|
Stream flows and stream temperature
form important controls on the distribution of aquatic species, and fire and
climate change both have strong effects on processes governing them. While
changes caused by fire can be dramatic and acute, they commonly have a limited
spatial scale and finite duration. In contrast the effects of climate change
are probabilistic in nature and somewhat more subtle, but the probabilities are
increasing over time and effects may be coherent over scales of hundreds of
miles. In effect climate change is gradually resetting the context in which
impacts to aquatic communities must be evaluated, and the interaction of the two
will ultimately provide the most challenging situation for many aquatic
communities. Papers in this section will discuss processes affecting hydrologic
and stream temperature changes and their relevance to aquatic ecosystems and
decisions affecting them.
Section Lead: Charlie Luce, cluce [at] fs.fed.us, 208.373.4382
All contributors
|
