Effects of Landscape Change on the Physical and Chemical Components of Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

This chapter introduces the importance of landscape structure in determining the characteristics and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The focus is on rivers and streams with some discussion on lakes. Despite the underrepresentation of aquatic issues in the early landscape literature, landscape ecology is very relevant to several aquatic subject areas. Aquatic ecosystems manifest the properties of their water columns, channels or basins, riparian zones, and upland watersheds. This chapter addresses the effects of landscape change on the physical components (e.g., channel or lake shape and bank condition, substrate characteristics, water temperature, and stream discharge) and chemical components (e.g., water conductivity, nutrient concentrations, acid neutralizing capacity) of aquatic ecosystems, and it complements Chapter 17 of this volume, which addresses biointegrity issues of aquatic ecosystems.