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Instream flow needs in streams and rivers: the importance of understanding ecological dynamics
Author(s) -
Anderson Kurt E.,
Paul Andrew J.,
McCauley Edward,
Jackson Leland J.,
Post John R.,
Nisbet Roger M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/1540-9295(2006)4[309:ifnisa]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - streams , resource (disambiguation) , ecology , habitat , temporal scales , environmental science , environmental resource management , flow (mathematics) , computer science , biology , computer network , geometry , mathematics
Resource managers have traditionally had to rely on simple hydrological and habitat‐association methods to predict how changes in river flow regimes will affect the viability of instream populations and communities. Yet these systems are characterized by dynamic feedbacks among system components, a high degree of spatial and temporal variability, and connectivity between habitats, none of which can be adequately captured in the commonly employed management methods. We argue that process‐oriented ecological models, which consider dynamics across scales and levels of biological organization, are better suited to guide flow regime management. We review how ecological dynamics in streams and rivers are shaped by a combination of the flow regime and internal feedbacks, and proceed to describe ecological modeling tools that have the potential to characterize such dynamics. We conclude with a suggested research agenda to facilitate the inclusion of ecological dynamics into instream flow needs assessments.