PAPER: Ecosystem-size relationships of river ...

Ecosystem-size relationships of river populations and communities

June 2024

McIntosh AR, Greig HS, Warburton HJ, Tonkin JD, Febria CM 2024. Ecosystem-size relationships of river populations and communities. Trends Ecol Evol 39(6): 571-584.

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of ecosystem-size influences on river populations and communities is integral to the balancing of human and environmental needs for water. The multiple dimensions of dendritic river networks complicate understanding of ecosystem-size influences, but could be resolved by the development of scaling relationships. We highlight the importance of physical constraints limiting predator body sizes, movements, and population sizes in small rivers, and where river contraction limits space or creates stressful conditions affecting community stability and food webs. Investigations of the scaling and contingency of these processes will be insightful because of the underlying generality and scale independence of such relationships. Doing so will also pinpoint damaging water-management practices and identify which aspects of river size can be most usefully manipulated in river restoration.

KEYWORDS

scaling; flows; constraints; disturbance; restoration; water