HR: 09:00h
AN: H31F-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: The Aquatic Systems Continuum
AU: * Winter, T C
EM: tcwinter@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Mail Stop 413 Denver Federal Center, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AB: The Aquatic Systems Continuum is a proposed framework for interrelating the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of aquatic ecosystems. The continuum can be represented by a three-dimensional matrix that relates aquatic ecosystems to their position within hydrologic flow paths (x-axis, a spatial dimension) and their response to climate variability (y-axis). The z-axis describes the structure of biological communities as they relate to the hydrological conditions defined by the x and y axes. The concept is an extension of the Wetland Continuum that was derived from field studies of a prairie pothole wetland complex in North Dakota. At that site, the hydrologic continuum in space is defined by ground-water flow systems. The wetlands are surface-water expressions of larger ground-water watersheds, in which wetlands serve recharge, flow-through, and discharge functions with respect to ground water. The water balance of the wetlands is dominated by precipitation and evaporation. However, the interaction of the wetlands with ground water, although a small part of their water budget, provides the primary control on delivery of major solutes to and from the wetlands. Having monitored these wetlands for more than 25 years, during which time the site had a complete range of climate conditions from drought to deluge, the response of the aquatic communities to a wide variety of climate conditions has been well documented. The Aquatic Systems Continuum extends the model provided by the Wetland Continuum to include rivers and their interaction with ground water. As a result, both ground water and surface water are used to describe terrestrial water flows for all types of aquatic ecosystems. By using the Aquatic Systems Continuum to describe the hydrologic flow paths in all types of terrain, including exchange with atmospheric water, it is possible to design studies, monitoring programs, and management plans for nearly any type of aquatic ecosystem.
DE: 1812 Drought
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1845 Limnology
DE: 1851 Plant ecology
DE: 1890 Wetlands
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting