Abstract
This study proposes a probabilistic approach for the quantitative assessment of reach- and network-scale hydrological connectivity as dictated by river flow space–time variability. Spatial dynamics of daily streamflows are estimated based on climatic and morphological features of the contributing catchment, integrating a physically based approach that accounts for the stochasticity of rainfall with a water balance framework and a geomorphic recession flow analysis. Ecologically meaningful minimum stage thresholds are used to evaluate the connectivity of individual stream reaches, and other relevant network-scale connectivity metrics. The framework allows a quantitative description of the main hydrological causes and the ecological consequences of water depth dynamics experienced by river networks. The analysis shows that the spatial variability of local-scale hydrological connectivity is strongly affected by the spatial and temporal distribution of climatic variables. Depending on the underlying climatic settings and the critical stage threshold, loss of connectivity can be observed in the headwaters or along the main channel, thereby originating a fragmented river network. The proposed approach provides important clues for understanding the effect of climate on the ecological function of river corridors.
Highlights
River networks are key elements of the landscape, as they represent ecological corridors for biological species and contribute significantly to shape the hydrological response of catchments [1,2,3]
This study focuses on spatial patterns of hydrological connectivity along individual river networks, assuming that the number of network nodes is fixed and constant in time
We propose an analytical approach where hydrological connectivity is explicitly linked to driving hydroclimatic variables and catchment properties through the emergent spatial patterns of streamflow regimes along river networks
Summary
River networks are key elements of the landscape, as they represent ecological corridors for biological species and contribute significantly to shape the hydrological response of catchments [1,2,3]. [4,5,6,7,8]), river networks are thought of as static connections between fixed nodes defined on the basis of the topography of the terrain [9,10,11,12]. Empirical observations suggest a dynamic behaviour of the flowing network, which is a reflection of the underlying space-and-time variability of hydrological processes.
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