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Baseflow physical characteristics differ at multiple spatial scales in stream networks across diverse biomes

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Abstract

Context

Spatial scaling of ecological processes is facilitated by quantifying underlying habitat attributes. Physical and ecological patterns are often measured at disparate spatial scales limiting our ability to quantify ecological processes at broader spatial scales using physical attributes.

Objective

We characterized variation of physical stream attributes during periods of high biological activity (i.e., baseflow) to match physical and ecological measurements and to identify the spatial scales exhibiting and predicting heterogeneity.

Methods

We measured canopy cover, wetted width, water depth, and sediment size along transects of 1st–5th order reaches in five stream networks located in biomes from tropical forest to arctic tundra. We used hierarchical analysis of variance with three nested scales (watersheds, stream orders, reaches) to identify scales exhibiting significant heterogeneity in attributes and regression analyses to characterize gradients within and across stream networks.

Results

Heterogeneity was evident at one or multiple spatial scales: canopy cover and water depth varied significantly at all three spatial scales while wetted width varied at two scales (stream order and reach) and sediment size remained largely unexplained. Similarly, prediction by drainage area depended on the attribute considered: depending on the watershed, increases in wetted width and water depth with drainage area were best fit with a linear, logarithmic, or power function. Variation in sediment size was independent of drainage area.

Conclusions

The scaling of ecologically relevant baseflow physical characteristics will require study beyond the traditional bankfull geomorphology since predictions of baseflow physical attributes by drainage area were not always best explained by geomorphic power laws.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Kyle Arndt, Ford Ballantyne, John Brant, Phillip Bumpers, Jason Coombs, Cindy Fifield, Derrick Jent, Audrey Mutschlecner, Katie Norris, Claire Ruffing, Geoff Schwaner, Ryan Sleeper, Chao Song, Rachel Voight for help with field measurements. This research was funded by US NSF Macrosystems grant #EF1065255. This is publication 16-134-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

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Author notes

  1. Matt T. Trentman

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46617, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Janine Rüegg, Walter K. Dodds & Matt T. Trentman

  2. Stroud Water Resources Center, Avondale, PA, 19311, USA

    Melinda D. Daniels

  3. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Ken R. Sheehan, Lauren E. Koenig, William H. McDowell & Wilfred M. Wollheim

  4. Department of Biology and Wildlife and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA

    Christina L. Baker, Tamara K. Harms & Jeremy B. Jones

  5. Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA

    William B. Bowden & Samuel P. Parker

  6. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Kaitlin J. Farrell & Amy D. Rosemond

  7. Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA

    Michael B. Flinn

  8. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    John S. Kominoski

  9. Department of Zoology and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

    Matt Whiles

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  1. Janine Rüegg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janine Rüegg.

Additional information

Special issue: Macrosystems ecology: Novel methods and new understanding of multi-scale patterns and processes.

Guest Editors: S. Fei, Q. Guo, and K. Potter.

Electronic supplementary material

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10980_2015_289_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Hydrograph of the study periods at one gauged station in each stream network. Grey areas indicate sampling window of data collected presented in this manuscript. Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material. (TIF 20,532 kb)

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Rüegg, J., Dodds, W.K., Daniels, M.D. et al. Baseflow physical characteristics differ at multiple spatial scales in stream networks across diverse biomes. Landscape Ecol 31, 119–136 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0289-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0289-y

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