Current Research Topics in the UK: Use of Woody Vegetation for River Bank Stabilization with Special Reference to Willows

The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded an eight-month study in 1996 to asses the current status of and gaps in knowledge regarding the use of vegetation to stabilise river banks. Results of this study are summarised, and thirty-five research topics are identified, which will help to direct funding priorities within the national research programmes. Multi-disciplinary cooperation is emphasised, as the complex interactions among the fluvial processes of flowing water, sediment transport and deposition, hydraulic and geotechnical the expertise of multi-functional research teams. These teams will need greater communication between disciplines, with river managers and the public to aid in implementing BMPs into river management practice.