Our research of instream wood in Mediterranean environment

This year, we continued with investigations of the abundance and geomorphic effect of instream wood in Mediterranean fluvial systems. In June, we again visited the Lefka Mts (the highest mountain range in Crete, Greece) to assess predictors of instream wood loads in intermittent and ephemeral streams draining this mountain range. We measured parameters of wood together with channel geometry and riparian forest characteristics in ca. 40 channel reaches. The preliminary results show that the frequency of instream wood has rather a random character, whereas the biomass in riparian forests is important for instream wood volumes in small Mediterranean channels. 

Wood deposited by a previous flood outside the bankfull channel.

Step consisted of instream wood acting as sediment retention element.

During late September, we also investigated characteristics of instream wood in larger intermittent river (the Evrotas) draining the Peloponnese peninsula. Together with colleagues from Hellenic Center of Marine Research (Dr. Vardakas, Prof. Kalogianni) we also tried to find connections between the occurrence of instream wood and local endemic fish species. The examined river is interesting by alterations of hydrologic (dry vs. wet channels) and geomorphic (single thread vs. wandering) patterns. These alterations are reflected in the abundance of instream wood together with the character of riparian trees and occasional removal of instream wood by local people.

Instream wood in a single-thread wet reach.

The stump transported by a previous flood into dry wandering channel.

Now we are processing field data from both studied areas and we are planning to prepare related scientific articles during the first moths of 2019.