The aims of the Flobar2 project were to address knowledge-gaps in present scientific understanding of river-floodplain biological and physical systems 
by exploring:     
- scientific aspects of the impact of different flow regimes on the growth and regeneration of floodplain plant species and the impact of floodplain vegetation 
on flood retention.     
Furthermore the project targeted to integrate scientific understanding of these interactions between abiotic and biotic factors on floodplains with 
the decision-making mechanisms involved in water allocation in river catchments. 
            

The project seeks to contribute to the enhancement of the ecological quality of riparian ecosystems in Europe through the development of water allocation 
guidelines.    
A main focus of the project was on floodplain forests    
    
 The project developed scientific guidelines for the application of river flow prescriptions which benefit floodplain ecosystems while maintaining acceptable 
levels of flood control.     
-Furthermore aspects of the relationships between hydrological inputs to a floodplain and plant response measured in terms of water consumption, growth 
and the diversity of regeneration strategies were quantified     
-Additionaly the flow resistance associated with woody riparian vegetation using field studies and mathematical modelling was investigated.     
-During the project the effectiveness of selected institutional arrangements for restoring floodplain environments at different spatial scales and 
in different national/local settings was investigated and compared. 
            

The project seeked to contribute to the enhancement of the ecological quality of riparian ecosystems in Europe through the development of water allocation 
guidelines.    
   
The public available products are:    
    
Report 'Guidance for policy makers and river managers in Europe on the restauration of floodplain forests', 96 pages  (Generic)    
    
Publications of the FloBar 2 project:    
    
Allain, C.J. (2002) Relations vegetation-ecoulement-transport solides dans les lits des rivieres etudes de l'Isere dans le Gresivaudan. These, Docteur 
de l'INPG, Grenoble, France, 201pp [NB: link is to large .pdf file, 8.4Mb]     
Barsoum, N. (2001). Regeneration: requirements and promotion measures. In EUFORGEN Technical Bulletin: In situ conservation of Populus nigra (Editors 
Lefèvre, F., Barsoum,N. Heinze,B., Kajba D., Rotach, P., de Vries, S.M.G. and Turok, J.).International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. 
pp-16-24.     
Barsoum, N. (2001). Relative contributions of sexual and asexual regeneration strategies in Populus nigra and Salix alba during the first years of establishment 
on a braided gravel bar bed. Evolutionary Ecology 15,255-279     
Barsoum, N., Muller, E. and Skot, L. (2004). Variations in levels of clonality among Populus nigra L. stands of different ages. Evolutionary Ecology (in 
press).     
Guilloy-Froget, H. (2002). Evaluation des conditions favorables à l'établissement de Populus nigra et Salix alba en milieu riverain. Thèse de doctorat 
de l'Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, 146 pp.     
Guilloy-Froget, H., Muller, E, Barsoum, N. and Hughes, F.M.R. (2002) Dispersal, germination and survival of Populus nigra (L.) (Salicaceae) in changing 
hydrologic conditions. Wetlands 22(3):478-488     
Hughes, F.M.R. (2002) Can we manage rivers to benefit alluvial woodlands? In, Barbara van Dam and Sandor Bordacs (eds) Genetic diversity in river populations 
of European Black Poplar. Proceedings of an international symposium held in Szekszard, Hungary 16-20 May, 2001, pp187-196.     
Hughes, F.M.R. and Rood, S.B. (2003) Allocation of river flows for restoration of floodplain forest ecosystems: a review of approaches and their applicability 
in Europe. Environmental Management 32, 12-33     
Lambs, L. (2000) Correlation of conductivity and stable isotope 18O for the assessment of water origin in river system. Chemical Geology 164, 161-170     
Lambs, L. and Berthelot, M. (2002) Monitoring water from the underground to the tree: first results with a new sap extractor on a riparian woodland. Plant 
and Soil 242: 197-207     
Lambs, L., Loudes, J.-P. and Berthelot, M. (2002) The use of the stable oxygen isotope (O18) to follow the water distribution and absorption in riparian woodlands. 
Nukleotika 47: S71-S74     
Lambs L. and Muller E. (2002). Sap flow and water transfer in the Garonne River riparian woodland, France: first results on poplar and willow. Ann. For. Sci. 
59: 301-315.     
Lambs, L. (2003). Mélange des eaux de la nappe phréatique et de la rivière. Actualité Chimique Sept-Aout p 48-50     
Lambs, L., Loubiat, M. and Richardson, W. (2003) The use of stable isotopes to evaluate water mixing and water use by flood plain trees along the Garonne river. 
Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies 39, 301-310     
Lambs, L. (2004) Interactions between groundwater and surface water at river banks and the confluence of rivers. Journal of Hydrology 288: 312-326     
Marigo, G., Peltier, J.-P., Girel, J. and Pautou, G. (2000) Success in the demographic expansion of Fraxinus excelsior L. Trees 15: 411-437.     
Moss, T. (2004): The Governance of Land Use in River Basins. Prospects for Overcoming Problems of Institutional Interplay with the EU Water Framework Directive. 
Land Use Policy , Vol 21/1, 85-94     
Moss, T. (2003): Regional Governance and the EU Water Framework Directive. Institutional Fit, Interplay and Scale. In: Lafferty, William M. and Narodslawsky, 
Michael (eds.): Regional Sustainable Development in Europe. The Challenge of Multi-Level Cooperative Governance. ProSus, Oslo, 201-230.     
Muller, E., Guilloy-Froget, H., Barsoum, N. et Brocheton, L. (2002). Populus nigra L. en vallée de Garonne : legs du passé et contraintes du présent. C.R. 
Biologies 325: 1-11.     
Muller E., and Lambs L. (2004). Variation journalière de la consommation d'eau de deux peupliers I214 et I45/51 en vallée de Garonne. Forêt-Entreprise (in 
press).     
Richards, K S (2001) Floods, channel dynamics, and riparian ecosystems. In Mosley, M. P. (ed.) Gravel-Bed Rivers V, New Zealand Hydrological Society, Wellington 
NZ, 465-477     
Richards, K., Brasington, J. and Hughes, F.M.R. (2002) Geomorphic dynamics of floodplains:ecological implications and a potential modelling strategy. 
Freshwater Biology 47:559-579     
Tabacchi, E., Lambs, L., Guilloy, H., Planty-Tabacchi, A.M., Muller, E. and Decamps, H. Impact of riparian vegetation on hydrological Processes. Hydrological 
Processes, 14: 2959-2976.     
Tissier, J. , Lambs, L., Peltier, J,-P. and Marigo G. (2004) Relationships between hydraulic traits and habitat preference for six Acer species occurring 
in the French Alps, Annals of Forest Science 61, 81-86     
Winfield, M and Hughes, F.M.R. (2002) Variations in the genetic, morphometric and growth characteristics of Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia clones: implications 
for river restoration in the U.K. Wetlands 22(1):33-48     
Xiong, S., Johansson, M.E., Hughes, F.M.R., Hayes, A., Richards, K.S. and Nilsson, C. (2003) Interactive effects of soil moisture, vegetation canopy, 
plant litter and seed addition on plant diversity in a wetland community. Journal of Ecology, 91, 976-986