connectivity of river flow
DESCRIPTION
Connectivity of River Flow. Marisa Hendron Limnology 475/575 Presented November 25, 2009 Prof. Mark Sytsma. Flow Characteristics. Vertical Nutrient Cycling Longitudinal Navigation Lateral Floodplain Interaction. Figure from Alley et al., 2002, Science. The Hyporheos. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Connectivity of River Flow
Marisa HendronLimnology 475/575
Presented November 25, 2009Prof. Mark Sytsma
Flow Characteristics
Figure from Alley et al., 2002, Science
•Vertical• Nutrient Cycling
•Longitudinal• Navigation
•Lateral•Floodplain Interaction
The Hyporheos• Defined by saturated sediments experiencing
flow surrounding riverbed
- Nitrification- High Phosphate Concentration- Oxidation of Methane, Sulfides- Respiration, turnover of OC- Contains dissolved O from surface water
-Denitrification, Ammoniafication- Reduction of sulfate- Methanogenesis- Low Dissolved Oxygen- High Silica Concentration
Flow & River Health
• Natural flow develops heterogeneous patches and supports biodiversity
• Upwelling aerates fish eggs in sediment• Groundwater is loaded with bio-available solutes• Longitudinal flow regulates transport of sediment and organic matter
http://www.treehugger.com/salmon-snake-river-photo.jpg
Flow, Hyporheic Ecology & Lake Nutrients• Function of hyporheos influences amount and
type of nutrients that reach lakes
http://waterontheweb.org/under/lakeecology/06_watershed.html
•Chemical processes in rivers differ greatly between low and high flow periods
Disturbances in Flow
Richter, et al. Restoring Environmental Flow by Modifying Dam Operations, Figures 1 & 3
Above: Green River, KentuckyRight: San Joaquin River, California
Consequences of Flow Disturbance
• Reduction of natural flood cycles reduces biodiversity long-term
•Natural geomorphological processes are diminished
•Nutrient cycles are disrupted
Restoration EffortsCase Study: Merced River, CA
• Initial restoration did not account for three dimensional flow dynamics
• Flow variation across time is important for shaping river morphology and species composition
http://merced.stillwatersci.com/pdf/6/vol1/Figures.pdf
Conclusions
• Maintenance of all dimensions of flow in lotic systems is important for proper nutrient cycling and biological function.• Riverine ecology will affect the quality of water and nutrients received by lentic systems within the watershed.• Connectivity is a key dimension of river flow and
should be emphasized in the development of restoration plans.
Bibliography• Hendricks, Susan. Microbial ecology of the hyporheic zone: a perspective
integrating hydrology and biology. The North American Benthological Society, Vol 12, No. 1 (Mar., 1993), pp. 70-78.
• Howard, K. W. F. et al. Ground-Surface Water Interactions and the Role of the Hyporheic Zone in Groundwater and Ecosystems. Ed. Alper Baba et al. Nato Science Series, Vol. 70, 2005.
• Kondolf, Mathias G. et al. Process-Based Ecological River Restoration: Visualizing Three-Dimensional Connectivity and Dynamic Vectors to Recover Lost Linkages. 2006. Ecology and Society Vol. 11, No. 2.
• Nilsson, Christer and Birgitta Malm Renofalt. Linking Flow Regime and Water Quality in Rivers: A Challenge to Adaptive Catchmetn Management. 2008. Ecology and Society, Vol 13, No. 2, pp. 18-38.
• Richter, Brian D. and Gregory A. Thomas. Restoring Environmental Flows by Modifying Dam Operations. 2007. Ecology and Society Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 12.
• Stanford, Jack and J. V. Ward. An Ecosystem Perspective of Alluvial Rivers: Connectivity and the Hyporheic Corridor. The North American Benthological Society, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Mar., 1993), pp. 48-60.
• Thomaz, Sidinei et al. Floods increase similarity among aquatic habitats in river-floodplain systems. Hyperbiologia (2007) 579: 1-13.
• Thorp, James H. et al. The Riverine Ecosystem Synthesis. Elsevier Inc, 2008.