Planform characteristics and development of interchannel wetlands in a gravel-bed anastomosing river, Maqu Reach of the Upper Yellow River

doi:10.1007/s11442-017-1441-1

Abstract

Abstract:

Both interchannel wetlands and multi-channels are crucial geomorphologic units in an anastomosing river system. Planform characteristics and development of interchannel wetlands and multi-channels control the characteristics of anastomosing rivers. To understand the role that interchannel wetlands play in the development of anastomosing rivers, a study was conducted on the Maqu Reach of the Upper Yellow River (MRUYR), a gravel-bed anastomosing river characterized by highly developed interchannel wetlands and anabranches. Geomorphologic units in the studied reach were extracted from high resolution satellite imagery in Google Earth. The size distributions of interchannel wetlands and interchannel wetland clusters (IWCs), a special combination of interchannel wetlands and anabranches, were investigated. Geomorphologic parameters, including the ratio of interchannel wetland area to IWC area (P), shoreline density (D_l), and node density (D_n) were used to analyze planform characteristics of IWCs and the development of multi-channels in the studied reach. The results suggest that small or middle sized interchannel wetlands and large or mega sized IWCs are more common at the study site. The area of IWC (S_u) is highly correlated with other geomorphologic parameters. P increases with increasing S_u, and the upper limit is about 80%, which indicates that the development of interchannel wetlands and anabranches in the IWC is in the equilibrium stage. In contrast, D_l and D_n show a tendency to decrease with increasing S_u due to diverse evolution processes in IWCs with different sizes. There are three main reasons leading to the formation of IWCs: varying stream power due to the meandering principal channel; development of the river corridor due to the weakening of geologic structure control; and high stability of interchannel wetlands due to conservation by shoreline vegetation.

Key words: channel planform, gravel-bed anastomosing river, interchannel wetland, geomorphologic parameter, Yellow River

Boyi LIU, Suiji WANG. Planform characteristics and development of interchannel wetlands in a gravel-bed anastomosing river, Maqu Reach of the Upper Yellow River[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2017, 27(11): 1376-1388.

Figures/Tables 11

Figure 1

Figure 2

Table 1

Table 2

Figure 3

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Figure 4

Figure 5

Table 6

References 46

[1]	Abbado D, Slingerland R, Smith N D, 2005. Origin of anastomosis in the upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada. In: Blum M D, Marriott S B, Leclair S F. Fluvial Sedimentology VII. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 1-15. doi: 10.1002/9781444304350.ch1
[2]	Belletti B, Dufour S, Piégay H, 2015. What is the relative effect of space and time to explain the braided river width and island patterns at a regional scale?River Research and Applications, 31(1): 1-15. doi: 10.1002/rra.2714
[3]	Bertoldi W, Zanoni L, Tubino M, 2009. Planform dynamics of braided rivers.Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 34(4): 547-557. doi: 10.1002/esp.1755
[4]	Brice J C, 1964. Channel patterns and terraces of the Loup Rivers in Nebraska. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 422-D, Washington DC.
[5]	Bryant M, Falk P, Paola C, 1995. Experimental study of avulsion frequency and rate of deposition.Geology, 23(4): 365-368. doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1995)0232.3.CO;2
[6]	Chu L, Huang C, Liu Get al., 2014. Changes in ecological patterns of Maqu alpine wetland in Yellow River Source Area during 2000-2010.Progress in Geography, 33(3): 326-335. (in Chinese) doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2014.03.004
[7]	Church M, Rice S P, 2009. Form and growth of bars in a wandering gravel-bed river.Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 34(10): 1422-1432. doi: 10.1002/esp.1831
[8]	Friend P F, Sinha R, 1993. Braiding and meandering parameters. In: Best J L, Bristow C S. Braided Rivers. London, UK: Geological Society of London, 75: 105-111.
[9]	Gurnell A M, Petts G E, Hannah D Met al., 2001. Riparian vegetation and island formation along the gravel-bed Fiume Tagliamento, Italy.Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26(1): 31-62. doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1096-9837
[10]	Hooke J M, Yorke L, 2011. Channel bar dynamics on multi-decadal timescales in an active meandering river. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 36(14): 1910-1928. doi: 10.1002/esp.2214
[11]	Li Z,Wang Z, Pan Bet al., 2013a. Analysis of controls upon channel planform at the First Great Bend of the Upper Yellow River, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 23(5): 833-848. doi: 10.1007/s11442-013-1047-1
[12]	Li Z, Wang Z, Yu Get al., 2013b. River pattern transition and its causes along Maqu reach of Yellow River source region.Journal of Sediment Research, 3: 51-58. (in Chinese)
[13]	Liu H, Xu X, Wang Jet al., 2012. Type and distribution of aeolian geomorphology at Marqu Region of Upstream Yellow River.Arid Land Geography, 35(3): 348-357. (in Chinese) doi: 10.1007/s11783-011-0280-z
[14]	Jiang S, 2008. Analysis on variety trend of runoff between Dari and Maqu in the headwater region of Yellow River in the past 50 years.Geographical Research, 27(1): 221-228. (in Chinese)
[15]	Jones L S, Schumm S A, 1999. Causes of avulsion: An overview. In: Smith N D, Rogers J. Fluvial Sedimentology VI. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 171-178. doi: 10.1002/9781444304213.ch13
[16]	Kidová A, Lehotský M, Rusnák M, 2016. Geomorphic diversity in the braided-wandering Belá River, Slovak Carpathians, as a response to flood variability and environmental changes.Geomorphology, 272: 137-149. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.01.002
[17]	Makaske B, 2001. Anastomosing rivers: A review of their classification, origin and sedimentary products.Earth Science Reviews, 53(3): 149-196. doi: 10.1016/S0012-8252(00)00038-6
[18]	Makaske B, Smith D G, Berendsen H J A, 2002. Avulsions, channel evolution and floodplain sedimentation rates of the anastomosing upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada.Sedimentology, 49(5): 1049-1071. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3091.2002.00489.x
[19]	Makaske B, Smith D G, Berendsen H J Aet al., 2009. Hydraulic and sedimentary processes causing anastomosing morphology of the upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada.Geomorphology, 111(3/4): 194-205. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.04.019
[20]	Makaske B, Lavooi E, De Haas Tet al., 2017. Upstream control of river anastomosis by sediment overloading, upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada.Sedimentology, doi: 10.1111/sed.12361. doi: 10.1111/sed.12361
[21]	Miall A D, 1977. A review of the braided river depositional environment.Earth Science Reviews, 13(1): 1-62. doi: 10.1016/0012-8252(77)90055-1
[22]	Mikuś P, Wyżga B, Kaczka R Jet al., 2013. Islands in a European mountain river: Linkages with large wood deposition, flood flows and plant diversity.Geomorphology, 202: 115-127. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.09.016
[23]	Miller J R, 1991. Development of anastomosing channels in south-central Indiana.Geomorphology, 4: 221-229. doi: 10.1016/0169-555X(91)90005-U
[24]	Osterkamp W R, 1998. Processes of fluvial island formation, with examples from Plum Creek, Colorado and Snake River, Idaho.Wetlands, 18(4): 530-545. doi: 10.1007/BF03161670
[25]	Picco L, Mao L, Rainato Ret al., 2014. Medium-term fluvial island evolution in a disturbed gravel-bed river (Piave River, Northeastern Italian Alps). Geografiska Annaler: Series A,Physical Geography, 96(1): 83-97. doi: 10.1111/geoa.12034
[26]	Qi D, Li G, 2008. Status, causes and protection counter measures of wetland degradation in Maqu County in the Upper Yellow River.Wetland Science, 5(4): 341-347. (in Chinese)
[27]	Rice S P, Church M, Wooldridge C Let al., 2009. Morphology and evolution of bars in a wandering gravel-bed river; lower Fraser river, British Columbia, Canada.Sedimentology, 56(3): 709-736. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.00994.x
[28]	Rozo M G, Nogueira A C R, Truckenbrodt W, 2012. The anastomosing pattern and the extensively distributed scroll bars in the middle Amazon River.Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 37(14): 1471-1488. doi: 10.1002/esp.3249
[29]	Rust B R, 1978. A classification of alluvial channel systems. In: Miall A D. Fluvial Sedimentology. Canada Calgary: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, 187-198.
[30]	Schumm S A, 1968. Speculations concerning paleohydrologic controls of terrestrial sedimentation.Geological Society of America Bulletin, 79(11): 1573-1588. doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1968)79[1573:SCPCOT]2.0.CO;2
[31]	Singh M, Evans D, Friess Det al., 2015. Mapping above-ground biomass in a tropical forest in Cambodia using canopy textures derived from Google Earth.Remote Sensing, 7(5): 5057-5076. doi: 10.3390/rs70505057
[32]	Smith D G, Smith N D, 1980. Sedimentation in anastomosed river systems: examples from alluvial valley near Bannf, Alberta.Journal of Sedimentary Research, 50(1): 157-164. doi: 10.1306/212F7991-2B24-11D7-8648000102C1865D
[33]	Tabata K K, Hickin E J, 2003. Interchannel hydraulic geometry and hydraulic efficiency of the anastomosing Columbia River, southeastern British Columbia, Canada.Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 28(8): 837-852. doi: 10.1002/esp.497
[34]	Wang S, 2002. Comparison of formation model and channel stability between two different sorts of multiple channel river patterns.Acta Geoscientia Sinica, 23(1): 89-93. (in Chinese) doi: 10.1007/s11769-002-0045-5
[35]	Wang S, 2003. Architectures, relationships between discharges and width/depth ratios of stream cross profiles, and stream powers of anastomosing rivers.Acta Sedimentologica Sinica, 21(4): 565-570. (in Chinese) doi: 10.1007/BF02873154
[36]	Wang S, 2004. Simulation experiment of anastomosing multiple channel formation. In: Hu C, Tan Y. Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on River Sedimentation. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 1747-1753.
[37]	Wang S, 2008. Analysis of river pattern transformations in the Yellow River basin.Progress in Geography, 27(2): 10-17. (in Chinese)
[38]	Wang S, Chen Z, Smith D G, 2005. Anastomosing river system along the middle Yangtze River Basin, Southern China.Catena, 60(2): 147-163. doi: 10.1016/j.catena.2004.11.007
[39]	Wang S, Ni J, Wang Get al., 2004. Hydrological processes of an anastomosing river system on the Zhujiang River delta, China.Journal of Coastal Research, 43(Special Issue): 124-133.
[40]	Wang S, Ren M, 1999. A new classification of fluvial rivers according to channel planform and sediment characteristics.Acta Sedimentologica Sinica, 17(2): 240-246. (in Chinese)
[41]	Wang S J, Li J S, Yin S P, 2000. Basic characteristics and controlling factors of anastomosing fluvial systems.Chinese Geographical Science, 10(1): 31-38.
[42]	Wyrick J R, Klingeman P C, 2011. Proposed fluvial island classification scheme and its use for river restoration.River Research and Applications, 27(7): 814-825. doi: 10.1002/rra.1395
[43]	Yin S, Xie Q, Guan S, 2000. Study on anastomosed river with comparative sedimentology.Acta Sedimentologica Sinica, 18(2): 221-226. (in Chinese)
[44]	Yu G, Brierley G, Huang H Qet al., 2014. An environmental gradient of vegetative controls upon channel planform in the source region of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.Catena, 119: 143-153. doi: 10.1016/j.catena.2014.02.010
[45]	Yu G, Liu L, Li Zet al., 2013. Fluvial diversity in relation to valley setting in the source region of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 23(5): 817-832. doi: 10.1007/s11442-013-1046-2
[46]	Zanoni L, Gurnell A, Drake Net al., 2008. Island dynamics in a braided river from analysis of historical maps and air photographs.River Research and Applications, 24(8): 1141-1159. doi: 10.1002/rra.1086

Image	Satellite	Date	Covered reach (km)	Discharge (m3/s)
1	Worldview-02	Aug. 27, 2011	0-13.34	627
2	GeoEye-01	Jul. 29, 2013	13.41-45.18	1640
3	GeoEye-01	Aug. 1, 2013	45.18-64.81	1920
4	Landsat 8	Jul. 23, 2013	0-64.81	1610
5	Worldview-02	Mar. 8, 2011	25.25-59.81	113

Micro geomorphologic units	Definition
River corridor	Area of all geomorphologic units in the anastomosing river, including all channels and interchannel wetlands
Principal channel	The primary channel in an anastomosing river, which is usually the largest of all channels and has active water during low flow
Anabranches	All channels other than the principal channel
Interchannel wetlands	Vegetated land between channels
Interchannel wetland clusters	A combination of interchannel wetlands that develop on the same gravel bar and anabranches separating those interchannel wetlands

Code	S_u (ha)	I	P (%)	L_i (km)	D_l (km/km²)	N	D_n (node/km²)
U1	28.58	5	44.89	4.32	15.13	7	24.49
U2	63.51	16	65.40	8.08	12.72	33	51.96
U3	250.27	22	77.32	19.50	7.79	41	16.38
U4	404.15	47	73.51	43.70	10.81	83	20.54
U5	136.88	17	74.15	14.73	10.76	29	21.19
U6	44.21	15	66.02	6.93	15.67	24	54.29
U7	128.55	16	81.96	13.62	10.59	28	21.78
U8	25.31	9	37.56	3.94	15.58	12	47.42
U9	345.31	53	75.80	39.65	11.48	65	18.82
U10	331.36	44	71.27	32.82	9.90	64	19.31
U11	27.77	8	40.83	3.64	13.12	11	39.61
U12	163.57	28	73.58	21.67	13.25	36	22.01
U13	672.94	85	79.12	71.11	10.57	143	21.25
U14	54.45	14	50.81	7.75	14.23	28	51.42
U15	170.26	27	74.86	17.73	10.41	31	18.21
U16	119.13	15	70.07	13.97	11.73	16	13.43
U17	67.94	20	50.52	10.00	14.72	31	45.63
U18	1336.17	131	79.24	110.94	8.30	202	15.12
U19	177.93	48	63.95	24.47	13.75	56	31.47
U20	95.34	41	57.09	17.20	18.04	63	66.08
U21	321.44	54	78.85	35.77	11.13	67	20.84
U22	239.77	12	73.98	14.48	6.04	15	6.26
U23	6.46	2	33.25	0.82	12.66	3	46.47
U24	96.14	13	78.33	11.31	11.76	21	21.84
U25	70.64	4	71.70	5.92	8.37	7	9.91
U26	243.44	18	71.57	22.62	9.29	32	13.15
U27	183.42	26	83.21	18.86	10.28	45	24.53
U28	114.00	14	55.55	11.24	9.86	22	19.30
U29	260.51	29	73.11	20.06	7.70	40	15.35
U30	25.73	4	52.71	3.54	13.77	7	27.21

Area (ha)	Type	Interchannel wetlands number	Interchannel wetlands number frequency (%)	Total area (ha)	Total area frequency (%)
<0.1	Micro	231	27.24	8.70	0.19
0.1-1	Small	284	33.49	108.92	2.36
1-10	Middle	232	27.36	808.19	17.54
10-100	Large	97	11.44	2988.96	64.87
≥100	Mega	4	0.47	692.67	15.03

Area (ha)	Type	Number	Total area (ha)	Total area frequency (%)	Interchannel wetlands number	Number	Total number frequency (%)
<10	Small	1	6.46	0.10	< 10	6	5.14
10-50		5	151.59	2.44	10-20	10	20.31
50-100		6	448.02	7.22	21-50	10	36.80
100-200	Middle	8	1193.74	19.24	51-100	3	22.10
200-500	Large	8	2396.24	38.62	> 100	1	15.65
>500	Mega	2	2009.11	32.38