Damage by episodic flooding to Phragmites reeds in a prealpine lake : proposal of a model

Abstract

The development of lakeside fringes of Phragmites reeds can be affected by high water levels, leading in extreme cases to die-back. A model is presented that allows estimation of the proportions of the damage. The model - formulated for I year and one Phragmites stalk - is based on the growth curve of the stalk, the altitude of the growth site, and the water level curve for the year. Applied to a reed stand over a series of years, the model is based upon the frequency distribution of the critical stalk length and the chance that the water level will be below a given value, each parameter being time dependent. Three case studies from Lake Constance-Untersee provide an example of the significance of episodic high water levels. Hence, aestival high water levels are expected to be one of the main factors controlling the lakeside frontline of the reedbelt. The model can be used in waterworks engineering, where reed plantations are to be established on the shores of lakes and reservoirs with strongly fluctuating water levels.