Predictors of low instream wood abundance in Cretan steep streams

Our new paper demonstating the role of low tree density in riparian corridors on low abundance of instream wood in steep nonperennial streams was just published in Water Resources Research. Thus, the paper provides deeper understanding of recruitment and retention procecess of instream wood at the reach scale in vulnerable environment of Mediterranean semiarid landscapes, which was based on our detailled measurements in 37 independent channel reaches in Lefka Ori Mts., Crete, Greece. The parameter of elevation controlled mean annual percipitations, which in turn were reflected in the composition of riparian canopy along the steep mountain streams. It is also interesting that the mobilized wood tended to be stored as individual, dispersed pieces rather than in jams, likely due to overall low instream wood abundance which effectively prevented clustering of wood into large jams.

Deposited instream wood in the Kallikratis gorge.