Scholarly Article
RFID tracking for monitoring in-stream wood mobility in a small coastal mediterranean mountainous river: Implementation and preliminary results
Charles, François, Laveissière, Lucas, Groc, Michel, Magdalou, Jean-André, Garrigue, Joseph
2025-12-01 · Life and Environment · Sorbonne Université
Abstract
Rivers transport a wide variety of materials, ranging from submillimeter-sized sediment particles to entire trees. The transported wood, constituting a vital component of wooded river ecosystems, constantly alters the morphology of watercourses and influences river flow. Given the inherently complex and varied nature of river systems, a thorough exploration of their diversity is justified to identify recurring trends in the dynamics of wood transport. This need becomes imperative in regions already facing prolonged episodes of drought, frequent heatwaves, and an increase in extreme precipitation events. In the specific context of the Massane River, a small Mediterranean mountain river, our study aimed to lay the groundwork for a long-term monitoring of in-stream wood transport by the watercourse. We began by inventorying the wood present in the riverbed in the upper part of the watercourse. This inventory involved measuring, identifying the species, assessing the state of degradation, and geolocating all the pieces of wood present. To estimate the transport, we introduced pieces of wood representative of the fraction of the stock that was potentially mobilizable, marked with RFID tags. The results indicate that wood was present almost throughout the considered section of the watercourse. About one-third of the total volume of the wood stock could be transported during a bankfull flood. RFID tracking revealed that a moderate rise in water level could move such pieces nearly 4 kilometers downstream. This work marks the initiation of a long-term monitoring effort to trace the movement of in-stream wood from the river's source to its estuary and examine the relationship between flood event types and the extent of wood transport.
Keywords
RIVERS, WATER RISE, LARGE WOODY DEBRIS, RADIO TELEMETRY, TRACKING, DISPLACEMENT LENGTH
Citation Details
Life and Environment