Introduction

Abstract

The basic objectives of this book are twofold. First, the book provides an overview of rivers as ecosystems that exist within the greater landscape of a watershed or drainage basin. Second, the book explores the management implications of conceptualizing rivers as ecosystems rather than simply as channels to convey water downstream. If rivers are viewed solely as conduits for water, then management can be designed to maximize delivery of specified quantities of water at specified times via intensive engineering and flow regulation. If rivers are viewed as ecosystems, then management must be designed to include other outcomes such as maintenance of physical diversity, connectivity, and biodiversity within rivers. Since the final decade of the twentieth century, river management has increasingly emphasized aspects such as diversity and connectivity. This book reviews scientific understanding of rivers relevant to the shifting emphases in river management and suggests pathways to sustain this management shift.