What's in a Name? Patterns, Trends, and Suggestions for Defining Non-Perennial Rivers and Streams.

Area of Science:

• Hydrology
• Environmental Science
• Ecology

Background:

• Rivers ceasing to flow are a widespread global phenomenon.
• Lack of standardized terminology hinders interdisciplinary research and regulatory clarity.
• Numerous epithets are used, but no consensus exists on their precise meaning or application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the consistency of epithet topics across scientific disciplines using topic modeling.
• To analyze trends in epithet publication rates and research focus over time.
• To define and propose universal terms for rivers that cease to flow.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of 12 epithets from Web of Science database.
• Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling to analyze thematic consistency.
• Compilation and analysis of literature definitions to identify delineations.

Main Results:

• Significant lack of consensus in epithet usage across different scientific fields.
• Epithet research focus has evolved from descriptive studies to modeling approaches over time.
• Multiple existing epithets were found to be redundant.

Conclusions:

• Standardizing terminology for non-perennial rivers is crucial for effective communication.
• Proposed definitions for non-perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral rivers can guide consensus.
• Reducing the number of epithets will enhance research collaboration and regulatory frameworks.