Vertical Hydrologic Exchange and Ecological Stability of a Desert Stream Ecosystem

Abstract

The influence of hydrologic linkage between hyporheic and surface subsystems was investigated in sand—bottomed reaches of a desert stream. Direction of hydrologic exchange was measured as vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) using mini—piezometers. Maps of VHG indicated upwelling (discharge from the interstitial regions into surface water) at the base of riffles and heads of runs; downwelling (infiltration of surface water into the hyporheic zone) occurred at the bases of runs. Dissolved NO3—N in surface water was higher over or immediately downstream from upwelling zones. Loss of continued supply from the hyporheic zone and intense assimilatory demand by surface autotrophs generated longitudinal declines in NO3—N and lower nutrient concentrations in downwelling zones. Algal standing crop (as chlorophyll a) was significantly higher in upwelling zones than in areas without positive VHG. Postflood trajectories of chlorophyll a indicated that algae at upwelling zones recovered from disturbance significantly faster than those at downwelling zones. Recovery rate was related to supply of NO3—N from enriched interstitial water in the hyporheic zone. Hydrologic linkage integrates surface and hyporheic subsystems and increases ecosystem stability by enhancing resilience of primary producers following flash flood disturbance.