The Music of Rivers: The Mathematics of Waves Reveals Global Structure and Drivers of Streamflow Regime

Brown, Brian; Fulerton, Aimee H.; Kopp, Darin; Tromboni, Flavia; Shogren, Arial J.; Webb, J.; Ruffing, Claire M.; Heaton, Matthew J.; Kuglerová, Lenka; Allen, Daniel C.; McGill, Lillian; Zarnetske, Jay P.; Whiles, Matt R.; Jones, Jeremy B.; Abbott, Benjamin W.

doi:10.1029/2023wr034484

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 156 publications

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“…Dams are one of the largest causes of stress, given their ubiquity (Belletti et al, 2020). However, a review of global flow regimes revealed that the effects of dams in large rivers were less influential than expected (Brown et al, 2023). Invasive species, pollutants, sedimentation, and many other stressors are involved and interacting, and when coupled with the changing baselines caused by climate change, the task of mitigating them is onerous (Ormerod et al, 2010).…”

Section: A General Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating the riverscape into models of river–floodplain function

Garvey,

Whiles

2023

Front. Freshw. Sci.

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Rivers and their flooded alluvial plains integrate physical, biological, and human processes at the scale of continents. Despite their ecological and economic values, these complex ecosystems are poorly understood and highly modified by humans. A primary problem is that most research in fluvial ecosystems has been conducted in small streams and then scaled up to rivers. Furthermore, the point where a stream transitions into a river is not well understood. Although many conceptual models exist, the role that large river–floodplain complexes play within these frameworks is lacking. These models focus on flooding as a temporary reset to river ecosystems, but floodplains and rivers may continue to interact long after floodwaters recede. We revisit the concept of the riverscape, a unique mosaic of perennially interacting wetland and channel habitats that have unique ecological properties during both non-flood and flooding periods relative to the small tributary streams within the riverscape network. This strong bidirectional interaction within low-lying alluvial plains may define large rivers. To determine whether a riverscape is indeed a useful unit of study for river ecology, conservation, and restoration, baseline conditions with measurable, comparable metrics, such as primary and secondary production need to be established. Responses of these metrics to multiple stressors and restoration such as levee setbacks, wetland mitigation, and dam removals will inform both basic models of riverscape function and future management actions. Because humans currently affect nearly all aspects of the environmental structure and function of riverscapes, human perceptions of riverscape value and threat need to be considered as a fundamental component of riverscape ecology.

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Section: A General Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating the riverscape into models of river–floodplain function

Garvey,

Whiles

2023

Front. Freshw. Sci.

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“…This separation limits and fragments the understanding of catchment behaviour. Establishing physical controls on hydrological responses that act across multiple time scales could better unify hydrological theory, and lead to a more robust understanding of climate and landscape effects on hydrological response (Atkinson et al, 2002; Berghuijs et al, 2020; Brown et al, 2023; Rodriguez‐Iturbe et al, 1999; Sivapalan, 2006). From a more applied point of view, understanding seasonal and annual streamflow regimes is important for water resources management (Anghileri et al, 2016), agriculture (Letcher, 2004), and hydropower generation (Hamlet et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Simultaneously studying hydrological responses across multiple time scales (e.g., annual and seasonal) could be valuable as more data remain available, potentially reducing equifinality. In addition, controls on the long‐term water balance need to be consistent with shorter time‐scale behaviours, as long‐term water balances result inevitably from shorter time‐scale water balances (Brown et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil drainage modulates climate effects to shape seasonal and mean annual water balances across the southeastern United States

Wang,

Berghuijs,

Howden

et al. 2024

Hydrological Processes

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Climatic forcing and landscape properties control catchments' hydrological responses over both seasonal and mean annual timescales. Controls on annual and seasonal water balances are usually studied separately which limits and fragments understanding of catchment behaviour. Establishing process controls on hydrological responses that act across multiple time scales could better unify hydrological theory. Here, we use streamflow and climate data from 56 catchments in the Ozarks and Appalachian regions (US) to test how climate (aridity index) and soil drainage together shape seasonal and mean annual water balances for these humid, snow‐free catchments with little precipitation seasonality. We calibrate a simple conceptual model to observed seasonal streamflow and obtain an effective parameter that summarizes the nonlinearity of drainage of soil moisture to groundwater. Our comparative analysis of catchments in the Ozarks and the Appalachian regions indicates that catchments in the more humid climates have lower streamflow seasonality and higher mean annual flow, irrespective of the nonlinearity of soil drainage. In contrast, in relatively drier climates, more nonlinear soil drainage increases the seasonality of streamflow and reduces mean annual flow. Additional testing across 204 humid catchments with little precipitation seasonality and snowfall in the Southeastern United States further supports our hypothesis that soil drainage nonlinearity significantly modulates seasonal and mean annual water balances. These results reveal how soil drainage nonlinearity provides a process interpretation that connects seasonal and annual water balances and highlights the importance of nonlinearity of soil drainage in hydrological modelling.

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