Drag Coefficient of Rigid and Flexible Deciduous Trees in Riparian Forests

Abstract

Considerable parts of riparian forests around the world are covered by deciduous trees and tall shrub species with rigid trunk and flexible-broadleaf. Experiments are conducted on artificial rigid and flexible models to estimate drag coefficient and resistance to flow for deciduous trees in forest floodplains under nonsubmerged condition. The rigid and flexible models with similar size and configuration are tested in a laboratory flume to clearly determine the effects of vegetation flexibility and density, and the flow velocity and depth on the roughness coefficients. Ratios of the flexible to rigid drag forces and drag coefficients indicate considerable effects of flexibility on the roughness coefficients. In this study, the flexural rigidity of the tree leaf is used in the roughness equations to account for vegetation flexibility instead of the traditionally used tree trunk flexural rigidity. This is based on the assumption that foliage flexibility governs tree reaction to the flow for most species of deciduous trees and leafy tall shrub families. The developed roughness coefficient equations are scaled up to determine the variation of Manning’s n-value with increase of flow depth for a riparian canopy of black willow. The estimated Manning’s n-values are compared with the reported Manning n-values for the same black willow canopy.