Quantifying Sediment (Dis)Connectivity in the Modeling of River Systems

Brierley, Gary; Tunnicliffe, Jon; Bizzi, Simone; Lee, Finnbar; Perry, G. D.; Pöppl, Ronald; Fryirs, Kirstie

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00161-9

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 169 publications

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“…River networks are vulnerable to loss of connectivity, given they are (1) dynamic (e.g., flow varies through space and time), (2) organized into bifurcating networks, which have little to no redundancy in dispersal pathways between patches, and (3) frequently the target of anthropogenic alterations (Brierley et al, 2021; Grill et al, 2019). In river systems, spatial connectivity is largely determined by network topology and the presence and position of barriers (e.g., dams and culverts), whereas temporal connectivity is largely driven by changes in flow (e.g., drying events).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Network topology mediates freshwater fish metacommunity response to loss of connectivity

2022

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Changes in connectivity regimes affect patterns of diversity and species richness. In riverine ecosystems, factors that vary through space and time, such as flow, the presence of barriers to movement, and network topology determine connectivity, and in turn shape patterns of diversity and richness.While the effects of network topology and changes in spatiotemporal connectivity regimes on patterns of species richness have been studied in isolation, they have not been studied simultaneously. We used a discrete-time logistic growth metacommunity model to analyze the role of spatial and temporal functional connectivity in determining patterns of local (patch level) species richness in freshwater fish metacommunities. Our modeling suggests that:(1) the effect of spatial loss of connectivity on local species richness is mediated by network topology and where richness is measured in the system and (2) increasing temporal autocorrelation in connectivity results in increasing temporal autocorrelation in patch occupancy. Spatial and temporal loss of connectivity is a ubiquitous issue for river ecosystems, making understanding and predicting its effects of fundamental importance to both improving theory and guiding river management. Our findings highlight the importance of network topology (and hence context dependency) in shaping metacommunity response to changing connectivity regimes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Network topology mediates freshwater fish metacommunity response to loss of connectivity

2022

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Combining hillslope erosion and river connectivity models to assess large scale fine sediment transfers: Application over the Rhône River (France)

Fabre,

Fressard,

Bizzi

et al. 2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Sediment connectivity at the catchment scale includes the processes linking sediment sources, sinks and the river outlet. Soil erosion models usually estimate yields without considering riverine processes or human infrastructure that may affect sediment connectivity. Quantifying these processes at a large scale is a determinant of understanding sediment transfers from continental lands to marine ecosystems. This study tries to fill this gap by coupling the soil erosion model WaTEM/SEDEM (WS) with the riverine connectivity tool CASCADE to quantify sediment fluxes in the Rhône watershed. The coupling returned a good fit, with deviations of −51.7%. WS alone predicts the exported fluxes better with a deviation of −34.9%. Nevertheless, this paper shows the importance of considering connectivity and transport capacity to develop a more realistic representation of fine sediment dynamics at a large scale. However, connectivity tools depend on the quality of the models (soil erosion and hydrology) and the geomorphological data on which they depend, which is a limiting factor in large‐scale studies.

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Truths of the Riverscape: Moving beyond command-and-control to geomorphologically informed nature-based river management

Brierley

Fryirs

2022

Geosci. Lett.

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Truths of the Riverscape refer to the use of geomorphological principles to inform sustainable approaches to nature-based river management. Across much of the world a command-and-control philosophy continues to assert human authority over rivers. Tasked to treat rivers as stable and predictable entities, engineers have ‘fixed rivers in place’ and ‘locked them in time’. Unsustainable outcomes ensue. Legacy effects and path dependencies of silenced and strangled (zombified) rivers are difficult and increasingly expensive to address. Nature fights back, and eventually it wins, with disastrous consequences for the environment, society, culture and the economy. The failure to meet the transformative potential of nature-based applications is expressed here as a disregard for ‘Truths of the Riverscape’. The first truth emphasises the imperative to respect diversity, protecting and/or enhancing the distinctive values and attributes of each and every river. A cross-scalar (nested hierarchical) lens underpins practices that ‘know your catchment’. The second truth envisages management practices that work with processes, interpreting the behaviour of each river. This recognises that erosion and deposition are intrinsic functions of a healthy living river—in appropriate places, at appropriate rates. This premise underpins the third truth, assess river condition, highlighting the importance of what to measure and what to measure against in approaches that address the causes rather than the symptoms of unexpected river adjustment. The fourth truth interprets evolutionary trajectory to determine what is realistically achievable in the management of a given river system. Analysis of whether the river sits on a degradation or recovery pathway (i.e., condition is deteriorating or improving), alongside assessment of catchment-specific recovery potential, is used to foresight river futures. Viewed collectively, Truths of the Riverscape provide a coherent platform to develop and apply proactive and precautionary catchment management plans that address concerns for biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation.

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Quantifying Sediment (Dis)Connectivity in the Modeling of River Systems

Cited by 3 publications

References 169 publications

Network topology mediates freshwater fish metacommunity response to loss of connectivity

Network topology mediates freshwater fish metacommunity response to loss of connectivity

Combining hillslope erosion and river connectivity models to assess large scale fine sediment transfers: Application over the Rhône River (France)

Truths of the Riverscape: Moving beyond command-and-control to geomorphologically informed nature-based river management

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