10 – Floodplain forest: natural defence and home to wildlife

  • description Description

    The floodplain forest is a green belt that stretches along watercourses, in areas prone to flooding. It is an ecosystem teeming with life, shaped by the alternation of floods and dry spells, offering ideal conditions for many plant and animal species. In these areas, you’ll find trees well-adapted to damp conditions, such as willows, poplars, alders and elms, accompanied by dense undergrowth of grasses, climbing plants and shrubs. This vegetation is renewed thanks to the river’s natural transport of seeds and sediments.

    The floodplain forest plays an essential ecological role

    • it provides shelter and food for birds, amphibians, insects, reptiles and small mammals
    • it protects the banks from erosion thanks to the plants’ root systems
    • slows the flow of water during floods, reducing the risk of flooding downstream
    • it filters sediments and pollutants, improving water quality
    • contributes to soil fertility through organic matter and natural decomposition cycles.

    Conserving it means protecting biodiversity, maintaining the balance between the river and the surrounding land, and strengthening resilience to the effects of climate change.

    Their distinctive feature is their ability to connect different environments: wetlands, woods, meadows and hillsides. Through these natural connections, numerous species can move, feed, reproduce and find refuge.

    Did you know that…

    The Ticino River in flood can reach a flow rate of around 350 m³/s?

    During a flood event, depending on the volume of water being carried, the sediments in the riverbed are also moved.

    The flood flow is therefore often composed of water and solid materials which, with their force, are sometimes capable of moving large boulders or uprooting plants.

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  • image Illustrations
    Floodplain forest scheme

    (a) maximum flood level (b) riverbed (1) frequently flooded (2) permanently flooded (3) frequently flooded (4) rarely flooded (5) never flooded

    Grey heron

    Ardea cinerea

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  • cards_stack Play along the river

    10 – Activity in the territory

    Find a log or a large object moved by the flood. Try to imagine how much it weighs and how much force would be needed to move it.

    10 – Question

    Why is it increasingly difficult to see large portions of riparian forests (gallery forests) along the river?

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