Author(s)

E. Rigon, F. Comiti, L. Mao & M. A. Lenzi

Abstract

The present work analyses the linkages between basin geology, shallow landslides, streambed morphology and debris flow occurrence in several small watersheds of the Dolomites (Italian Alps). Field survey and GIS analysis were carried out in order to seek correlations among basin area, basin geology, spatial frequency of landslides, in-channel wood storage, and local bed slope. Keywords: large woody debris, landslides, bed morphology, Alps. 1 Introduction Along with sediments, shallow landslides in forested basins supply channels with wood elements, which may have a strong impact on both channel morphology/stability and on debris flow dynamics. Headwater channels, which make up 60–80% of the cumulative channel length in mountainous terrain [10, 11], are characterized by a strong coupling between hillslope and channel processes, in contrast to lowland streams. The switch between different transport mechanisms (e.g., bedload transport to debris flows) in the same channel often depends on the occurrence of shallow landslides feeding sediment in otherwise sediment-limited systems. Along with sediments, shallow landslides in forested basins supply channels with wood elements, which may have a strong impact on both channel morphology/stability

Keywords

large woody debris, landslides, bed morphology, Alps.