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Increasing synchrony of high temperature and low flow in western North American streams: double trouble for coldwater biota?

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Abstract

Flow and temperature are strongly linked environmental factors driving ecosystem processes in streams. Stream temperature maxima (T max_w) and stream flow minima (Q min) can create periods of stress for aquatic organisms. In mountainous areas, such as western North America, recent shifts toward an earlier spring peak flow and decreases in low flow during summer/fall have been reported. We hypothesized that an earlier peak flow could be shifting the timing of low flow and leading to a decrease in the interval between T max_w and Q min. We also examined if years with extreme low Q min were associated with years of extreme high T max_w. We tested these hypotheses using long-term data from 22 minimally human-influenced streams for the period 1950–2010. We found trends toward a shorter time lag between T max_w and Q min over time and a strong negative association between their magnitudes. Our findings show that aquatic biota may be increasingly experiencing narrower time windows to recover or adapt between these extreme events of low flow and high temperature. This study highlights the importance of evaluating multiple environmental drivers to better gage the effects of the recent climate variability in freshwaters.

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Acknowledgments

Brooke Penaluna, Tim D. Mayer, two anonymous referees, and the associated editor provided comments on the manuscript. Financial support was provided by US Geological Survey, the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University. Use of firm or trade names is for reader information only and does not imply endorsement of any product or service by the U.S. Government.

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Author notes

  1. Ivan Arismendi

    Present address: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Ivan Arismendi, Mohammad Safeeq & Roy Haggerty

  2. US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Sherri L. Johnson

  3. US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Jason B. Dunham

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  1. Ivan Arismendi
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Correspondence to Ivan Arismendi.

Additional information

Guest editors: A. Elosegi, M. Mutz & H. Piégay / Form and function: channel form, hydraulic integrity, and river ecosystem functioning

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Arismendi, I., Safeeq, M., Johnson, S.L. et al. Increasing synchrony of high temperature and low flow in western North American streams: double trouble for coldwater biota?. Hydrobiologia 712, 61–70 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1327-2

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