DOCSLIB.ORG

Fluvial Hydrosystems

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Fluvial Hydrosystems 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.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Green-Tree Retention and Controlled Burning in Restoration and Conservation of Beetle Diversity in Boreal Forests
    Dissertationes Forestales 21 Green-tree retention and controlled burning in restoration and conservation of beetle diversity in boreal forests Esko Hyvärinen Faculty of Forestry University of Joensuu Academic dissertation To be presented, with the permission of the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Joensuu, for public criticism in auditorium C2 of the University of Joensuu, Yliopistonkatu 4, Joensuu, on 9th June 2006, at 12 o’clock noon. 2 Title: Green-tree retention and controlled burning in restoration and conservation of beetle diversity in boreal forests Author: Esko Hyvärinen Dissertationes Forestales 21 Supervisors: Prof. Jari Kouki, Faculty of Forestry, University of Joensuu, Finland Docent Petri Martikainen, Faculty of Forestry, University of Joensuu, Finland Pre-examiners: Docent Jyrki Muona, Finnish Museum of Natural History, Zoological Museum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Docent Tomas Roslin, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Division of Population Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Opponent: Prof. Bengt Gunnar Jonsson, Department of Natural Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden ISSN 1795-7389 ISBN-13: 978-951-651-130-9 (PDF) ISBN-10: 951-651-130-9 (PDF) Paper copy printed: Joensuun yliopistopaino, 2006 Publishers: The Finnish Society of Forest Science Finnish Forest Research Institute Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Helsinki Faculty of Forestry of the University of Joensuu Editorial Office: The Finnish Society of Forest Science Unioninkatu 40A, 00170 Helsinki, Finland http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes 3 Hyvärinen, Esko 2006. Green-tree retention and controlled burning in restoration and conservation of beetle diversity in boreal forests. University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forestry. ABSTRACT The main aim of this thesis was to demonstrate the effects of green-tree retention and controlled burning on beetles (Coleoptera) in order to provide information applicable to the restoration and conservation of beetle species diversity in boreal forests.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Beetles
    Ireland Red List No. 1 Water beetles Ireland Red List No. 1: Water beetles G.N. Foster1, B.H. Nelson2 & Á. O Connor3 1 3 Eglinton Terrace, Ayr KA7 1JJ 2 Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Northern Ireland 3 National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government Citation: Foster, G. N., Nelson, B. H. & O Connor, Á. (2009) Ireland Red List No. 1 – Water beetles. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland. Cover images from top: Dryops similaris (© Roy Anderson); Gyrinus urinator, Hygrotus decoratus, Berosus signaticollis & Platambus maculatus (all © Jonty Denton) Ireland Red List Series Editors: N. Kingston & F. Marnell © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2009 ISSN 2009‐2016 Red list of Irish Water beetles 2009 ____________________________ CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................ 3 NOMENCLATURE AND THE IRISH CHECKLIST................................................................................................ 3 COVERAGE .......................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Updated Checklist of the Water Beetles of Montenegro 205-212 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; Download
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Spixiana, Zeitschrift für Zoologie Jahr/Year: 2016 Band/Volume: 039 Autor(en)/Author(s): Scheers Kevin Artikel/Article: An updated checklist of the water beetles of Montenegro 205-212 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; download www.pfeil-verlag.de SPIXIANA 39 2 205-212 München, Dezember 2016 ISSN 0341-8391 An updated checklist of the water beetles of Montenegro (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) Kevin Scheers Scheers, K. 2016. An updated checklist of the water beetles of Montenegro (Co- leoptera, Hydradephaga). Spixiana 39 (2): 205-212. During a short collecting trip to Montenegro in 2014, 26 locations were sampled and 692 specimens belonging to 45 species of water beetles were collected. The following species are recorded for the first time from Montenegro: Haliplus dal- matinus J. Müller, 1900, Haliplus heydeni Wehncke, 1875, Haliplus laminatus (Schaller, 1783), Hydroporus erythrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), Hyphydrus anatolicus (Guignot, 1957), Melanodytes pustulatus (Rossi, 1792) and Rhantus bistriatus (Bergsträsser, 1778). The addition of these seven species brings the total of Hydradephaga known from Montenegro to 91 species. The new records are presented and an updated checklist of the Hydradephaga of Montenegro is given. Kevin Scheers, Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Brussels, Belgium; e-mail: [email protected] Introduction of the sampling sites were obtained using a GPS (Garmin eTrex Vista HCx). The material was collected with a The first data on the Hydradephaga of Montenegro small sieve and a hydrobiological handnet. Traps were were given by Guéorguiev (1971).
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Groundwater Levels in Western Europe
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Higher groundwater levels in western Europe characterize warm periods in the Common Era Willy Tegel1*, Andrea Seim1,2, Georgios Skiadaresis3, Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist4,5,6, Hans‑Peter Kahle1, Alexander Land7,8, Bernhard Muigg9, Kurt Nicolussi10 & Ulf Büntgen11,12,13 Hydroclimate, the interplay of moisture supply and evaporative demand, is essential for ecological and agricultural systems. The understanding of long‑term hydroclimate changes is, however, limited because instrumental measurements are inadequate in length to capture the full range of precipitation and temperature variability and by the uneven distribution of high‑resolution proxy records in space and time. Here, we present a tree‑ring‑based reconstruction of interannual to centennial‑ scale groundwater level (GWL) fuctuations for south-western Germany and north-eastern France. Continuously covering the period of 265–2017 CE, our new record from the Upper Rhine Valley shows that the warm periods during late Roman, medieval and recent times were characterized by higher GWLs. Lower GWLs were found during the cold periods of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA; 536 to ~ 660 CE) and the Little Ice Age (LIA; between medieval and recent warming). The reconstructed GWL fuctuations are in agreement with multidecadal North Atlantic climate variability derived from independent proxies. Warm and wet hydroclimate conditions are found during warm states of the Atlantic Ocean and positive phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation on decadal scales. Te majority of the world’s population lives in river valleys, where groundwater access is crucial not only for sustaining the function and productivity of natural and agricultural systems but also for human well-being.
    [Show full text]
  • Scope: Munis Entomology & Zoology Publishes a Wide Variety of Papers
    _____________ Mun. Ent. Zool. Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2009___________ I MUNIS ENTOMOLOGY & ZOOLOGY Ankara / Turkey II _____________ Mun. Ent. Zool. Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2009___________ Scope: Munis Entomology & Zoology publishes a wide variety of papers on all aspects of Entomology and Zoology from all of the world, including mainly studies on systematics, taxonomy, nomenclature, fauna, biogeography, biodiversity, ecology, morphology, behavior, conservation, paleobiology and other aspects are appropriate topics for papers submitted to Munis Entomology & Zoology. Submission of Manuscripts: Works published or under consideration elsewhere (including on the internet) will not be accepted. At first submission, one double spaced hard copy (text and tables) with figures (may not be original) must be sent to the Editors, Dr. Hüseyin Özdikmen for publication in MEZ. All manuscripts should be submitted as Word file or PDF file in an e-mail attachment. If electronic submission is not possible due to limitations of electronic space at the sending or receiving ends, unavailability of e-mail, etc., we will accept “hard” versions, in triplicate, accompanied by an electronic version stored in a floppy disk, a CD-ROM. Review Process: When submitting manuscripts, all authors provides the name, of at least three qualified experts (they also provide their address, subject fields and e-mails). Then, the editors send to experts to review the papers. The review process should normally be completed within 45-60 days. After reviewing papers by reviwers: Rejected papers are discarded. For accepted papers, authors are asked to modify their papers according to suggestions of the reviewers and editors. Final versions of manuscripts and figures are needed in a digital format.
    [Show full text]
  • Foster, Warne, A
    ISSN 0966 2235 LATISSIMUS NEWSLETTER OF THE BALFOUR-BROWNE CLUB Number Forty Five February 2020 Liopterus haemorrhoidalis (Fab.) found in a heathland pool in Dorset, England by Peter Sutton. ADDRESSES The addresses of authors of articles and reviewed works are mainly given at the end of this issue of Latissimus. The address for other correspondence is: Professor G N Foster, 3 Eglinton Terrace, Ayr KA7 1JJ, Scotland, UK – [email protected] 1 LATISSIMUS 45 February 2020 TOWARDS A PHOTOGUIDE FOR THE LARGER BRITISH WATER BEETLES Peter Sutton For some time now, I have been working on a sequel to The Larger Water Beetles of the British Isles (Sutton 2008) in a bid to photograph all of the large and spectacular aquatic Coleoptera of Britain. The trials and tribulations of the search for these fascinating insects are described in a recent article in British Wildlife (Sutton 2017). This article also reveals that some of the medium-sized species of interest, such as those of the genus Rhantus have been included, as have species from other groups, including the raft spider, Dolomedes plantarius (Clerck) and a rare wasp, Chalcis sispes (L.), parasitic on soldierflies (Stratiomyidae), which collectively highlight the conservation importance of some of the very special habitats in which they may be found. Figure 1 Rhantus frontalis (Marsham), brackish pool, Canvey Island, South Essex February 2020 LATISSIMUS 45 2 The prospective book, therefore, covers a good number of medium-sized water beetles (7- 13 mm), from the Piles Beetle Liopterus haemorrhoidalis (Fab.) (6.3-7.9 mm) to the comparatively large Ilybius ater (12.5 -14.5 mm), known by some in Britain as the Mud Dweller.
    [Show full text]
  • Drill Cores Through the Table Mountain Latite Near Knights Ferry Carolyn Gornya, Cathy Busbya*, Christopher J
    International Geology Review Vol. 51, Nos. 9–11, September–November 2009, 824–842 An in-depth look at distal Sierra Nevada palaeochannel fill: drill cores through the Table Mountain Latite near Knights Ferry Carolyn Gornya, Cathy Busbya*, Christopher J. Pluharb, Jeanette Hagana and Keith Putirkab aDepartment of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA; bDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA (Accepted 24 March 2009) The ,10.4 Ma Table Mountain Latite (TML) consists of high-K trachyandesite lavas that likely erupted from the Little Walker Center near Sonora Pass and flowed 80 miles (130 km) through the palaeo-Stanislaus river channel to Knights Ferry in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Complete sections through the proximal facies of the flow stratigraphy are common in the high-Sierra and along range-front faults, but in much of its distal facies in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the internal features of the unit are poorly exposed. Condor Earth Technologies offered us the opportunity to study three complete vertical sections through the distal facies of the TML through access to three drill cores. These cores, spaced 1500 0 (457 m) apart and oriented oblique to inferred flow direction by 308, are referred to here as cores A, B, and C, in a down-palaeoflow direction. Previous outcrop studies of the distal TML over the past century have concluded that the distal TML consists of a single flow. This is true of core B, which is dominated by a single 1440 (44 m) thick flow, underlain by a thin (,50, 1.5 m) flow with a vesiculated top, inferred to represent a toe of the thick flow, inasmuch as there is no baked zone or weathered contact between them.
    [Show full text]
  • Enhanced Palaeochannel Prospectivity
    ASX Announcement ASX: DYL 16 July 2015 Palaeochannel Exploration: Enhanced Prospectivity Potential Confirmed Deep Yellow Limited (“DYL” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of a combined infill drilling program and geophysical interpretation study by its wholly-owned Namibian operating subsidiary, Reptile Uranium Namibia (Pty) Ltd (“RUN”). When combined the results of this work have successfully achieved the stated objective of demonstrating that RUN’s palaeochannels have the potential to far exceed previous interpretations of mineralisation and the existing JORC (2004) resource base of 22.2Mt at 369ppm U3O8 for 18Mlbs U3O8 at cut off grades of 100 and 200 ppm U3O8. KEY POINTS Deep Yellow’s Namibian operating entity Reptile Uranium Namibia Ltd (“RUN”) has significantly enhanced the prospectivity potential of its palaeochannels via a combination of infill drilling and sophisticated geophysical modelling using existing airborne EM survey data. The palaeochannels, located on Exclusive Prospecting Licences (“EPL”) 3496 and 3497, have existing JORC (2004) compliant resources and were the focus of earlier exploration efforts by RUN prior to 2011 and recently mineral characterisation tests to assess suitability for physical beneficiation. The close-spaced infill drill program demonstrated that the palaeochannel was continuously mineralised across a shallow 160 metre section with minimal internal dilution and grades were a good match in tenor with previous results and the existing mineral resource model. Geophysical consultants Resource Potentials produced a map of the depth to basement geometry across both EPLs using Aeroquest Helicopter Electromagnetic survey data and advanced techniques which demonstrated that the lateral extent (in excess of 100 kilometres) and depth (down to approximately 130 metres) of the electrically conductive palaeochannels far exceeded previous interpretations.
    [Show full text]
  • Groundwater Recharge in Texas
    Groundwater Recharge in Texas Bridget R. Scanlon, Alan Dutton, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, and Marios Sophocleous, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS 1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5 Techniques for Estimating Recharge .................................................................................. 6 Water Budget .................................................................................................................. 6 Recharge Estimation Techniques Based on Surface-Water Studies............................... 7 Physical Techniques.................................................................................................... 7 Tracer Techniques....................................................................................................... 9 Numerical Modeling ................................................................................................. 10 Recharge Estimation Techniques Based on Unsaturated-Zone Studies ....................... 10 Physical Techniques.................................................................................................. 10 Tracer Techniques..................................................................................................... 12 Numerical Modeling ................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Surviving Submerged—Setal Tracheal Gills for Gas Exchange in Adult Rheophilic Diving Beetles
    JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 270:1348–1355 (2009) Surviving Submerged—Setal Tracheal Gills for Gas Exchange in Adult Rheophilic Diving Beetles Siegfried Kehl* and Konrad Dettner Department of Animal Ecology II, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany ABSTRACT The gas exchange in adult diving beetles 2002). Adult Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) relies on a subelytral air store, are often used as a prime example of aquatic which has to be renewed in regular intervals at the insects having a transportable air store for respi- water surface. The dive duration varies from a few ration. This air store in the subelytral cavity, must minutes to 24 h depending on the species, activity, and be renewed at regular intervals at the water sur- temperature. However, some species remain submerged for several weeks. Stygobiont species do not ascend to face (Alt, 1912; Wesenberg-Lund, 1912; Ege, 1915; the surface and gas exchange of these species remains Rahn and Paganelli, 1968; Gilbert, 1986; Wichard unclear, but it is assumed that they require air filled et al., 2002; Balke, 2005). The spiracles of the voids for respiration or they use cutaneous respiration. adult beetles open into the subelytral cavity (Gil- In this study, we investigate the gas exchange in the bert, 1986). For gas exchange, adult Dytiscidae running water diving beetle Deronectes aubei, which break the water surface with the tip of the abdo- survive submerged for over 6 weeks. The diffusion dis- men and atmospheric air enters the subelytral cav- tance through the cuticle is too great for cutaneous res- ity and flows into the emptied tracheae.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Holocene Floodplain Processes and Post-European Channel
    University of Wollongong Thesis Collections University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Year 2003 Late holocene floodplain processes and post-European channel dynamics in a partly confined valley of New South Wales Australia Timothy J. Cohen University of Wollongong Cohen, Timothy J., Late holocene floodplain processes and post-European channel dy- namics in a partly confined valley of New South Wales Australia, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2003. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1931 This paper is posted at Research Online. 5. Post-European channel dynamics in the Bellinger valley CHAPTER 5 - POST-EUROPEAN CHANNEL DYNAMICS IN THE BELLINGER VALLEY 5.1 INTRODUCTION The Bellinger River, like many other systems in south-eastern Australia (see review by Rutherford, 2000), has undergone a series of planform and dimensional changes since European settlement. This chapter investigates the nature and timing of these changes and relates them to both the pre-European state of the channel and floodplain, along witii the rainfall and discharge patterns established in Chapter 3. The chapter consists of four main sections. Section 5.2 briefly outiines the methodological techniques used in this chapter, while Section 5.3 provides a historical assessment of channel and floodplain character in the Bellinger catchment. Sections 5.4 - 5.5 quantify the magnitude of change and present a summary of the evidence for cyclic channel changes. 5.2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 5.2.1 Historical and anecdotal evidence for the BeUinger valley In order to determine the character of the Bellinger River and the surrounding floodplain environment at the time of settlement a number of historical data sources have been utilised.
    [Show full text]
  • Inverted Relief Landforms in the Kumtagh Desert of Northwestern China: a Mechanism to Estimate Wind Erosion Rates
    GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL Geol. J. 52: 131–140 (2017) Published online 13 November 2015 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/gj.2739 Inverted relief landforms in the Kumtagh Desert of northwestern China: a mechanism to estimate wind erosion rates ZHEN-TING WANG1,2*, ZHONG-PING LAI3 and JIAN-JUN QU2 1State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China 2Dunhuang Gobi Desert Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS, Dunhuang, China 3State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China Although commonly found in deserts, our knowledge about inverted relief landforms is very limited. The so-called ‘Gravel Body’ in the northern Kumtagh Desert is an example of an inverted relief landform created by the exhumation of a former fluvial gravel channel. The common occurrence of these landforms indicates that fluvial processes played an important role in shaping the Kumtagh Desert in the past 151 ka. A physical model is presented to reconstruct the palaeohydrology of these fluvial channels in terms of several measurable parameters including terrain slope, boulder size, and channel width. Combining the calculated palaeoflood depth, the maximal depth of channel bed eroded by wind, and the current height of inverted channels with the age of the aeolian sediments covered by gravels, the local wind erosion rate is estimated to be 0.21–0.28 mm/year. It is shown that wind erosion occurring in the Kumtagh Desert is no more severe than in adjacent regions. Since the modern Martian environment is very similar to that of hyperarid deserts on Earth, and Mars was once subjected to fluvial processes, this study will be helpful for understanding the origin of analogous Martian surface landforms and their causative processes.
    [Show full text]