Rivers and global change

Abstract

The ecology of streams and rivers varies predictably from headwaters to mouth and regulates the ecosystem goods and services (EGS) of freshwaters and coastal zones of oceans. Headwater streams are particularly important in biogeochemical cycling and nutrient retention, whereas larger rivers are more important for fisheries support and water supply for drinking, irrigating crops, and industry. Increases in population density, urbanization, intensive agricultural, and migration of these activities to higher latitudes with climate change will greatly alter the complex interactions between the ecology of streams and rivers, the EGS they provide, and the human well-being that they support. Projected changes in water temperature, regional rainfall, storm intensity, and droughts with climate change increase threats to water supply and other EGS, which are already major problems today. Solutions to these problems can be initiated with known management strategies and refined with continued research on relationships among human activities, stressors, EGS, and human well-being.