Dear Yang Su,

I would say that every autochthonic plant in natural river bank ecosystem is suitable for decreasing of polluted water body. It strongly depends on the ecological conditions of a river. Certainly, there are completely different species suitable for rivers in eg. sub-montane regions or brackish water bodies. Also there are specific plants suitable for different biomes/ecosystems.

Effect of plants on river quality are (simplified):

- retaining of surface runoff as a possible source of contaminants (soil particles, fertilizers, etc.)

- stabilization of river bank and avoiding of lateral fluvial erosion

- some species of plants are phytoncides (a biologically active substances of plant origin that kills or inhibits the growth and development of bacteria, microscopic fungi, and protozoa)

- bank vegetation ecosystems provides shade for stream and avoids contact of water and direct sunlight what can reduce eutrophication

There are some more effects of river bank vegetation on quality of water bodies, if you are interested, please let me know.

Best regards

Tomas

Thanks a lot Tomas, it's really useful to my topic and it should be good if you could provide more information which is related to the topic and I also wish to know more in detail about what kind of plants that could affect in recovering river banks and water pollution.

Okey, I will be more specific :)

Functions of stable bank vegetation ecosystems:

- anti-erosion and anti-abrasion function - vegetation protect banks from flowing water. The research has shown that vegetation does increase the stability of riverbanks (e.g. Coppin & Richards 1990; Thorne 1990; Abernethy & Rutherfurd 1998; Simon & Collison 2002). Empirical works have demonstrated that alluvial channels supporting well-developed riparian vegetation are deeper, narrower and are migrating more slowly than their cleared equivalents (Graf 1978; Hickin 1984; Andrews 1984; Hey & Thorne 1986). The stabilising effects of plants include the reinforcement of soil by root systems and the reduction of soil moisture content through canopy interception and evapotranspiration (Greenway 1987, Coppin & Richards 1990; Simon & Collison 2002). Vegetation stems and foliage will also reduce near bank velocities and shear stresses thus reducing fluvial erosion (Gray & Sotir 1996; Li & Eddleman 2002). Even low root densities can provide substantial increases in shear strength compared to non-root-permeated soils,

- microclimatic function of bank vegetation - effect of vegetation on decreasing of air and soil temperature, decreasing of physical evaporation - forest canopies in some cases can decrease evaporation losses of 3000-5000 m3 of water,

- effect of bank vegetation on water quality - strongly related with transformation of surface runoff to underground runoff. By this transformation vegetation reduces an amount of flowing surface water direct to water body, ergo reduces driving force of erosion and also reduces pollutants possibly transported to water body by surface runoff. There are smaller nitrogen outputs form compact vegetation canopy stands. Filtration effect of river bank vegetation near agricultural land can infiltrate surface runoff which is enriched by nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides, nutrients or even heavy metals. Importance of retaining of heavy metals particularly in humus (litter) layer is high for food chain because heavy metals cannot be withdrawn from river ecosystems,

- bank vegetation influences also water flow outcome, catalyzes better self-purification and recovery of biological diversity. BD is perceived as equlibrium state between producers, consumers and reducers.

Abernethy, B. & Rutherfurd, I.D. (1998). Where along a river’s length will vegetation most effectively stabilise stream banks? Geomorphology 23, 55–75.

Andrews, E.D. (1984). Bed-material entrainment and hydraulic geometry of gravel-bed rivers in Colorado. Geological Society of America Bulletin 95, 371–378.

Coppin, N.J. & Richards, I.G. (1990). Use of Vegetation in Civil Engineering. Butterworths, London, UK. 312 pp.

Graf, W. (1978). Fluvial adjustments to the spread of tamarisk in the Colorado Plateau region. Geological Society of America Bulletin 89, 1491-1501.

Gray, D.H. & Sotir, R.B. (1996). Biotechnical and Soil Bioengineering Slope Stabilization: A Practical Guide for Erosion Control. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 400 pp.

Greenway, D.R. (1987). Slope Stability: Geotechnical Engineering and Geomorphology. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 230 pp.

Gregory, K.J. & Gurnell, A.M. (1988). Vegetation and river channel form and process. In: Biogeomorphology (ed.: H.A. Viles), Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 11–42. Available online in August 2011 at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X96000281

Hickin, E.J. (1984). Vegetation and river channel dynamics. Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien 28, 111–126.

Hey, R.D. & Thorne, C.R. (1986). Stable channels with mobile gravel beds. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 112, 671–689.

Hupp, C.R. (1986). Upstream Variation in Bottomland Vegetation Patterns, Northwestern Virginia. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 113, 421–430.

Li, M.-H. & Eddleman, K.E. (2002). Biotechnical engineering as an alternative to traditional engineering methods. A biotechnical streambank stabilization design approach. Landscape and Urban Planning 60, 225-242.

Simon, A. & Collison, A. J.C. (2002). Quantifying the mechanical and hydrologic effects of riparian vegetation on streambank stability. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 27, 527-546.

Thorne, C.R. (1990). Processes and mechanisms of river bank erosion. In: Vegetation and Erosion (ed.: J.B. Thornes), John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, 125-144.

I can write you down some species of plants I know are useful in this cases, but I am not sure if you can design them in your conditions... Do you have some specific water body on your mind?

first of all Water Treatment Plant is necessary before the water is discharged in nature.

Arvind, that is absolutely correct! But there are a lot of situations, when surface runoff is not collected into WTP. Even stormwater from urban runoff during torrential rainfall is not always part of urban drainage network... That is why is so important to reduce runoff from landscape and to keep river bank ecosystem in good conditions.

Absolutely, we should maintain the natural ecosystem of any water body, if not inside city then outside pathway. However if we consider the river Ganges in India, it might be the river with most attention seeking along with funding to clean it (at least in India). Silly reason for pollution is senseless allowance of polluting it. There are reports that all type of Industrial and municipal untreated waste is thrown in Ganges river. So this and other similar cases need water treatment before discharge.

Thanks guys. Tomas, it should be great if you could provide some species of plants which are useful to my topic and I am not clear about water body.

Are there some good examples that illustrate vegetation helps recover river bank successfully. By the way, the link you show me above has to pe purchased??? :( I want read it but ....

Arsenic remediation in China: "The surface of the completed storage area was vegetated, using local species suited to the conditions. Beside the plants other effective methods were also used...."  

http://www.pureearth.org/project/wenshan-arsenic-mining-remediation-2/

Sorry Arsenic, the database connection is error :( Could you pls send me again?

seems the website have some problem right now and may work soon. The link shows the methods of remediation used downstream arsenic mine.

Dear Yang Su,

Riparian vegetation like small, large and medium trees, shrubs, herbs etc are useful to prevent pollution in the river water. Beside this catchment area treatment plan, Dreging operation, installation of STP by calculation sewage coming from the nearby area. .... 

Good morning guys,

I wish you guys could give me some advice about the list as below, is there more information to be added or maybe wrong information included.

River restoration:

Thanks

Good morning,

first, there are some species of plants that could be used in restoration of riparian (river bank) vegetation. These species could be used in temperate broadleaf deciduous forest biome. I am not sure where they are autochthonous in the whole biom (i doubt), but could be used in some parts of Central, East and West Europe.

Plants of littoral zone: Glyceria aquatica (L.), Phragmites communis (L.), Scripus lacuster (L.), Typha angustifolia (L.), Typha latifolia (L.), Baldingera arundinacea (L.), Calamagorstis pseudophragmites (Hall.), Carex gracilis (Curt.), Deschamspia caespitosa (L.)...

Supralittoral plants: Salix sp., Alnus sp., Myricaria germanica, Populus sp., Cornus sanguinea (L.), Cerasus avium (L.), Carpinus betulus (L.)Lonicera nigra (l.), L. xylosteum (L.), Padus racemosa (Lam.), Quercus petrea (l.), Q. robur (l.), Q. rubra (l.), Tilia platyphyllos (Scop.), T. cordata (Mill.), Ulmus carpinifolia (Gled.), U. laevis (Pall.), Viburnum opulus (L.), etc.

And what is the intention of your above question (River restoration: 1. Hydrology, 2. Native hab. restoration, 3. Human society...)?

Good morning,

However, I am not sure lists are right or not. Therefore, I wish get some advice. Could you understand me Tomas?

the link I pasted earlier is working now, same website also have more projects completed around lake, river, mine tailing area. You can check for actual working examples and the plans.

Thank you Arvind ^~^o