Fluvial Hydrosystems JOIN US ON THE INTERNET VIA WWW, GOPHER, FTP OR EMAIL: WWW: http://www.thomson.com GOPHER: gopher.thomson.com A service of I®P FTP: ftp.thomson.com EMAIL: [email protected] Fluvial Hydrosystems Edited by G. E. Petts School of Geography University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK and c. Amoros Universite Claude-Bernard Ecologie des Eaux Douces et des Grands Fleuves Lyon, France CHAPMAN & HALL London· Weinheim . New York· Tokyo· Melbourne· Madras Published by Chapman & Hall, an imprint of Thomson Science, 2-6 Boundary Row, London SEt SHN, UK Thomson Science, 2-6 Boundary Row, London SE1 8HN, UK Thomson Science, 115 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003, USA Thomson Science, Suite 750,400 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA Thomson Science, Pappelallee 3, 69469 Weinheim, Germany First published as Hydrosystemiemes Fluviaux First English language edition 1996 Reprinted 1998 © 1996 Chapman & Hall Ltd Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1996 Typeset in 1O/12pt Palatino by Intype London Ltd ISBN-13: 978-94-010-7166-6 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-1491-9 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-1491-9 All rights reserved. No part of this pUblication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. Applications for permission should be addressed to the rights manager at the London address of the publisher. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and carmot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-84806 Contents List of contributors ix Preface and acknowledgements xi 1 The fluvial hydrosystem 1 G. E. Pelts and C. Amoros 1.1 The background 1 1.2 Traditional approaches 2 1.3 The fluvial hydrosystem approach 5 2 A drainage basin perspective 13 G. E. Pelts and J.-P. Bravard 2.1 The context 13 2.2 Source area characteristics 19 2.3 Large basins 22 2.4 Basin history 23 2.5 Biological responses 32 2.6 The fluvial hydrosystem approach 35 3 Hydrological and hydrochemical dynamics 37 R. Wilby and J. Gibert 3.1 Introduction 37 3.2 Headwater streams 37 3.3 Large rivers 53 3.4 Concluding remarks 67 4 Geomorphology of temperate rivers 68 D. Gilvear and J.-P. Bravard 4.1 Introduction 68 4.2 Fundamental principles 70 vi Contents 4.3 Channel adjustment 75 4.4 The longitudinal dimension 77 4.5 The vertical dimension 80 4.6 The transverse dimension 86 4.7 Valley fills and floodplain sedimentology 94 5 Hydrological and geomorphological structure of hydrostreams 98 J.-P. Bravard and D. J. Gilvear 5.1 Introduction 98 5.2 The main types of functional sector 101 5.3 Patchwork dynamics 110 6 Primary production and primary producers 117 A. R. G. Large, G. Pautou and C. Amoros 6.1 Introduction 117 6.2 Adaptive strategies 118 6.3 Distribution and production 122 6.4 Conclusion 136 7 Aquatic invertebrates 137 M. T. Greenwood and M. Richardot-Coulet 7.1 Introduction 137 7.2 Longitudinal patterns: macroscale 139 7.3 Spatial variation within functional sectors: mesoscale 143 7.4 Spatial variation within each functional unit: microscale 153 7.5 Temporal dynamics 161 7.6 Conclusion 164 8 Fish populations in rivers 167 A. L. Roux and G. H. Copp 8.1 Introduction 167 8.2 The longitudinal zonation of watercourses 168 8.3 Use of floodplain biotopes by fish 170 8.4 The impacts of river management schemes 180 9 Interactions between units of the fluvial hydrosystem 184 C. Amoros, J. Gibert and M. T. Greenwood 9.1 Introduction 184 9.2 Nature and effect of exchanges and interactions 188 9.3 Topological effects 198 9.4 Connectivity and temporal variations 202 10 Ecological successions 211 C. Amoros and P. M. Wade 10.1 Definitions and concepts 211 Contents vii 10.2 Modes and mechanisms 215 10.3 Stability and different spatial and temporal scales 238 11 Human impacts on fluvial hydrosystems 242 J.-P. Bravard and G. E. Petts 11.1 Catchment scale impacts 242 11.2 Direct impacts on river beds 245 11.3 The impact of dams on fluvial hydrosystems 251 11.4 Complex impacts on hydrosystems 259 12 Fluvial hydrosystems: a management perspective 263 G. E. Petts and C. Amoros 12.1 Background 263 12.2 Rationale for river rehabilitation 265 12.3 The scientific basis 266 12.4 Options for managing fluvial hydrosystems 270 12.5 Catchment management 276 12.6 Conclusion 278 References 279 Index 307 Contributors C. Amoros J.-P. Bravard Universite Claude-Bernard, Universite Paris-Sorbonne, UFR Ecologie des Eaux Douces et des de Geographie, 191 rue Saint­ Grands Fleuves (URA 1451) Lyon Jacques - 75005 Paris, France 1,69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France G. H. Copp J. Gibert University of Hertfordshire, Universite Claude-Bernard, Department of Environmental Ecologie des Eaux Douces et des Sciences, Hatfield ALtO 9AB, UK Grand Fleuves (URA 1451) Lyon I, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France D. J. Gilvear M. T. Greenwood University of Stirling, Department University of Loughborough, of Environmental Science, Stirling Department of Geography, FK94LA,UK Loughborough, LEU 3TU, UK A. R. G. Large G. Pautou University of Newcastle, Universite Joseph Fourier Department of Geography, Daysh Grenoble I, Laboratoire de Biologie Building, Claremont Road, Alpine, 38041 Grenoble cedex, Newcastle upon Tyne, NEI 7RU, France UK x Contributors C. E. Petts M. Richardot-Coulet School of Geography, University Universite Claude-Bernard, of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 Ecologie des Eaux Douces et des 2IT, UK Grands Fleuves (URA 1451) Lyon 1, 69622 Vtlleurbanne cedex, France A. L. Roux P. M. Wade Universite Claude-Bernard, University of Loughborough, Ecologie des Eaux Douces et des Department of Geography, Grands Fleuves (URA 1451) Lyon Loughborough, LE113TU, UK 1, 69622 Vtlleurbanne cedex, France R. Wilby University of Derby, Department of Geography, Kedleston Road, DEI21GB, UK Preface and acknowledgements In 1986, the Large European Rivers Network was initiated with the support of the Council of Europe. Following a number of symposia, the first output of this network was a volume on Historical Change of Large Alluvial Rivers: Western Europe published by John Wiley in 1989. At the same time, staff exchanges as part of the ERASMUS Programme of the EU led to two research groups debating their different but complementary approaches to the analysis of change in fluvial systems. These two groups were from the universities of Lyon in France and Loughborough in the UK. The University of Lyon was the centre of a Programme de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur l'Environment (PIREN) of the CNRS. Their studies on the Rhone River had led to the introduction of the term 'fluvial hydrosystem' to provide an integrated multidisciplinary context for analyses of ecological change. The University of Loughborough had established a multidisciplinary team - the Freshwater Environments Group - with the objective of modelling the distribution of biota accord­ ing to predictable environmental gradients, and to use these to evaluate impacts of river regulation. Fusion of the two sets of ideas and approaches into a single work was not only an exciting objective, but also an interesting academic challenge! The original idea for the book was born during a conversation between G. E. Petts and M. T. Greenwood on a coach with 50 first-year students from Loughborough on the road to Scarborough. Joint authorship of each chapter would ensure that all contributors gained new insights into fluvial systems. This also required that colleagues adopted an open mind and showed a willingness to approach questions in ways that were often foreign. xii Preface and acknowledgements In 1993, we published 'Hydrosystemes Fluviaux' as a volume (no. 24) in the Collection d'Ecologie series published by Masson of Paris. Publication of this French volume reflected the considerable enthusiasm of our colleagues at the University of Lyon, especially Claude Amoros, to whom I offer my gratitude for producing an excellent book. Since embarking on a version suitable for the English-speaking market, the Loughborough Freshwater Environments Group has split up and colleagues have moved to new posts in other universities. This book is based on the original French version but has benefited from our experi­ ences with different groups of students at our new universities, and from subsequent discussions with colleagues here and overseas, and it has been updated with new material. We are grateful to colleagues for their help in the production of this volume, particularly to Peter Robinson (Loughborough) for producing most of the diagrams and Melanie Bickerton and Sue Lane (Birmingham) for last minute support in preparing the manuscript. A special note of thanks to Malcolm Greenwood without whose efforts this book may never have been completed. Geoff Pelts April 1996 The fluvial hydrosystem 1 G. E. Petts and C. Amoros 1.1. THE BACKGROUND Rivers are a popular source of fascination because of their changing moods from headwater stream to large lowland rivers and from quiet summer brooks to raging flood torrents. The character of a river changes continually, from day to night, from day to day, from season to season and from year to year. It is this dynamism that attracted the attention of naturalists and geologists in the 19th century, and that today provides a focus for research by biologists, fisheries scientists, geomorphologists and hydrologists. However, the interest in rivers is more than curiosity; most nations are dependent on sustainable river management.