria germanica) at the catchment scale in a fragmented alpine river system. Scientific Reports, 12: 8570.

    • Fink, S., Scheidegger, C., 2018. Effects of barriers on functional connectivity of riparian plant habitats under climate change. Ecological engineering, 115: 75-90.

    • Fink, S., Scheidegger, C., 2021. Changing climate requires shift from refugia to sanctuaries for floodplain forests. Landscape Ecology, 36: 1423-1439.

    • Gerke, E., Vetsch, D.F., Boes, R., 2021. Einlassbauwerke von Retentionsräumen im Nebenschluss von Fliessgewässern. Proceedings of the Wasserbau-Symposium 2021 (Zurich, Switzerland, 15-17 September 2021). 239-247.

    • Juez, C., Schärer, C., Jenny, H., Schleiss, A. J., Franca, M. J., 2019. Floodplain land cover and flow hydrodynamic control of overbank sedimentation in compound channel flows. Water Resources Research, 55: 9072– 9091.

    • Kowarik, C., Martin-Creuzburg, D., Mathers, K.L., Weber, C., Robinson, C.T, 2023. Stream degradation affects aquatic resource subsidies to riparian ground-dwelling spiders. Science of the Total Environment, 855: 158658.

    • Kowarik, C., Martin-Creuzburg, D., Robinson, C.T., 2021. Cross-ecosystem linkages: Transfer of polyunsaturated fatty acids from streams to riparian spiders via emergent insects. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9: 707570.

    • Mathers, K.L., Kowarik, C., Rachelly, C., Robinson, C.T., Weber, C., 2021. The effects of sediment traps on instream habitat and macroinvertebrates of mountain streams. Journal of Environmental Management, 295: 113066.

    • Mathers, K.L., Michalec, F.-G., Holzner, M., Weber, C., 2020. Beneath the surface: Application of transparent super absorbent polymer substrates to track faunal activity within the sediment layer. Freshwater Biology, 65(11): 1923-1935.

    • Mathers, K.L., Robinson, C.T., Weber, C., 2021. Artificial flood reduces fine sediment clogging, and enhances subsurface physicochemical conditions and hyporheic accessibility for macroinvertebrates. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2(4): e12103.

    • Mathers, K.L., Robinson, C.T., Weber, C., 2022. Patchiness in flow refugia use by macroinvertebrates following an artificial flood pulse. River Research and Applications, 38: 696-707.

    • Mathers, K.L., Robinson, C.T., Weber, C., Wood, P, 2022. The importance of substrate heterogeneity and vertical hydrological connectivity for ecological diversity. In: International Symposium on Bedload Management (eds. Wyss, CR, De Cesare, G, Lane, SN, Marti, C, Nitsche, M, Pauli, M et al.). Wasser-Agenda 21 Interlaken, Switzerland.

    • Mörtl, C., De Cesare, G., Boes, R., 2021. Untersuchung der ökomorphologischen Wirksamkeit von Sedimentzugaben unterhalb von Talsperren. Proceedings of the Wasserbau-Symposium 2021 (Zurich, Switzerland, 15-17 September 2021). 165-172.

    • Mörtl, C., Vorlet, S.L., Manso, P., De Cesare, G., 2020. The sediment challenge of Swiss river corridors interrupted by man-made reservoirs. River Flow 2020: Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics (Delft, Netherlands, 7-10 July 2020).

    • Rachelly, C., Friedl, F., Boes, R. M., & Weitbrecht, V., 2021. Morphological response of channelized, sinuous gravel‐bed rivers to sediment replenishment. Water Resources Research, 57(6): e2020WR029178.

    • Rachelly, C., Mathers, K.L., Weber, C., Weitbrecht, V., Boes, R.M., Vetsch, D.F., 2021. How does sediment supply influence refugia availability in river widenings? Journal of Ecohydraulics, 6(2): 121-138.

    • Rachelly, C., Vetsch, D. F., Boes, R. M., Weitbrecht, V., 2022. Sediment supply control on morphodynamic processes in gravel‐bed river widenings. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 47(15): 3415-3434.

    • Rachelly, C., Weitbrecht, V., Vetsch, D.F., Boes, R.M., 2018. Morphological development of river widenings with variable sediment supply. River Flow 2018 - Ninth International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics (Lyon-Villeurbanne, France, September 5-8, 2018), 40: 02007.

    • Scheidegger, C., Weber, C., De Cesare, G., Vetsch, D.F., Belser, A., 2021. Praxisorientierte Forschung im Bereich Wasserbau und Oekologie. Proceedings of the Wasserbau-Symposium 2021 (Zurich, Switzerland, 15-17 September 2021). 597-604.

    • Schroff, R., Mörtl, C., De Cesare, G., 2021. Ultrasonic Doppler flow velocity measurements as a co-indicator for the eco-morphological assessment in a residual flow reach. Proceedings of the 13th Symposium on Ultrasonic Doppler Methods for Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Engineering. 107-111.

    • Takatsu, K., Brodersen, J., 2023. Repeated elevational clines of early life‐history traits and their proximate mechanisms in brown trout. Freshwater Biology, 68(4): 609-620.

    • Takatsu, K., Delarue, C., Heller, N., Saboret, G., & Brodersen, J., 2022. Relationships between egg size and maternal size, life history forms, and habitats of Greenlandic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). Environmental Biology of Fishes. 1-10.

    • Takatsu, K., Selz, O. M., Brodersen, J., 2022. Temperature regime during embryogenesis alters subsequent behavioural phenotypes of juvenile brown trout. Biology Letters, 18(11): 20220369.

    • van Rooijen, E., Siviglia, A., Vetsch, D.F., Boes, R.M., Vanzo, D., 2022. Quantifying fluvial habitat changes due to multiple subsequent floods in a braided alpine reach. Journal of Ecohydraulics: 1-21.

    • van Rooijen, E., Vanzo, D., Vetsch, D. F., Boes, R. M., Siviglia, A., 2021. Enhancing an unsupervised clustering algorithm with a spatial contiguity constraint for river habitat analysis. Ecohydrology, 14(4): e2285.

    • Woellner, R., Scheidegger, C., Fink, S., 2021. Gene flow in a highly dynamic habitat and a single founder event: proof from a plant population on a relocated river site. Global Ecology and Conservation, 28: e01686.

    • Aerne, L., 2020. Links between substrate structure, aquatic invertebrate communities and brown trout ecology: A case study within and among Swiss streams. Master Thesis. University of Zurich.

    • Bianchi, A., 2018. Analyse ausgewählter Objekte des Bundesinventars der Auengebiete von nationaler Bedeutung. Master Thesis, ETH Zürich/ Eawag/ VAW. pdf

    • Friese, N., 2019. The influence of flow velocity and sediment characteristics on macroinvertebrate drift. Master’s thesis, Radboud University Nijmegen/ University Duisburg Essen/ Eawag.

    • Kowarik, C., 2022. Cross-ecosystem linkages - anthropogenic impacts on subsidy transfer from streams to riparian zones by emergent aquatic insects. Doctoral Thesis, ETH Zurich.

    • Rachelly, C., 2022. Sediment Supply Control on River Widening Morphodynamics and Refugia Availability. Doctoral Thesis, ETH Zurich.

    • Schibler, M., 2020. Auswirkungen von Wasseraufenthalt und Abstürze der Samen der Myricaria germanica. Bachelor’s thesis, ETH Zürich/WSL. pdf

    • Schroff, R., 2020. Eco-Morphological Evaluation of a Residual Flow Reach Restoration Measure. Master Thesis. Technical University Munich.

    • Stirnemann, A., 2018. Niche differentiation and genetic structure of Bactrospora dryina in Swiss hardwood floodplain and coppice-with-standards forests. Master Thesis, Uni Bern/ WSL. pdf

    • van Rooijen, E., 2022. Development and application of a new automatic fluvial mesohabitat approach. Doctoral Thesis, ETH Zurich.

    • Wiedmer, A., 2018. Spatiotemporal dynamics of a riparian plant along three floodplains in the Swiss Alps. Master Thesis, Uni Zürich/ WSL. pdf