TLALOC: a spatio-temporal model of vegetation dynamics related to erosive and sedimentologic dynamics in marly gullies

Abstract

The marly gullies of the French Southern Alps are frequently subjected to torrential floods. The latter are responsible for erosive hazards leading to damages downstream (increase of flood risk, silting of hydroelectric dams). For erosion control, using bioengineering allows creating stabilization of the gully floors, revegetating them and favouring vegetation dynamics. In this context, we developed a spatio-temporal and stochastic model simulating natural vegetation dynamics on the stabilized soil (installation, growth, competition, mortality) at the plant scale, as well as flood events (depending on frequency, date and intensity) and their impact on vegetation. The final objective of this model is to estimate the successful probability of a bioengineering work in sediment trapping.