FluBig: Fluvial Biogeomorphology across multiple scales

Study site:: Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Duration: 01.02.2024-31.01.2027

Contact:  Florian Betz

Since February 2024, the project “FluBig: fluvial biogeomorphology across multiple scales” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) has started. Jointly with colleagues from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and further colleagues from various European and Central Asian institutions, the Earth Observation Research Cluster will investigate the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan, a still free flowing river, to better understand how the interaction of vegetation and hydromorphology across a range of spatial and temporal scales shapes the riverine landscape.

FluBig is specifically dedicated to the question, how small-scale feedback mechanisms on the scales of river elements or hydraulic units influence the structures and processes on the scales of geomorphological units, reaches or even the entire river corridor and vice versa. We base upon an innovative combination of biogeomorphological succession theory along with the concept of panarchy and investigate the adaptive cycles and their linkages on these different scales. Case study is the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan. This is a still free flowing river on length of more than 600 km. Its large dimension along with high natural dynamics and diversity of river types along the longitudinal profile make this river an ideal case study for studying biogeomorphic interactions.

To enable the cross-scale analysis, we combine field methods for mapping vegetation traits and geomorphic characteristics with UAV surveys and up-to-date remote satellite remote sensing to quantify adaptive cycles on different scales. Afterwards, panarchies are constructed and operationalized for different river types occurring in the Naryn River corridor.  With this research, we aim to advance the quantification of biogeomorphological feedbacks in river corridors across multiple scales. This leads to a better understanding of the complex process regimes being the foundation of river corridor functioning and ecosystem service provision.