Biogeomorphic and zoogeomorphic feedbacks on fluvial processes

Walter Bertoldi, Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva, Lina Polvi

Biota and plants can substantially impact rivers form and function, with broad implications on fluvial dynamics and riverscapes. Plants, aquatic (e.g., macrophytes, algal mats, and biofilms) and terrestrial (e.g., trees, shrubs, and their roots, and large wood), together with invertebrates (e.g., crayfish) and vertebrates (e.g., fish and beavers) are relevant river engineers that alter their physical environment. By modifying the flow characteristics and sediment mobility, they potentially limit or increase sediment transport, thus modifying erosion and deposition patterns and river morphology. Significant advances have been made in recognizing these complex feedbacks and bidirectional interactions; yet, developing methods to quantify them remains challenging. In this session, we welcome contributions addressing the bio- and zoo-geomorphic feedbacks from sediment transport processes to the landscape scale, using field-based, computational, and experimental approaches.