Abstract
The River Continuum Concept (RCC) is a generalized conceptual framework for characterization of pristine running water ecosystems. Of the numerous tenets of the concept we particularly reevaluated the following: biological analogues of energy equilibrium and entropy in the physical system; maximization of energy consumption through continuous species replacement over a year; absence of succession in stream ecosystems, which can thus be viewed in a time-independent fashion; and maximization of biotic diversity in midreaches of streams as a result of the occurrence of highest environmental variability there together with spatial abundance shifts of insects, molluscs, and crustaceans. When emphasis is placed on rapid changes in the downstream hydraulics dependent on discharge and slope (both of which are expressed by stream order in the RCC and are key factors of the concept) and on results from tropical studies, some of these tenets are partly refuted or need extension. Some of them are in conflict with the current state of knowledge in other domains of stream ecology or are at least open to various interpretations. Therefore, we advocate modifications of the theoretical background of the RCC.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
