HR: 11:50h
AN: H42A-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Reach-scale Patterns in Riverine Productivity and Diversity: Role of Tributary Junctions
AU: * Kiffney, P
EM: peter.kiffney@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Fisheries, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112, United States
AU: Greene, C
EM: correigh.greene@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Fisheries, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112, United States
AU: Good, T
EM: tom.good@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Fisheries, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112, United States
AB: Geomorphologists have long recognized that tributary streams create physical discontinuities where they flow into main stream rivers. The link between these physical changes and ecological patterns are not as well developed. Because of these physical changes, we hypothesized that tributary junctions would also be sites of high biological productivity and diversity. In 2002-2004, we examined whether tributary junctions created productivity and physical gradients, and if so, whether these gradients affected abundance and growth of invertebrates, fish and birds (2004). A large flood event in 2004 also allowed us to examine how disturbance affected these patterns. We found that tributary junctions were indeed loci for sediment and wood, as well as hotspots of biological productivity and richness. These results reinforce the notion that there are many important linkages that operate within river networks, and some of these linkages are critical for promoting ecological diversity.
DE: 1845 Limnology (0458, 4239, 4942)
DE: 1856 River channels (0483, 0744)
DE: 1879 Watershed
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting