Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants

Abstract

Riparian forests are structured and maintained by their hydrology. Woody riparian plants typically adapt to the local flood regime to maximise their likelihood of survival and reproductive success. Understanding how extant trees form and reproduce in response to flood disturbance is crucial for predicting vegetation changes and informing restoration. Working in a temperate evergreen riparian forest, we aimed to determine whether disturbance-based responses of plants found in other ecosystems also typify woody plants in riparian forests where disturbances are often mild or chronic, non-lethal, annual events. Using plant surveys and 20-year modelled hydrological data, we examined whether (1) t..