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Barriers represent one of the largest anthropogenic impacts on the ecological status of rivers, and they also potentially restrict fishes' ability to respond to future environmental changes. Thus, river management aims to restore the longitudinal connectivity of rivers to allow continuous migration and movement of water, sediments and biota. However, it is often unclear whether the targeted barriers are also those most relevant for fish species, particularly to track future habitat shifts caused by environmental change. In this study, we applied species distribution models and the GIS-based fish dispersal model FIDIMO to evaluate the impacts of barriers (e.g. weirs and dams) on the dispersal of 17 native fish species in the European River Elbe with a particular focus on climate- and land use-induced habitat shifts. Specifically, we compared three scenarios of longitudinal connectivity: (i) current longitudinal connectivity, (ii) connectivity improvements as planned by river managers for 2021 and (iii) a reference with full longitudinal connectivity. The models indicated that barriers restricted the movement of two modeled fish species on average, thus impeding fishes' abilities to track future habitat shifts. Moreover, the number of species affected by barriers increased downstream. For the River Elbe, our results suggest that river management has most likely identified the most relevant barriers in respect to the modeled species and future environmental change. We emphasize that river management and barrier prioritization must thoroughly consider species-specific movement and dispersal abilities, as well as the specific spatial arrangement of barriers in the river system in relation to the spatial distribution of species' populations and suitable habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian ecosystems are vital components of aridlands within the southwestern United States. Historically, surface flows influenced population dynamics of native riparian trees. Many southwestern streams has been altered by regulation, however, and will be further affected by greenhouse warming. Our analysis of stream gage data revealed that decreases in volume of annual discharge and mean peak discharge and a shift to earlier peak discharge will occur in the Southern Rockies region of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. These changes will likely decrease rates of reproduction and survival of cottonwood ( Populus fremontii and Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii ), Goodding's willow ( Salix gooddingii ), and boxelder ( Acer negundo ), which rely on surface flows to stimulate germination and recharge groundwater aquifers. Streams in the Central Highlands of Arizona and New Mexico will likely see reductions in annual discharge volume, which could limit reproduction and survival of the above taxa and Arizona sycamore ( Platanus wrightii ). These effects may be exacerbated by demands of expanding urban areas and agricultural operations, but could also be ameliorated by increasing water use efficiency and environmental mitigation. These factors must be considered, along with climate projections, when planning for conservation of riparian trees and the animal communities they support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent streams account for approximately one half of the global river network, and are especially common in arid and semi-arid regions. These systems are inhabited by several fish species that are adapted to their natural flow intermittency. While many fish species rely on permanent pools or perennial reaches to survive during the dry season, our knowledge regarding fish survival strategies in dry reaches is incomplete. Our observations revealed that ammocoetes (i.e. lamprey larvae) of a non-parasitic brook lamprey (Lampetra sp.) survived in the hyporheic zone of an intermittent stream in the absence of surface water for at least 22 days. This is the first reported observation of ammocoetes persisting in the hyporheic water after loss of surface water, a behavior that has been previously reported for just a few fish species. • Lamprey ammocoetes persisted in the hyporheic water after loss of surface water. • Lamprey ammocoetes survived in the absence of surface water for at least 22 days. • The hyporheic zone can serve as a refuge for some fish species during dry periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater species and their habitats, and transportation networks are at heightened risk from changing climate and are priorities for adaptation, with the sheer abundance and individuality of road-river structures complicating mitigation efforts. We present a new spatial dataset of road-river structures attributed as culverts, bridges, or fords, and use this along with data on gradient and stream order to estimate structure sensitivity and exposure in and out of special areas of conservation (SAC) and built-up areas to determine vulnerability to damage across river catchments in Wales, UK. We then assess hazard of flooding likelihood at the most vulnerable structures to determine those posing high risk of impact on roads and river-obligate species (fishes and mussels) whose persistence depends on aquatic habitat connectivity. Over 5% (624/11,680) of structures are high vulnerability and located where flooding hazard is highest, posing high risk of impact to roads and river-obligate species. We assess reliability of our approach through an on-ground survey in a river catchment supporting an SAC and more than 40% (n = 255) of high-risk structures, and show that of the subset surveyed >50% had obvious physical degradation, streambank erosion, and scouring. Our findings help us to better understand which structures pose high-risk of impact to river-obligate species and humans with increased flooding likelihood. • A new spatial dataset of road-river structures: bridges, culverts, and fords. • A national-scale screening-level assessment of structure vulnerability and risk. • Structures vulnerable to damage are also high-risk to nature and people under flooding. • Field survey shows that >50% of high-risk structures have physical degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unraveling the stratigraphic record is the key to understanding ancient climate and past climate changes on Mars ( Grotzinger, J. et al. [2011]. Astrobiology 11, 77–87 ). Stratigraphic records of river deposits hold particular promise because rain or snowmelt must exceed infiltration plus evaporation to allow sediment transport by rivers. Therefore, river deposits when placed in stratigraphic order could constrain the number, magnitudes, and durations of the wettest (and presumably most habitable) climates in Mars history. We use crosscutting relationships to establish the stratigraphic context of river and alluvial-fan deposits in the Aeolis Dorsa sedimentary basin, 10°E of Gale crater. At Aeolis Dorsa, wind erosion has exhumed a stratigraphic section of sedimentary rocks consisting of at least four unconformity-bounded rock packages, recording three or more distinct episodes of surface runoff. Early deposits (>700 m thick) are embayed by river deposits (>400 m thick), which are in turn unconformably draped by fan-shaped deposits (<100 m thick) which we interpret as alluvial fans. Yardang-forming layered deposits (>900 m thick) unconformably drape all previous deposits. River deposits embay a dissected landscape formed of sedimentary rock. The river deposits are eroding out of at least two distinguishable units. There is evidence for pulses of erosion during the interval of river deposition. The total interval spanned by river deposits is >(1 × 10 6 –2 × 10 7 ) yr, and this is extended if we include alluvial-fan deposits. Alluvial-fan deposits unconformably postdate thrust faults which crosscut the river deposits. This relationship suggests a relatively dry interval of >4 × 10 7 yr after the river deposits formed and before the fan-shaped deposits formed, based on probability arguments. Yardang-forming layered deposits unconformably postdate all of the earlier deposits. They contain rhythmite and their induration suggests a damp or wet (near-) surface environment. The time gap between the end of river deposition and the onset of yardang-forming layered deposits is constrained to >1 × 10 8 yr by the high density of impact craters embedded at the unconformity. The time gap between the end of alluvial-fan deposition and the onset of yardang-forming layered deposits was at least long enough for wind-induced saltation abrasion to erode 20–30 m into the alluvial-fan deposits. We correlate the yardang-forming layered deposits to the upper layers of Gale crater’s mound (Mt. Sharp/Aeolis Mons), and the fan-shaped deposits to Peace Vallis fan in Gale crater. Alternations between periods of low mean obliquity and periods of high mean obliquity may have modulated erosion–deposition cycling in Aeolis. This is consistent with the results from an ensemble of simulations of Solar System orbital evolution and the resulting history of the obliquity of Mars. 57 of our 61 simulations produce one or more intervals of continuously low mean Mars obliquity that are long enough to match our Aeolis Dorsa unconformity data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in environmental factors can have profound effects on diversification in species that are tightly linked to their environments. The Caddo Mountain Salamander (Plethodon caddoensis) inhabits a unique physiographic section of the Ouachita Mountains in central North America, a region in which Pleistocene climatic fluctuations have been implicated in driving lineage diversification in two other closely related salamanders. We examined P. caddoensis to determine whether it was similarly impacted by historic climatic changes and test whether physiographic features unique to the area also contributed to its diversification. We found that P. caddoensis is composed of four highly divergent, geographically distinct lineages that abut one another along an east–west axis. Phylogeographic structure was significantly related to both geographic distance and stream drainages, indicating that connectivity of streams and stream-associated habitats (e.g., talus) influence patterns of interpopulation gene flow. Lineages originated during the Middle Miocene and population size decreased in all lineages during the Pleistocene. Surface Geology and precipitation were the most important variables predicting the species distribution. Our results show that the unique physiographic features of the area coupled with species response to climatic factors have driven lineage diversification and phylogeographic structure in P. caddoensis. Variation in responses to historic climatic fluctuations among salamander species in this region underscore the importance of integrating species ecology with other factors such as geology and hydrology in order to better understand the effects of climate change on species with close associations to their environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Widespread afforestation has been proposed as one means of addressing the increasing dryland and stream salinity problem in Australia. However, modelling results presented here suggest that large-scale tree planting will substantially reduce river flows and impose costs on downstream water users if planted in areas of high runoff yield. Streamflow reductions in the Macquarie River, NSW, Australia are estimated for a number of tree planting scenarios and global warming forecasts. The modelling framework includes the Sacramento rainfall-runoff model and IQQM, a streamflow routing tool, as well as various global climate model outputs from which daily rainfall and potential evaporation data files have been generated in OzClim, a climate scenario generator. For a 10% increase in tree cover in the headwaters of the Macquarie, we estimate a 17% reduction in inflows to Burrendong Dam. The drying trend for a mid-range scenario of regional rainfall and potential evaporation caused by a global warming of 0·5°C may cause an additional 5% reduction in 2030. These flow reductions will decrease the frequency of bird-breeding events in Macquarie Marshes (a RAMSAR protected wetland) and reduce the security of supply to irrigation areas downstream. Inter-decadal climate variability is predicted to have a very significant influence on catchment hydrologic behaviour. A further 20% reduction in flows from the long-term historical mean is possible, should we move into an extended period of below average rainfall years, such as occurred in eastern Australia between 1890 and 1948. Because current consumptive water use is largely adapted to the wetter conditions of post 1949, a return to prolonged dry periods would cause significant environmental stress given the agricultural and domestic water developments that have been instituted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing role of river-borne anthropogenically-derived substances on the water quality of impacted marine ecosystems, it is important to study the pathways of the river waters in the Black Sea. We perform tracer simulations for the river-borne substance, aiming to track its transport and accumulation in the basin and to identify possible long term trends. Our results suggest a decrease in Danube plume transport southward along the coastline and increasing transport to the north and north-eastern parts of the North Western Shelf (NWS) and then to the southwest. Over the 1960–2017 period, the Black Sea circulation showed an amplification and consolidation of the Rim Current, most likely in response to climatic changes. Recent changes in the circulation patterns seem to be a key factor for the modification of the river plume pathways. The concentration of the river-borne substance reaches an annual maximum in September, when pulses with larger tracer concentrations can be found in the inner basin. The accumulation of river-borne substance on the north and south shelf has increased in recent decades. Image 1 • Patterns of the north western river water pathways are explained. • The Rim Current speed has been increasing for the past six decades. • The maximum pulses of river water into the deep basin occur in September. • Trends of river-borne substance accumulation over 1960–2017 are analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt marshes are changeable and important ecosystems that currently face various threats, including global climate change and human activities. The influence of these factors can result in the degradation of salt marshes. Tidal creeks, which are an important source of nutrients and other substances for salt marsh vegetation, play an important role in the health of salt marshes. In this study, the morphological characteristics of tidal creeks and the characteristics of two typical plants, Suaeda glauca (SG) and Phragmites communis (PC), in the Yellow River Delta, China were investigated to determine the effect of tidal creeks on these plants. Aerial photography and field measurements of tidal creeks were carried out from May to July 2018 in the study area. At the same time, nine line-intercepts were set in the vertical direction of tidal creeks to investigate plants. The results showed that different grades of tidal creek exerted no significant influence on the growth of either S. glauca or P. communis. However, unlike grade, the size of a creek and the distance from it had marked effects on these plants. The cross-sectional area of a tidal creek had a significant positive impact on the density of S. glauca (r = 0.39, p = 0.02). For P. communis , the depth of a tidal creek had a strong correlation with this species' density (r = 0.51, p = 0.04) and height (r = 0.63, p = 0.01). Meanwhile, there was a negative relationship between the distance from tidal creeks and the height of S. glauca (r = −0.52, p = 0.02). Conversely, the height (r = 0 0.90, p = 0.00) and density (r = 0.62, p = 0.01) of P. communis were positively affected by its vertical distance from tidal creeks. We found that the subtidal zone near a tidal creek was more conducive to the recovery and growth of S. glauca , and that areas further away from a tidal creek, located in the intertidal and subtidal zones, were more conducive to the recovery and growth of P. communis. The parameters associated with tidal creeks in the subtidal zone (cross sectional area 4.55 m2, distance 0–10 m) were beneficial for the growth of S. glauca. For P. communis , relevant features in the intertidal and subtidal zones (depth 0.40–0.45 m, distance 20–60 m) are useful. Our results suggest that attention should be paid to the effects of size and distribution of tidal creeks during the process of salt marsh restoration. This work also provides practical guidance for the restoration of native salt marshes in China. • Depth of a tidal creek had a strong positive correlation with P. communis. • Cross-sectional area of a tidal creek had a significant positive impact on S. glauca. • Both S. glauca and P. communis had obvious correlations with the distance from tidal creeks. • Areas located in the subtidal zone near a tidal creek was more conducive to S. glauca. • Relevant features in the intertidal and subtidal zones are useful for P. communis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the response of estuaries to sea-level rise is crucial in developing a suitable mitigation and climate change adaptation strategy. This study investigates the impacts of rising sea levels on salinity intrusion in salt-wedge estuaries. The sea-level rise impacts are assessed in idealized estuaries using simple expressions derived from a two-layer hydraulic theory, and in the Neretva River Estuary in Croatia using a two-layer time-dependent model. The assessment is based on three indicators — the salt-wedge intrusion length, the seawater volume, and the river inflows needed to restore the baseline intrusion. The potential SLR was found to increase all three considered indicators. Theoretical analysis in idealized estuaries suggests that shallower estuaries are more sensitive to SLR. Numerical results for the Neretva River Estuary showed that SLR may increase salt-wedge intrusion length, volume, and corrective river inflow. However, the results are highly non-linear because of the channel geometry, especially for lower river inflows. A theoretical assessment of channel bed slope impacts on limiting a potential intrusion is therefore additionally discussed. This findings emphasize the need to use several different indicators when assessing SLR impacts. • Simple expressions for assessing SLR impacts in salt-wedge estuaries. • Salt-wedge intrusion length, volume and corrective river flow as indicators for SLR. • Shallower estuaries more sensitive to rising sea levels. • Channel geometry can cause strong non-linearity in salt-water intrusion lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]