Journal ArticleDOI
How much water does a river need
TLDR
In this paper, the authors proposed a new approach for setting streamflow-based river ecosystem management targets and this method is called the "Range of Variability Approach" (RVA), which derives from aquatic ecology theory concerning the critical role of hydrological variability, and associated characteristics of timing, frequency, duration and rates of change, in sustaining aquatic ecosystems.Abstract:
> * SUMMARY 1. This paper introduces a new approach for setting streamflow-based river ecosystem management targets and this method is called the 'Range of Variability Approach' (RVA). The proposed approach derives from aquatic ecology theory concerning the critical role of hydrological variability, and associated characteristics of timing, frequency, duration, and rates of change, in sustaining aquatic ecosystems. The method is intended for application on rivers wherein the conservation of native aquatic biodiversity and protection of natural ecosystem functions are primary river management objectives. 2. The RVA uses as its starting point either measured or synthesized daily streamflow values from a period during which human perturbations to the hydrological regime were negligible. This streamflow record is then characterized using thirty-two different hydrological parameters, using methods defined in Richter et al. (1996). Using the RVA, a range of variation in each of the thirty-two parameters, e.g. the values at t 1 standard deviation from the mean or the twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth percentile range, are selected as initial flow management targets. 3. The RVA targets are intended to guide the design of river management strategies (e.g. reservoir operations rules, catchment restoration) that will lead to attainment of these targets on an annual basis. The RVA will enable river managers to define and adopt readily interim management targets before conclusive, long-term ecosystem research results are available. The RVA targets and management strategies should be adaptively refined as suggested by research results and as needed to sustain native aquatic ecosystem biodiversity and integrity.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet
Will Steffen,Will Steffen,Katherine Richardson,Johan Rockström,Sarah Cornell,Ingo Fetzer,Elena M. Bennett,Reinette Biggs,Reinette Biggs,Stephen R. Carpenter,Wim de Vries,Cynthia A. de Wit,Carl Folke,Carl Folke,Dieter Gerten,Jens Heinke,Jens Heinke,Jens Heinke,Georgina M. Mace,Linn Persson,Veerabhadran Ramanathan,Veerabhadran Ramanathan,Belinda Reyers,Belinda Reyers,Sverker Sörlin +24 more
TL;DR: An updated and extended analysis of the planetary boundary (PB) framework and identifies levels of anthropogenic perturbations below which the risk of destabilization of the Earth system (ES) is likely to remain low—a “safe operating space” for global societal development.
Journal ArticleDOI
Freshwater biodiversity: importance, threats, status and conservation challenges
David Dudgeon,Angela Arthington,Mark O. Gessner,Zen'ichiro Kawabata,Duncan Knowler,Christian Lévêque,Robert J. Naiman,Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard,Doris Soto,Melanie L. J. Stiassny,Caroline A Sullivan +10 more
TL;DR: This article explores the special features of freshwater habitats and the biodiversity they support that makes them especially vulnerable to human activities and advocates continuing attempts to check species loss but urges adoption of a compromise position of management for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functioning and resilience, and human livelihoods.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Natural Flow Regime
N. LeRoy Poff,N. LeRoy Poff,J. David Allan,Mark B. Bain,James R. Karr,Karen L. Prestegaard,Brian Richter,Richard E. Sparks,Julie C. Stromberg +8 more
TL;DR: In this article, Naiman et al. pointed out that harnessing of streams and rivers comes at great cost: Many rivers no longer support socially valued native species or sustain healthy ecosystems that provide important goods and services.
Journal ArticleDOI
Basic principles and ecological consequences of altered flow regimes for aquatic biodiversity.
Stuart E. Bunn,Angela Arthington +1 more
TL;DR: This literature review has focused this literature review around four key principles to highlight the important mechanisms that link hydrology and aquatic biodiversity and to illustrate the consequent impacts of altered flow regimes.
Journal ArticleDOI
A global perspective on environmental flow assessment: emerging trends in the development and application of environmental flow methodologies for rivers
TL;DR: A global review of the present status of environmental flow methodologies revealed the existence of some 207 individual methodologies, recorded for 44 countries within six world regions, with a further two categories representing combination-type and other approaches as discussed by the authors.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Pseudoreplication and the Design of Ecological Field Experiments
TL;DR: Suggestions are offered to statisticians and editors of ecological journals as to how ecologists' under- standing of experimental design and statistics might be improved.
Journal ArticleDOI
Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology
Book
Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters
TL;DR: An overview of the diversity of rivers and streams, including some of the causes of this diversity, and some of their consequences, can be found in this article, where the authors provide a roadmap for individual chapters that follow, rather than define terms and explain principles in any detail.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Method for Assessing Hydrologic Alteration within Ecosystems
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a method for assessing the degree of hydrologic alteration attributable to human influence within an ecosystem, referred to as the "Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration".
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