Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sediment Transport In Wind-Exposed Shallow, Vegetated Aquatic Systems, Allen Michael Teeter

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ecosystems with submersed vegetation are relatively shallow, physically stable and of moderate hydrodynamic energy. Submersed vegetation affect hydrodynamic friction for currents and waves resulting in increased overall frictional loss. Seagrasses shelter the sediment bed and reduce wind-wave resuspension. Bed sheltering factors were estimated from previous flume data on Laguna Madre seagrass species. Data from Laguna Madre indicate that total suspended material levels for bare areas are about an order of magnitude higher than some areas with submersed vegetation. Waves in Laguna Madre at depths less than 2 m were found to be smaller than those expected for the same non-dimensional …