“…Subsequently, many studies have examined the basic underpinning that floodplain-river connections are important drivers of biodiversity and have suggested that other factors also contribute to the ecology of large river systems in temperate areas (Tockner et al, 2000;Junk & Wantzen, 2004). However, frequent and high-magnitude floods during the growing season can be associated with many undesirable effects (Jackson & Pringle, 2010), such as high-nutrient loadings (Kreiling et al, 2013), decreased invertebrate diversity (Galir & Palijan, 2012;Górski et al, 2013), dispersal of invasive species, suppressed growth of submersed aquatic vegetation, and limited recruitment of woody vegetation (Sparks, 1995;Robertson et al, 2001;Tockner & Stanford, 2002). Responses of abiotic and biotic factors to different flooding intensities need to be better understood in order to quantify tradeoffs among ecological services associated with benefits of restoring and reconnecting backwater lakes and wetlands, particularly in hydrologically modified river systems (Ward et al, 2001;Tockner & Stanford, 2002).…”