Abstract
This chapter is a review of studies on vegetation dynamics on a freshwater delta ecosystem after a permanent water level drawdown. Floodplain wetlands are globally threatened and have long been recognized as sensitive to changes in the hydrological regime. The original floodplain vegetation types were left “hanging” over the new water level, and secondary successions were immediately initiated both in the original vegetation and on the newly exposed sediments. Permanent transects were established running from the original vegetation toward the new water’s edge. Repeated analyses were conducted to document plant dynamics over a period of 33 years. The focus has been to analyze the dynamics of the decomposition of the original vegetation, the development of new vegetation on exposed sediments, and the varying fertility of plants. The plants’ responses are discussed in relation to effects of important environmental factors and why the original vegetation has not been reestablished after the regulation.