Large rivers as complex adaptive ecosystems

Thoms, Martín; Sheldon, Fran

doi:10.1002/rra.3448

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Structural responses to anthropogenic stressors are relatively common in rivers (cf. Thoms & Sheldon, 2019), whether they be physical morphological responses or organismal changes. Studies of functional responses to anthropogenic stressors are limited by comparison.…”

Section: Emerging Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Thoms

Rose²,

Dyer

2020

River Research & Apps

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A perfect storm refers to an event in which a rare combination of circumstances significantly exacerbates the event. River science faces a potential perfect storm through the emergence of several factors. First, pronounced and persistent human modifications to catchments and rivers have resulted in regime shifts-a state change of riverine landscapes. Anthropocene Rivers have different ecosystem structures and functions and cannot return to their "natural state." This new regime challenges accepted river science paradigms, especially those focused on traditional models of stressor-response. Second, river science is rapidly transitioning from a multidisciplinary activity focused on biophysical structures and functions, to rivers as social-ecological systems. The rise of interdisciplinary research not only recognizes the high degree of coupling between natural and human components, but also the generation of river knowledge that is more socially accountable. Third, the application of scientific knowledge to solve "wicked" river problems continues. However, increasingly river managers are faced with decisions in an environment of high uncertainty about what they are managing, and the potential impacts of their actions. The manuscripts in this Special Issue highlight a potential perfect storm facing Australian riverine landscapes. The issue is dedicated to Professor Wayne Erskine; an intellectual leader of Australian river science for over 20 years. Focussed on the science and management of Australian Rivers, the 14 manuscripts broadly cover the areas in which Wayne made his greatest contributions: river processes and management. Each has a strong foundation in theory and has application in helping to solve some of the complex problems faced by Australia's river managers across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

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Section: Emerging Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Thoms

Rose²,

Dyer

2020

River Research & Apps

Self Cite

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“…Further, it is worth noting that our study was conducted in a large riverine ecosystem (the upper Han River is approximately 925 km long and the basin drains a catchment area of 95,200 km 2 ) and a single sampling procedure in the riverine network took at least 2 weeks. While large riverine ecosystems are complex adaptive ecosystems and socio‐ecological systems with high coupling and interaction between natural elements and human activities (Thoms & Sheldon, 2019). Furthermore, we sampled both the mainstream and tributaries for our study, which is the advised method in river health assessment according to current literature (Tang, Jia, Jiang, & Cai, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The performance of diatom indices in assessing temporal changes in water quality in a large lowland river ecosystem

Xiang

Liu

Burford

et al. 2020

River Research & Apps

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Benthic diatoms are often included in bioassessment programs of river health as sensitive indicators of nutrient status and pollution. Many diatom‐based indices have been developed and are frequently used to infer conditions in water quality. However, concerns have been raised regarding the robustness of these indices in riverine systems that have natural variability in environmental conditions, including seasonal change of water quality parameters, especially in terms of physical and chemical characteristics of water, which also influence diatom community composition. Here, we used three diatom‐based indices (Diatom‐based eutrophication/pollution index, EPI‐D; Biological Diatom Index, IBD; Watanabe's Index, WAT), which have previously been validated as robust for water quality assessment in China, to explore their response to temporal changes in water quality and diatom community structure in a riverine network over time. Concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3‐N), total phosphorus (TP), temperature (t), and turbidity in April 2010 were significantly higher than in November 2007. The 141 diatom taxa we found in April 2010 were fewer than the 194 taxa we found in November 2007. On both occasions, the three diatom indices responded to same water quality variables (phosphorus and chloride or nitrogen) as reported in previous studies. Of the three diatom indices tested, EPI‐D provided the most robust measure of natural seasonal changes in water quality and indicated the phosphorus and chloride. Our study confirms that these three diatom indices are effective for evaluating long‐term water quality in large rivers.

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“…Habitats are also threatened because of side effects of human development, which include habitat loss, land fragmentation, deforestation, conversion to intensive agriculture, pollution (by synthetic pesticides and fertilizers), biological factors (pathogens and introduced species) [3], and constructed dams for water consumption and energy production [4]. Globally, the terrestrial landscape has a 7.56 million km network of streams, and river channels with a surface area of approximately 773,000 km 2 [5] are impacted. Increasing population demands for water and land resources and increased food production add to the stresses on these terrestrial resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Define–Investigate–Estimate–Map (DIEM) Framework for Modeling Habitat Threats

et al. 2021

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As the human population increases, the landscape is altered to provide housing, food, and industry. Human activity poses a risk to the health of natural habitats that, in turn, affect biodiversity. Biodiversity is necessary for a functioning ecosystem, as species work synergistically to create a livable environment. It is, therefore, important to know how human practices and natural events threaten these habitats and the species living in them. A universal method of modeling habitat threats does not exist. This paper details the use of a literature review to formulate a new framework called Define–Investigate–Estimate–Map (DIEM). This framework is a process of defining threats, investigating an area to discover what threats are present, estimating the severity of those threats, and mapping the threats. Analysis of 62 studies was conducted to determine how different authors define and characterize threats in various contexts. The results of this analysis were then applied to a case study to evaluate the Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed. Results suggest that the most abundant threat in the watershed is agricultural development, and the most destructive threat is urban development. These two threats have the greatest impact on the total threat level of the watershed. Applying the DIEM framework demonstrates its helpfulness in regional analysis, watershed modeling, and land development planning.

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Large rivers as complex adaptive ecosystems

Cited by 20 publications

References 40 publications

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

The performance of diatom indices in assessing temporal changes in water quality in a large lowland river ecosystem

Define–Investigate–Estimate–Map (DIEM) Framework for Modeling Habitat Threats

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