BeddegradationfollowedbyintensivelocalscouringandterrestrializationoffloodplainshaveoccurredinalowlandsegmentoftheKisoRiver.Thefluctuationsofriverbedsincludingfloodplainsforthelasthalf-century(1960s-2010s)wereexaminedinthestudysegment.Beddegradationoccurredovertime,coincidingwithterrestrializationoffloodplainsfollowedbyestablishmentofripariantreesfrom1980s.Beddegradationexposedclaylayeroftheuppermostalluvium(UA)intheriverbedandthenintensivelocalscouringoccurredthroughtheUAinsomeplaces.Althoughshallowarealessthan4mindepthbroadlyspreadinthestudysegment,thereweretwoprimarylocalscouring:onehad20minmaximumdepth,200minlength,and110minwidth,andanotherhad12minmaximumdepth,1200minlength,and20-80minwidth.Floodplainwaterbodies(FWBs),whicharehabitatsforthreatenedfreshwatermusselsandbitterlings,becamesmallerandmoreabundantwithterrestrialization,andrelativeheightofFWBstothemainchannelincreased.ExcavationofterrestrialisedfloodplainsurfaceswithdeforestationhavebeenimplementedtoimprovehabitatqualityofFWBsandconservethethreatenedspecies. |