Modelling long-term alluvial-peatland dynamics in temperate river floodplains

Swinnen, Ward; Broothaerts, Nils; Verstraeten, Gert

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6181-2021

Articles | Volume 18, issue 23

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6181-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6181-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 23

Research article

|

01 Dec 2021

Research article |

| 01 Dec 2021

Modelling long-term alluvial-peatland dynamics in temperate river floodplains

Ward Swinnen, Nils Broothaerts, and Gert Verstraeten

Data sets

Daily discharge measurements, Sint-Joris-Weert (Dijle) VMM (Flemish Environmental Agency) https://www.waterinfo.be/station/01L08_098

Daily discharge measurements, Hulshout (Grote Nete) VMM (Flemish Environmental Agency) https://www.waterinfo.be/station/04gnt05a-1066

Model code and software

model code alluvial peatlands (Swinnen et al., 2021 – Biogeosciences) W. Swinnen https://doi.org/10.17632/vrz6gm7nhp.1

Stream SE Manual version 2.0. (IVM Report; No. R-03/13) J. C. J. H. Aerts and L. M. Bouwer https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/1936669/f12.pdf

Short summary

Here we present a new modelling framework specifically designed to simulate alluvial peat growth, taking into account the river dynamics. The results indicate that alluvial peat growth is strongly determined by the number, spacing and movement of the river channels in the floodplain, rather than by environmental changes or peat properties. As such, the amount of peat that can develop in a floodplain is strongly determined by the characteristics and dynamics of the local river network.