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In riverine ecosystems, riparian vegetation supports aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, stabilises river banks and modulates water flow between the stream and the floodplain. However, stream channelisation has led to the widespread disconnection and loss of floodplain forests. Successful riparian restoration schemes are those that create the conditions for plants to become established and survive fluctuating […]
December 14, 2021
Comments Off on To be continued: the legacy of the River Continuum Concept
A recent review examined the historical importance of the River Continuum Concept (RCC), which was introduced by Robin Vannote and co-workers in 1980. This concept revolutionised stream ecology research by prompting a shift from a descriptive to a predictive approach and encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration between biologists, geomorphologists and geochemists. The RCC became a key framework […]
September 28, 2021
Comments Off on Assessing human impacts on river systems
Because many river systems have been significantly modified as a result of human activities, indicators of changing river structure and function are very helpful in guiding our efforts to manage rivers on a sustainable basis. A number of different indicators based on the hydrology, chemistry or biology of rivers have been developed, but in many […]
March 13, 2021
Comments Off on Aquatic ecosystem services: impacts of land use
Streams and riparian zones are seldom given priority in protected-area planning, and little is known about the effects of protection on the many ecosystem services that streams provide. To help fill this knowledge gap, researchers studied differences in biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by 28 streams in protected and unprotected watersheds in Quebec, Canada. […]
March 13, 2021
Comments Off on Aquatic ecosystem services: rethinking streamside planting
Spatial patterns in the loss of natural land cover to agriculture have a significant effect on ecosystem services, including those provided by landscape features that interrupt runoff flows to rivers. For example, the number, size and location of woodland patches all have an impact on ecosystem services such as sediment trapping, pollutant retention and the […]
March 13, 2021
Comments Off on Water abstraction changes local food chains
The alteration of river flows by damming or extracting water is a major threat to freshwater ecosystems that can lead to habitat changes and local species extinctions. While the impacts of dams and large-scale diversions have been the subject of many studies, the cumulative effects of small water abstractions aren’t so well understood, even though […]
December 16, 2020
Comments Off on Channel restoration takes time
Channel reconfiguration is a common stream restoration technique that aims to create a stable basis for ecological functioning, but it’s expensive and its effectiveness has often been questioned. However, channel reconfiguration assessments are typically based on the results of monitoring for up to 5-7 years post-restoration, which may be too short a period to capture […]
September 26, 2020
Comments Off on Why it’s important to protect water at its source
In the present age, when human activity has an increasingly dominant influence on the environment, water security has become a pressing issue, and growing efforts and funds are spent on maintaining water quality and reliable flows. While most approaches to water security focus on the provision of conventional infrastructure such as dams and treatment systems, […]
Freshwater Research News 
March 26, 2022
Comments Off on How riparian trees manage their water balance