Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-233-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-233-2026
Research article
 | 
20 Mar 2026
Research article |  | 20 Mar 2026

Spatiotemporal dynamics of Sentinel-2 NDVI as indicators of bio-hydromorphological interactions: implications for river management

Yuexia Zhou, Yuji Toda, and Runye Zhu

Cited articles

Al Mehedi, M. A., Saki, S., Patel, K., Shen, C., Cohen, S., Smith, V., Rajib, A., Anagnostou, E., Bindas, T., and Lawson, K.: Spatiotemporal variability of channel roughness and its substantial impacts on flood modeling errors, Earths Future, 12, e2023EF004257, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004257, 2024. 
Balke, T., Herman, P. M., and Bouma, T. J.: Critical transitions in disturbance – driven ecosystems: identifying Windows of Opportunity for recovery, J. Ecol., 102, 700–708, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12241, 2014. 
Bertoldi, W., Drake, N. A., and Gurnell, A. M.: Interactions between river flows and colonizing vegetation on a braided river: exploring spatial and temporal dynamics in riparian vegetation cover using satellite data, Earth Surf. Process. Landf., 36, 1474–1486, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2166, 2011. 
Betz, F., Lauermann, M., and Egger, G.: Biogeomorphology from space: Analyzing the dynamic interactions between hydromorphology and vegetation along the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan based on dense satellite time series, Remote Sens. Environ., 299, 113890, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2023.113890, 2023. 
Boothroyd, R. J., Nones, M., and Guerrero, M.: Deriving planform morphology and vegetation coverage from remote sensing to support river management applications, Front. Environ. Sci., 9, 657354, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.657354, 2021. 
Download
Short summary
We analyzed ten years of satellite images of the Chikuma River in Japan to track how riparian vegetation respond to floods and relative elevation. Greenness dropped most at low elevations after floods, while higher areas stayed relatively stable. Growth followed a clear late-summer peak. These findings show when and where vegetation control can best improve flow capacity and reduce flood risk, supporting practical river management.
Share