Influence of flood on the natural riparian forests in the area of the Ergis River

The riparian forests in the Ergis River area, composed of Salicaceae species, are important for the maintenance of the eco-environment and the promotion of sustainable development of local agriculture, stockbreeding and the social economy in the northern desert region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.The study of the influence of floods on the natural riparian forests is imperative for the understanding of the process of succession and the acceleration of conservation and restoration of the forests.We investigated the relationships between flood and the dispersal of seeds, sprouting, natural regeneration, the structure of the forests and its current distribution.We conclude that:1) the maturing and dispersal period of the seeds of Salicaceae species is largely overlapped with periods of flood, and the sprouting of seeds and natural regeneration depend heavily on floods;2) floods complement soil water and increase the groundwater level of the riparian land through flooding and lateral seeping which sustains the normal growth of riparian forests;3) floods have a decisive influence on the structure, composition and distribution pattern of riparian forests and any disturbance in the water flow will have a profound effect on these characteristics.Given these results, some management measures for conservation and restoration are proposed.These include the establishment of riparian forest buffer zones, bank stabilization measures and maintenance of flood protection.