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Substrate indices as indicators of interstitial pore space in gravel‐bed channels
Author(s) -
Haschenburger Judith K.,
Roest Paul
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
river research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.679
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1535-1467
pISSN - 1535-1459
DOI - 10.1002/rra.1168
Subject(s) - substrate (aquarium) , porosity , streams , characterisation of pore space in soil , geology , environmental science , habitat , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , geotechnical engineering , ecology , oceanography , biology , computer science , computer network
Streambed sediments that determine aquatic habitat quality are typically assessed using substrate indices. These indices are proxies for the amount of interstitial pore space that facilitates biological processes within the substrate. This study evaluates how well a suite of substrate indices characterize streambed porosity. Using the hybrid McNeil sampler, 37 cores were collected from six gravel‐bed rivers on the North Island of New Zealand. Central tendency indices correlate more strongly to porosity than critical size indices, but both types are imprecise indicators of the amount of interstitial pore space. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.