91制片厂

Every river has a story to tell, and the stories of can fill a library. Writing down and learning from those stories, however, requires a scientific framework that can interpret the myriad processes that occur in and around the dynamic river environments. New research at the shows how a multidisciplinary approach to studying streams and rivers can help tell a rich story about the Earth鈥檚 critical zones鈥�

What is Earth鈥檚 Critical Zone?

鈥攆rom the bedrock and the depths of free-flowing groundwater to the tops of vegetation where plants pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Studying critical zones requires a multidisciplinary approach that can connect everything from photosynthesis to weathering to plate tectonics, across different timespans and ecosystems. , Station scientist , a research assistant professor in the natural resources and the environment department at 91制片厂, and his co-authors describe how an integrated assessment of stream and river corridors鈥攖he land and associated ecosystems adjacent to flowing water鈥攃an further the understanding of critical zones.

鈥淭he one place on the landscape that can provide a really integrated view of the entire critical zone is the stream at the bottom of the valley,鈥� described Wymore. 鈥淏ecause of gravity, it鈥檚 getting all these inputs鈥攇roundwater, soil water, rainwater鈥攁s things flow downhill, and it provides a look of the critical zone changing over space and time and how the critical zone responds to natural and human disturbances.鈥�

Wymore and his co-authors also point out the disproportionate impact that streams and rivers have on the landscape. For taking up such a small portion of the landscape, they move a large amount of material around, form valleys and spread organic matter and nutrients over great distances.

鈥淭he effect of these corridors on the landscape is massive, especially in comparison to how much of the Earth鈥檚 surface is covered by freshwater including streams and rivers,鈥� Wymore added. 鈥淏ecause of that, it鈥檚 important to have an integrated approach to understanding the magnitude of their impacts.鈥�

Humans are inextricably connected to river corridors and have been for most of human history, Wymore added. Granite State鈥檚 rivers and surrounding ecosystems are also critical to sustaining the state鈥檚 agricultural production, forested lands and wildlife, provide drinking water to many communities, and beatify and drive economic activity. And because communities and associated infrastructure built within river corridors take advantage of all the services that the waterways provide, human activity must also be calculated into critical zone and similar models.

鈥淲e benefit from the river corridor but also have a major impact on these environments,鈥� said Wymore. 鈥淭hus, we have to integrate human activity into our models of river corridor function and resilience to future global change.鈥�