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Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds

Kristian Ions, Xin Wang, N. Mori, Dominic Reeve, Harshinie Karunarathna Orcid Logo

Applied Ocean Research, Volume: 173, Start page: 105146

Swansea University Authors: Kristian Ions, Xin Wang, Dominic Reeve, Harshinie Karunarathna Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.apor.2026.105146

Abstract

Laboratory experiments have been used to investigate the impact of flexible vegetation on sediment suspension over rippled sandy beds. Flexible vegetation mimics were examined across a range of wave conditions and stem densities, with rigid vegetation cases included for comparison. Measurements of v...

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Published in: Applied Ocean Research
ISSN: 0141-1187 1879-1549
Published: Elsevier BV 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa72143
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Flexible vegetation mimics were examined across a range of wave conditions and stem densities, with rigid vegetation cases included for comparison. Measurements of velocity and suspended sediment concentration were used to compare near-bed hydrodynamics, bedform response, and sediment resuspension within the vegetation canopies. The results show that stem flexibility does not modify the dominant mechanisms governing near-bed sediment suspension when ripples are present. Flexible vegetation did not significantly modify ripple crest height or wavelength relative to bare sediment beds (p &gt; 0.05), whereas rigid vegetation disrupted ripple geometry in the majority of cases tested (p &lt; 0.05). Flexible canopies produced modest, statistically non-significant reductions in near-bed velocity of 0&#x2013;5% relative to bare-bed conditions, confined to the lower 25% of the stem height, compared to reductions of 14&#x2013;23% under rigid canopies (p &lt; 0.001), which was observed over the entire stem length. Near-bed TKE within flexible canopies was statistically indistinguishable from bare-bed values across all conditions tested (p &gt; 0.74), consistent with suppression of stem-generated vortex shedding due to stem reconfiguration and the preservation of ripple-induced turbulence as the dominant near-bed TKE source. Near-bed suspended sediment concentration collapsed onto a single power-law relationship with near-bed velocity across all vegetation types, densities, and wave conditions (R&#xB2; = 0.97), with good agreement obtained using bare-bed ripple formulations applied with measured near-bed velocities. The results indicate that, for wave propagation over vegetated rippled beds, sediment resuspension is governed primarily by bedform-scale processes rather than by vegetation-induced TKE. The findings contrast with flat-bed and dense-canopy studies and highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for bedforms when modelling sediment transport in vegetated coastal environments.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Applied Ocean Research</journal><volume>173</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>105146</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0141-1187</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1879-1549</issnElectronic><keywords>Sediment suspension; Waves; Flexible vegetation; Nature based solution; Experimental study; Bedforms</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>8</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2026</publishedYear><publishedDate>2026-08-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.apor.2026.105146</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Aerospace Civil Electrical and Mechanical Engineering</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>ACEM</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>External research funder(s) paid the OA fee (includes OA grants disbursed by the Library)</apcterm><funders>This research is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) UK Doctoral Training Partnership of Swansea University (EP/T517987/1) grant. We would like to thank Dr. J.M. Horrillo-Caraballo for the assistance during the experiments. KI XW and HK acknowledge Leverhulme Trust Research Grant RPG-2023-235. We also extend thanks to The Great British Sasakawa Foundation Grant No. 6365 and the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University International Collaborative Research Grant 2023IG-02 for facilitating research collaboration between Swansea University and DPRI. NM is also supported by JICA/JST SATREPS Program (JPMJSA2110). 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spelling 2026-06-23T11:22:56.0449315 v2 72143 2026-06-23 Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds 364f2d380fbdc5e825ee2cfdc2e10396 Kristian Ions Kristian Ions true false b0ce4aa1ac181e0ccc3388ce3641111b Xin Wang Xin Wang true false 3e76fcc2bb3cde4ddee2c8edfd2f0082 Dominic Reeve Dominic Reeve true false 0d3d327a240d49b53c78e02b7c00e625 0000-0002-9087-3811 Harshinie Karunarathna Harshinie Karunarathna true false 2026-06-23 ACEM Laboratory experiments have been used to investigate the impact of flexible vegetation on sediment suspension over rippled sandy beds. Flexible vegetation mimics were examined across a range of wave conditions and stem densities, with rigid vegetation cases included for comparison. Measurements of velocity and suspended sediment concentration were used to compare near-bed hydrodynamics, bedform response, and sediment resuspension within the vegetation canopies. The results show that stem flexibility does not modify the dominant mechanisms governing near-bed sediment suspension when ripples are present. Flexible vegetation did not significantly modify ripple crest height or wavelength relative to bare sediment beds (p > 0.05), whereas rigid vegetation disrupted ripple geometry in the majority of cases tested (p < 0.05). Flexible canopies produced modest, statistically non-significant reductions in near-bed velocity of 0–5% relative to bare-bed conditions, confined to the lower 25% of the stem height, compared to reductions of 14–23% under rigid canopies (p < 0.001), which was observed over the entire stem length. Near-bed TKE within flexible canopies was statistically indistinguishable from bare-bed values across all conditions tested (p > 0.74), consistent with suppression of stem-generated vortex shedding due to stem reconfiguration and the preservation of ripple-induced turbulence as the dominant near-bed TKE source. Near-bed suspended sediment concentration collapsed onto a single power-law relationship with near-bed velocity across all vegetation types, densities, and wave conditions (R² = 0.97), with good agreement obtained using bare-bed ripple formulations applied with measured near-bed velocities. The results indicate that, for wave propagation over vegetated rippled beds, sediment resuspension is governed primarily by bedform-scale processes rather than by vegetation-induced TKE. The findings contrast with flat-bed and dense-canopy studies and highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for bedforms when modelling sediment transport in vegetated coastal environments. Journal Article Applied Ocean Research 173 105146 Elsevier BV 0141-1187 1879-1549 Sediment suspension; Waves; Flexible vegetation; Nature based solution; Experimental study; Bedforms 1 8 2026 2026-08-01 10.1016/j.apor.2026.105146 COLLEGE NANME Aerospace Civil Electrical and Mechanical Engineering COLLEGE CODE ACEM Swansea University External research funder(s) paid the OA fee (includes OA grants disbursed by the Library) This research is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) UK Doctoral Training Partnership of Swansea University (EP/T517987/1) grant. We would like to thank Dr. J.M. Horrillo-Caraballo for the assistance during the experiments. KI XW and HK acknowledge Leverhulme Trust Research Grant RPG-2023-235. We also extend thanks to The Great British Sasakawa Foundation Grant No. 6365 and the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University International Collaborative Research Grant 2023IG-02 for facilitating research collaboration between Swansea University and DPRI. NM is also supported by JICA/JST SATREPS Program (JPMJSA2110). Lastly, the authors acknowledge PDRI International Collaborative Research Grant FY2023. 2026-06-23T11:22:56.0449315 2026-06-23T10:50:41.8150799 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Civil Engineering Kristian Ions 1 Xin Wang 2 N. Mori 3 Dominic Reeve 4 Harshinie Karunarathna 0000-0002-9087-3811 5 72143__37028__98fbcef7d9c9401780438fbad0c67cab.pdf 72143.VOR.pdf 2026-06-23T10:54:48.1863609 Output 13381617 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2026 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
spellingShingle Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
Kristian Ions
Xin Wang
Dominic Reeve
Harshinie Karunarathna
title_short Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
title_full Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
title_fullStr Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
title_full_unstemmed Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
title_sort Experimental study of wave-driven sediment suspension in flexible vegetation canopies with rippled beds
author_id_str_mv 364f2d380fbdc5e825ee2cfdc2e10396
b0ce4aa1ac181e0ccc3388ce3641111b
3e76fcc2bb3cde4ddee2c8edfd2f0082
0d3d327a240d49b53c78e02b7c00e625
author_id_fullname_str_mv 364f2d380fbdc5e825ee2cfdc2e10396_***_Kristian Ions
b0ce4aa1ac181e0ccc3388ce3641111b_***_Xin Wang
3e76fcc2bb3cde4ddee2c8edfd2f0082_***_Dominic Reeve
0d3d327a240d49b53c78e02b7c00e625_***_Harshinie Karunarathna
author Kristian Ions
Xin Wang
Dominic Reeve
Harshinie Karunarathna
author2 Kristian Ions
Xin Wang
N. Mori
Dominic Reeve
Harshinie Karunarathna
format Journal article
container_title Applied Ocean Research
container_volume 173
container_start_page 105146
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 0141-1187
1879-1549
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.apor.2026.105146
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Civil Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Civil Engineering
document_store_str 1
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description Laboratory experiments have been used to investigate the impact of flexible vegetation on sediment suspension over rippled sandy beds. Flexible vegetation mimics were examined across a range of wave conditions and stem densities, with rigid vegetation cases included for comparison. Measurements of velocity and suspended sediment concentration were used to compare near-bed hydrodynamics, bedform response, and sediment resuspension within the vegetation canopies. The results show that stem flexibility does not modify the dominant mechanisms governing near-bed sediment suspension when ripples are present. Flexible vegetation did not significantly modify ripple crest height or wavelength relative to bare sediment beds (p > 0.05), whereas rigid vegetation disrupted ripple geometry in the majority of cases tested (p < 0.05). Flexible canopies produced modest, statistically non-significant reductions in near-bed velocity of 0–5% relative to bare-bed conditions, confined to the lower 25% of the stem height, compared to reductions of 14–23% under rigid canopies (p < 0.001), which was observed over the entire stem length. Near-bed TKE within flexible canopies was statistically indistinguishable from bare-bed values across all conditions tested (p > 0.74), consistent with suppression of stem-generated vortex shedding due to stem reconfiguration and the preservation of ripple-induced turbulence as the dominant near-bed TKE source. Near-bed suspended sediment concentration collapsed onto a single power-law relationship with near-bed velocity across all vegetation types, densities, and wave conditions (R² = 0.97), with good agreement obtained using bare-bed ripple formulations applied with measured near-bed velocities. The results indicate that, for wave propagation over vegetated rippled beds, sediment resuspension is governed primarily by bedform-scale processes rather than by vegetation-induced TKE. The findings contrast with flat-bed and dense-canopy studies and highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for bedforms when modelling sediment transport in vegetated coastal environments.
published_date 2026-08-01T06:13:01Z
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