Why Should We Care About Temporary Waterways?

Acuña, Vicenç; Datry, Thibault; Marshall, Jonathan; Barceló, Damià; Dahm, Clifford N.; Ginebreda, Antoni; McGregor, Glenn B.; Sabater, Sergi; Tockner, Klement; Palmer, Margaret A.

doi:10.1126/science.1246666

Cited by 301 publications

(255 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Although the question of flow permanence has drawn increasing attention in scientific and policy arenas [23], the fundamental problem of quantifying the status of flowing water in stream networks represents a long-standing challenge. Flow permanence in streams can be classified based on the processes that generate flows [24] and the corresponding timing, duration, and extent of flows at any given location [1].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Statistical Method to Predict Flow Permanence in Dryland Streams from Time Series of Stream Temperature

Arisméndi

Dunham

Heck

et al. 2017

Water

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Intermittent and ephemeral streams represent more than half of the length of the global river network. Dryland freshwater ecosystems are especially vulnerable to changes in human-related water uses as well as shifts in terrestrial climates. Yet, the description and quantification of patterns of flow permanence in these systems is challenging mostly due to difficulties in instrumentation. Here, we took advantage of existing stream temperature datasets in dryland streams in the northwest Great Basin desert, USA, to extract critical information on climate-sensitive patterns of flow permanence. We used a signal detection technique, Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), to extract information from daily time series of stream temperature to diagnose patterns of stream drying. Specifically, we applied HMMs to time series of daily standard deviation (SD) of stream temperature (i.e., dry stream channels typically display highly variable daily temperature records compared to wet stream channels) between April and August (2015-2016). We used information from paired stream and air temperature data loggers as well as co-located stream temperature data loggers with electrical resistors as confirmatory sources of the timing of stream drying. We expanded our approach to an entire stream network to illustrate the utility of the method to detect patterns of flow permanence over a broader spatial extent. We successfully identified and separated signals characteristic of wet and dry stream conditions and their shifts over time. Most of our study sites within the entire stream network exhibited a single state over the entire season (80%), but a portion of them showed one or more shifts among states (17%). We provide recommendations to use this approach based on a series of simple steps. Our findings illustrate a successful method that can be used to rigorously quantify flow permanence regimes in streams using existing records of stream temperature.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Statistical Method to Predict Flow Permanence in Dryland Streams from Time Series of Stream Temperature

Arisméndi

Dunham

Heck

et al. 2017

Water

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“…NPRS are among the most dynamic, complex and diverse freshwater systems Acuña et al, 2014). They are located in all regions worldwide, and they are by far the most dominant river type in arid and semi-arid areas McDonοugh et al, 2011;Acuña et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are located in all regions worldwide, and they are by far the most dominant river type in arid and semi-arid areas McDonοugh et al, 2011;Acuña et al, 2014). NPRS may account for N50% of the total lenght of the global river network, including low order streams (Datry et al, 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…NPRS provide habitat for a diverse and unique flora and fauna (Meyer et al, 2007;Larned et al, 2010;Bonada and Resh, 2013;Acuña et al, 2014). They function as biogeochemical hotspots that retain, transform, and transfer carbon, nutrients and particulate matter McDonοugh et al, 2011;Bernal et al, 2013;Datry et al, 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Historically, European Mediterranean (EU-Med) NPRS have been undervalued by both water managers and ecologists Nikolaidis et al, 2013), and they remain among the least studied freshwater ecosystems worldwide (Uys and O'Keeffe, 1997;Jacobson et al, 2004;Ryder and Boulton, 2005;TempQsim Consortium, 2006;Acuña et al, 2014;Datry et al, 2014a). This corresponds to the widespread societal view that, according to Sabater et al (2009) "People in arid and semi-arid regions have the least respect towards rivers, since the rivers are often dry or have catastrophic floods, and are therefore viewed more as a danger than as a natural resource to be preserved".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-perennial Mediterranean rivers in Europe: Status, pressures, and challenges for research and management

Skoulikidis

Sabater

Datry

et al. 2017

Science of The Total Environment

223

134

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Non-perennial rivers and streams (NPRS) cover N 50% of the global river network. They are particularly predominant in Mediterranean Europe as a result of dry climate conditions, climate change and land use development. Historically, both scientists and policy makers underestimated the importance of NRPS for nature and humans alike, mainly because they have been considered as systems of low ecological and economic value. During the past decades, diminishing water resources have increased the spatial and temporal extent of artificial NPRS as well as their exposure to multiple stressors, which threatening their ecological integrity, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural and functional characteristics of NPRS in the European Mediterranean, and discuss gaps and problems in their management, concerning their typology, ecological assessment, legislative and policy protection, and incorporation in River Basin Management Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Science of the Total Environment j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / s c i t o t e n vPlans. Because NPRS comprise highly unstable ecosystems, with strong and often unpredictable temporal and spatial variability -at least as far as it is possible to assess -we outline the future research needs required to better understand, manage and conserve them as highly valuable and sensitive ecosystems. Efficient collaborative activities among multidisciplinary research groups aiming to create innovative knowledge, water managers and policy makers are urgently needed in order to establish an appropriate methodological and legislative background. The incorporation of NPRS in EU-Med River Basin Management Plans in combination with the application of ecological flows is a first step towards enhancing NPRS management and conservation in order to effectively safeguard these highly valuable albeit threatened ecosystems.

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Riparian zones attenuate nitrogen loss following bark beetle‐induced lodgepole pine mortality

et al. 2016

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A North American bark beetle infestation has killed billions of trees, increasing soil nitrogen and raising concern for N loss impacts on downstream ecosystems and water resources. There is surprisingly little evidence of stream N response in large basins, which may result from surviving vegetation uptake, gaseous loss, or dilution by streamflow from unimpacted stands. Observations are lacking along hydrologic flow paths connecting soils with streams, challenging our ability to determine where and how attenuation occurs. Here we quantified biogeochemical concentrations and fluxes at a lodgepole pine-dominated site where bark beetle infestation killed 50-60% of trees. We used nested observations along hydrologic flow paths connecting hillslope soils to streams of up to third order. We found soil water NO 3 concentrations increased 100-fold compared to prior research at this and nearby southeast Wyoming sites. Nitrogen was lost below the major rooting zone to hillslope groundwater, where dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) increased by 3-10 times (mean 1.65 mg L À1 ) and NO 3 -N increased more than 100-fold (3.68 mg L À1 ) compared to preinfestation concentrations. Most of this N was removed as hillslope groundwater drained through riparian soils, and NO 3 remained low in streams. DON entering the stream decreased 50% within 5 km downstream, to concentrations typical of unimpacted subalpine streams (~0.3 mg L À1 ). Although beetle outbreak caused hillslope N losses similar to other disturbances, up to 5.5 kg ha À1 y À1 , riparian and in-stream removal limited headwater catchment export to <1 kg ha À1 y À1 . These observations suggest riparian removal was the dominant mechanism preventing hillslope N loss from impacting streams. (2016), Riparian zones attenuate nitrogen loss following bark beetle-induced lodgepole pine mortality,

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Why Should We Care About Temporary Waterways?

Abstract: Intermittently flowing streams and rivers should be recognized, afforded protection, and better managed.

Cited by 301 publications

References 16 publications

A Statistical Method to Predict Flow Permanence in Dryland Streams from Time Series of Stream Temperature

A Statistical Method to Predict Flow Permanence in Dryland Streams from Time Series of Stream Temperature

Non-perennial Mediterranean rivers in Europe: Status, pressures, and challenges for research and management

Riparian zones attenuate nitrogen loss following bark beetle‐induced lodgepole pine mortality

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