Channel Metamorphosis, Floodplain Disturbance, and Vegetation Development: Ain River, France R.A. Marston, J. Girel, G. Pautou, H. Piegay, J.P. Bravard and C. Arneson Journal Article 1995 WWRC-95-14 In Geomorphology -13:121-131,1995 Richard A. Marston Department of Geography and Recreation University of Wyoming Jacky Girel and Guy Pautou Laboratoire de Biologie Alpine University de Grenoble, Grenoble, France Herve Piegay URA-CNRS 260 de Geographie Rhodanienne 69362 Lyon Cedex 07, France Jean-Paul Bravard Departement de Geographie Universite de Paris IV-Sarbonne, Paris, France Chris Arneson Wyoming Water Resources Center University of Wyoming 1995 Reprinted from Geomorphology 13 (1995) 121-131 Channel metamorphosis, floodplain disturbance, and vegetation development: Ain fiver, France Richard A. Marston a, Jacky Girel b, Guy Pautou b, Heme Piegay ', Jean- Paul Bravard d, Chris Ameson = a Department of Geography and Recreation, Universityof Wyoming, Luramie, WY 82071-3371, USA Luboratoire de Bioiogie Alpine, Universiti de Grenoble I-Joseph Fourier, 38041 Grenoble, France URA-CNRS 260 de Gkographie Rhodanienne, 69362 Lyon Cedex 07, France Dipartemens de Giographie, Universite' de Pans IV-Sorbonne, 75005 Paris, France ' Wyoming Water Resources Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071-3067,.USA ELSEVIER An International Journal of Pure and Applied Geomorphology Editors-in-Chief A.M. Harvey, Liverpool, U.K. J.D. Vitek, Stillwater, OK, U.S.A. Book Review Editor J.D. Vitek. 1019 W. Osage Drive, Stillwater, OK 74075-2138, U.S.A. Editorial Board F. Ahnert, Aachen, Germany Mukang Han, Beijing, P.R. of China V.R. Baker, Tucson, Ariz., U.S.A. C. Ollier, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia T.N. Caine, Boulder, Colo., U.S.A. Y. Ota. Kawasaki, Japan D. Ford, Hamilton, Ont., Canada M. 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Marston a, Jacky Girel b, Guy Pautou ', Herve Piegay ', Jean- Paul Bravard d, Chns Arneson a Department of Geography and Recreation, Universin, of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071-3371, USA Laboratoire de Biologie Alpine, Universite de Grenoble I-Joseph Fourier, 38041 Grenoble, France URA-CNRS 260 de Giographie Rhodanienne, 69362 Lyon Cedex 07, France Dkpartement de Ge'ographie. Universite de Paris IV-Sorbonne, 75005 Paris, France Wyoming Water Resources Center, Universin of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 -3067, USA Received 1 March 1995; revised 1 April 1995; accepted 15 April 1995 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain channel metamorphosis of the Ain River in east-central France and the effects of this metamorphosis on floodplain disturbance and vegetation development. The Ain River is a 195 km long stream originating in the Jura Mountains which flows into the Rhdne River between Lyon, France, and Geneva, Switzerland. The lower 40 km of the Ain River, beyond the mountain front. are situated in a valley of outwash deposits where the floodplain is 0.2 to 1.2 km wide. A complex mosaic of floodplain landscape units has developed. Maps dating back to 1766 and six sets of aerial photographs dated between 1945 and 1991 were used to document changes in channel pattern. Aerial photos and field surveys were used to compile maps of landscape units based on dominant vegetation life-forms, species, and substrate. Six maps dated between 1945 and 1991 were digitized in ARC/INFO and an overlay was generated to determine the changes in landscape units as related to channel disturbance. Change from a braided to a single-thread meandering channel probably took place in the period 1930-1950. The process of river entrenchment has occurred throughout the Holocene but has accelerated in the present century due to shortening of the river course, construction of lateral embankments, and vegetation encroachment following reservoir construction and cessation of wood-cutting and grazing. The increase in horizontal channel stability coupled with channel entrenchment have decreased floodplain disturbance and lowered the water table by approximately one meter. Pioneer and disturbance-dependent landscape units have experienced a more terrestrial-like succession to an alluvial forest. Abandoned channels have also been replaced by alluvial forests. On poorly drained soils, shrubswamp communities of willow and hydrophytic herbaceous plants have been replaced by mixed forests of ash, alder, black poplar, and oak. On well drained alluvial soils, ash and oak dominated hardwood forests have declined in favor of mesophytic stands of black poplar. All types of vegetation, but particularly dry grasslands-shrublands, have been cleared for mines, campgrounds, agriculture, and other types of development. Using several measures, landscape diversity decreased between 1945 and 199 1.