Dear ResearchGate users, I'm looking for some work showing how riparian plant growth, or any other related physiological mechanism, can be modulated by distance from the riverbank. In other words, if distance from the river bank can influence in a difference manner growth-streamflow variability relations. Thus far I've only found a statement in a review by Naiman and Decamps (The Ecology of Interfaces: Riparian Zones), where the authors claimed that "Distance from the river and microtopographic variations determine lag times between rising discharge in the main channel and arrival of water on-site". Unfortunely, no citation joined this statement.
Thank you in advance for any suggestion!
This question appears dated,so I will give brief answer and expand later if needed. I dont think one can generalize about riparian plant growth and distance from stream bank. There is substantial variability in riparian areas, water tables, flooding freuency, contribution to and from groundwater, soils, rainfall, etc. And I dont think the statement provided necessarily supports the argument as a generalization. Flood frequency and duration may or may not favor growth, it depends on the circumstances.