Abstract

Hydrologic metrics have been used widely to quantify flow-ecology relationships; however, there are several challenges associated with their use, including the selection from a large number of available metrics and the limitation that metrics are a synthetic measure of a multi-dimensional flow regime. Using two case studies of fish species density and community composition, we illustrate the use of functional linear models to provide new insights into flow–ecology relationships and predict the expected impact of environmental flow scenarios, without relying on hydrologic metrics. The models identified statistically significant relationships to river flow over the 12 months prior to sampling (r2 range 36–67%) and an environmental flow scenario that may enhance native species’ densities while controlling a non-native species. Hydrologic metrics continue to play an important role in ecohydrology and environmental flow management; however, functional linear models provide an approach that overcomes some of the limitations associated with their use.Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Guest editor M. AcremanCitation Stewart-Koster, B., Olden, J.D., and Gido, K.B., 2014. Quantifying flow–ecology relationships with functional linear models. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 629–644.

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