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Towards (better) fluvial meta-ecosystem ecology: a research perspective
Lauren Talluto1, Rubén Del Campo1, Edurne Estévez1
1Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Npj Biodiversity
|July 25, 2024
Summary
Rivers process vast amounts of organic matter (OM), impacting global carbon cycles. Understanding river network biodiversity and biogeochemistry is key to predicting carbon fluxes and human impacts.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Rivers are crucial for global carbon cycling, metabolizing terrigenous organic matter (OM) disproportionately to their surface area.
- Current understanding of OM processing in rivers is limited, despite its significance for carbon fluxes.
- Riverine OM processing involves complex interactions between diverse consumers and resources within heterogeneous habitats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a spatially explicit framework for understanding fluvial organic matter processing across river networks.
- To integrate research on riverine metacommunities and biodiversity with river biogeochemistry.
- To predict anthropogenic impacts on riverine carbon cycling and biodiversity loss.
Main Methods:
- The study proposes a research agenda focusing on the regional scale of entire river networks.
- It advocates for integrating spatially aware research on riverine metacommunities and biodiversity.
- It calls for connecting this with research on river biogeochemistry and carbon cycling.
Main Results:
- A comprehensive framework is needed to connect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning with carbon fluxes in rivers.
- Understanding spatial configuration, connectivity, and landscape context is essential for fluvial OM processing.
- This framework can improve predictions of human impacts like fragmentation and altered flow regimes.
Conclusions:
- A regional-scale research approach is advocated to understand biodiversity-ecosystem functioning coupling in river networks.
- This coupling is identified as a major driver of riverine carbon fluxes.
- Integrating ecological and biogeochemical research is vital for advancing our knowledge of river systems.
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