Recovery times of riparian vegetation

Riparian vegetation is a key element in a number of processes that determine the ecogeomorphological features of the river landscape. Depending on the river water stage fluctuations, vegetation biomass randomly switches between growth and degradation phases and exhibits relevant temporal variations. A full understanding of vegetation dynamics is therefore only possible if the hydrological stochastic forcing is considered. In this vein, we focus on the recovery time of vegetation, namely the typical time taken by vegetation to recover a well-developed state starting from a low biomass value (induced, for instance, by an intense flood). The analytical expression of the plot-dependent recovery time is given, the role of hydrological and biological parameters is discussed, and the impact of river-induced randomness is highlighted. Finally, the effect of man-induced hydrological changes (e.g., river damming or climate changes) is explored.