Wave attenuation in a partially vegetated flume

Abstract

Wave attenuation in partially vegetated aquatic environments remains an underexplored area of research. This study addresses this gap by conducting laboratory experiments to examine the influence of vegetation on wave dynamics. The wavelength‐to‐vegetation spacing ratio is essential to quantifying the behavior of the waves within and around vegetated areas. Laboratory experiments measure wave height variations along the longitudinal and transverse directions in areas of partial vegetation coverage. Our results indicate that, for experimental cases where vegetation patches extended only a few wavelengths in the propagation direction, when the wavelength‐to‐vegetation spacing is greater than one, attenuation across the partially vegetated flume approaches uniformity; in contrast, when the ratio is smaller than one, wave attenuation occurs predominantly within the vegetated region. This study advances our understanding of the complex interactions between waves and vegetation, providing a foundation for further engineering and ecological research.