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Monitoring biodiversity over time and space is essential for effective conservation of habitats, processes, and dependent organisms. Estimating large abundances of individuals can be challenging (e.g. birds and mammals), demanding efficient and effective methods. The Makgadikgadi Pans in north-eastern Botswana have high concentrations of breeding and feeding flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus and Phoeniconaias minor), among the world’s most important breeding sites. No published estimates of flamingos exist since 2009, with historical estimates providing limited details on methods. We developed a semi-supervised machine learning method for counting a large feeding concentration of flamingos (2 June 2019) in aerial photographs from northern Sua Pan of the Makgadikgadi Pans. We also analysed rainfall and flooding frequency and extent, using satellite imagery, estimating likely frequency of these flamingo concentrations. Lastly, we reviewed the site’s global importance as flamingo breeding habitat. Our analysis successfully provided an estimate of 372,172 to 689,473 flamingos, with methods producing over 97 % test accuracy. Uncertainty related primarily to data coverage and collection rather than methodology. This estimate underlined the Makgadikgadi Pans’ significance for flamingos, supported by a high frequency of flooding (>5:10 years). Sua Pan ranked in the top ten breeding sites for the lesser and greater flamingos in the world. These methods can be applied to other large concentrations of flamingos and other animals. Our techniques provide considerable promise for tracking flamingo populations to ensure their protection. We provide code, for use in Google Earth Engine.

Comparison of the climate, especially extreme climate changes between the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the present, could provide important information for the predication of extreme climate change in the future. Based on a laminated stalagmite from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Central China, an annually resolved stalagmite record of growth rate has been produced dating from 1640 AD. An 11-year running variance sequence of the growth rate shows a positive correlation with a local historical flooding frequency record from 1640 to 1920 AD, suggesting that the stalagmite growth rate variance could be used as a local flooding frequency indicator. In the middle Yangtze catchment, the flooding frequency during the late LIA (1750–1900 AD) is much higher than during the middle LIA (1640–1750 AD) and the early twentieth century (1900–1920 AD). The discrepancy between the stalagmite growth rate variance and the flooding frequency after 1920s AD suggests that the scale of modern flooding is possibly larger than during the earlier periods. Spectral power analysis on growth rate variance of the stalagmite suggests that the flooding cycles around the middle Yangtze River catchment may relate to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The comparison between the stalagmite growth rate variance and reconstructed ENSO records further suggests a link between strong ENSO and high flooding frequency in the middle Yangtze catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroperiod has numerous ecological function and effective methods for calculating hydroperiod would be valuable for different ecological or biological studies. However, accurate computation of hydroperiod remain challenging mainly due to absence of accurate mathematical formulation. Additionally, computing hydroperiod is complex due to the daily fluctuating water levels from tides, wind, river flows, and other meteorological events. This research presents quantitative formulations for three components of hydroperiod (flooding depth, frequency, and duration) directly from the physical dynamics of water surface movement in a tidal wetland. A set of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide gauges along the U.S. West, East, and Gulf coasts are selected to demonstrate the application of the new formulations. The computational results in terms of duration are compared with Morris non-dimensional depth (D) of hydroperiod. The comparison indicates that D is a linear-triangular approximation of sinusoid tide curve and it would generally be a good estimate of the duration component of hydroperiod within the tidal range and the accuracy of D depends on geographic location of the stations that determine the tidal regimes. Whereas the proposed formulation is not limited to variations in tide regimes and can be used as a powerful tool to determine hydroperiod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denitrification is an important process for removing nitrogen in wetlands, and it is influenced by many environmental factors. However, little information is available on the relationship between hydrologic conditions and denitrification. In this study three typical sampling sites with different flooding frequencies, including short-term flooding wetlands (STFW), seasonal-flooding wetlands (SFW) and tidal flooding wetlands (TFW) were chosen as the study sites in the Yellow River Delta. In contrast, five typical sampling sites with different flooding frequencies, including 100-year floodplain (H), 10-year floodplain (T), 5-year floodplain (F), 1-year floodplain (O) and permanently flooded floodplain (B) were chosen as the study sites in Xianghai wetlands. This study reflected that the denitrification rates decreased with depth along soil profiles in both inland and coastal salt marsh soils. Flooding periods, soil depth and their interaction showed significant effects on the denitrification processes. Generally, higher flooding frequencies will cause higher denitrification rates in salt marshes. Moreover, the denitrification rates were significantly positively correlated with soil moisture content in both wetlands. Additionally, the denitrification rates were significantly positively correlated with organic matter and NO 3 −_ N content while negatively correlated with soil pH and salinity in inland salt marshes. Therefore, the changes in soil properties (e.g. SOM, TN, pH and salinity) can become an important way to control NO 3 − levels in inland salt marshes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining forest health can affect crucial ecosystem functions, such as carbon storage in biomass and soils, the regulation of water regimes, the modulation of regional climate and conservation of biodiversity. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) and imaging spectroscopy (IS) are two potentially complementary remote sensing technologies capable of characterizing and monitoring regional forest health. However, the combined use of ALS and IS data to classify the health of individual trees has not yet been assessed. In this study we propose a new approach utilizing ALS and IS combined to characterize the health of individual trees. Firstly, we applied a recently developed bottom-up individual tree delineation algorithm across a structurally complex floodplain eucalypt forest that has experienced episodes of severe dieback over the past six decades. We further calculated ALS and IS indices for delineated tree crowns and used them as predictor variables in machine learning models. We trained and evaluated an object-oriented random forest classifier against field-measured tree crown dieback and transparency ratios, as indicators of eucalypt tree health and crown density, respectively. Our results showed that dieback levels of individual trees can be classified using ALS and IS with an overall accuracy of 81% and a kappa score of 0.66, while the classification of tree crown transparency levels had an overall accuracy of 70% and a kappa score of 0.5. Returned pulse width, intensity and density related ALS indices were the most important predictors in the tree health classification, as they accounted for > 40% of the variance in the data. At the forest level in terms of dieback, 81.5% of correctly delineated trees were classified as healthy, 12.3% as declining and 6.2% as dying or dead. Dieback occurred primarily in areas that were flooded < 5% of the time, as quantified by Landsat derived flooding frequency (1986–2011). Our results provide a novel application of ALS and IS to accurately classify the health of individual trees in a structurally complex eucalypt forest, enabling us to prioritize areas for forest health promotion and conservation of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has induced considerable changes in the dynamics of key hydro-climatic variables across Canada, including floods. In this study, runoff projections made by 21 General Climate Models (GCMs) under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are used to generate 25 km resolution streamflow estimates across Canada for historical (1961–2005) and future (2061–2100) time-periods. These estimates are used to calculate future projected changes in flood magnitudes and timings across Canada. Results obtained indicate that flood frequencies in the northernmost regions of Canada, and south-western Ontario can be expected to increase in the future. As an example, the historical 100-year return period events in these regions are expected to become 10–60 year return period events. On the other hand, northern prairies and north-central Ontario can be expected to experience decreases in flooding frequencies in future. The historical 100-year return period flood events in these regions are expected to become 160–200 year return period events in future. Furthermore, prairies, parts of Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, and Yukon territories can be expected to experience earlier snowmelt-driven floods in the future. The results from this study will help decision-makers to effectively manage and design municipal and civil infrastructure in Canada under a changing climate.

The persistence of salt marshes in the landscape depends on their ability to accommodate rising sea level and minimize additional flooding stress. We use sediment cores and water level data from 14 marshes in Connecticut and New York to evaluate how marsh accretion, mineral and organic accumulation, carbon storage, and hydroperiod have changed from 1900 to 2012. We observe a regional acceleration in marsh accretion beginning around 1940, although marsh accretion did not reach parity with sea level rise for several additional decades. Despite a rise in marsh accretion from 1.0 mm yr −1 circa 1900 to 3.6 mm yr −1 at present, the marsh surface has lost elevation relative to tidal datums. Declining relative elevations have led to increased tidal flooding, particularly in high marsh settings. As flooding increased, organic matter accumulation accelerated at all marshes. Accelerating mineral deposition was only observed in areas of short-form Spartina alterniflora . Mineral and organic sediment accumulation co-limit accretion, but organic accumulation was the stronger limiting factor, suggesting that marsh response to sea level rise in the region is sensitive to processes affecting rates of belowground production and decomposition. Marsh carbon storage over the period of study averaged 84 g C m −2 yr −1 , increasing as accretion accelerated. If marshes remain spatially intact as sea levels rise, these results suggest that marshes have the capacity to become even greater C sinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian floodplains are known to retain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The main processes are denitrification (for nitrogen) and sedimentation (for phosphorus), which depend on the nutrient load and the flow velocity or residence time, respectively. Both are related to floodplain size and the current discharge conditions. However, it is not yet known, to which extent, how long and how often during a year riparian floodplains are inundated at the catchment scale. Small floods are not relevant for flood risk management, but they are important for the nutrient cycle. This study examined the flooding frequency, the extent and nutrient retention capacity of inundated riparian floodplains between Wittenberg and Wittenberge along the river Elbe in Germany, based on freely available data. The calculation of inundated areas was produced by the Software FLYS 2.1.3. On the basis of these results, we developed an empirical approach to predict the average yearly active floodplain as a share of the inundated floodplain on the potential floodplain depending on hydro-morphology. This hydrology dependent approach was applied to calculate the active floodplain as an average inundated floodplain area and coupled with a proxy-based nutrient retention calculation. Due to morphologic characteristics, riparian floodplains upstream and downstream from Magdeburg show significant differences in flooding frequencies, average inundated floodplain extent and floodplain widths. Assuming this average inundated floodplain as relevant for nutrient retention, we calculated an eight-fold higher retention for the downstream river section, despite a smaller potential floodplain, indicating how important regularly flooded areas are. The presented Q/MQ approach offers new options for modeling nutrient retention in floodplains even on a monthly basis and for other river systems. However, there is a strong need to consider the inflowing nutrient load for retention calculation instead of proxy values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water extraction from floodplain river systems may alter patterns of inundation of adjacent wetlands and lead to loss of aquatic biodiversity. Water reaching the Okavango Delta (Delta), Botswana, may decrease due to excessive water extraction and climate change. However, due to poor understanding of the link between inundation of wetlands and biological responses, it is difficult to assess the impacts of these future water developments on aquatic biota. Large floods from 2009 to 2011 inundated both rarely and frequently flooded wetlands in the Delta, creating an opportunity to examine the ecological significance of flooding of wetlands with widely differing hydrological characteristics. We studied the assemblages of small fishes and microcrustaceans, together with their trophic relationships, in temporary wetlands of the lower Delta. Densities of microcrustaceans in temporary wetlands were generally lower than previously recorded in these habitats. Microcrustacean density varied with wetland types and hydrological phase of inundation. High densities of microcrustaceans were recorded in the 2009 to 2010 flooding season after inundation of rarely flooded sites. Large numbers of small fishes were observed during this study. Community structure of small fishes differed significantly across the studied wetlands, with poeciliids predominant in frequently flooded wetlands and juvenile cichlids most abundant in rarely flooded wetlands (analysis of similarity, P < 0.05). Small fishes of <20 mm fed largely on microcrustaceans and may have led to low microcrustacean densities within the wetlands. This result matched our prediction that rarely flooded wetlands would be more productive; hence, they supported greater populations of microcrustaceans and cichlids, which are aggressive feeders. However, the predominance of microcrustaceans in the guts of small fishes (<20 mm) suggests that predation by fishes may also be an important regulatory mechanism of microcrustacean assemblages during large floods when inundated terrestrial patches of wetlands are highly accessible by fish. We predict that a decline in the amount of water reaching the Delta will negatively affect fish recruitment, particularly the cichlids that heavily exploited the rarely flooded wetlands. Cichlids are an important human food source, and their decline in fish catches will negatively affect livelihoods. Hence, priority in the management of the Delta’s ecological functioning should be centred on minimising natural water-flow modifications because any changes may be detrimental to fish-recruitment processes of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Microcrustacean emergence from the dry sediments is an important colonization pathway that allows these microfauna to recover and repopulate temporary aquatic habitats after months or years of dryness. Viable microcrustacean propagules in sediments of three different temporary aquatic habitats - rainpools located within the rarely flooded portions, frequently flooded floodplains and rarely flooded floodplains - were assessed experimentally by flooding the soils. Three major groups of microcrustaceans - cladocerans, copepods and ostracods - emerged from the sediments. Species richness and mean total numbers of emerged microcrustaceans per sample varied across the studied temporary aquatic habitats (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). Both species richness and mean total number of emerged microcrustacean per sample were lowest in sediments of rarely flooded floodplains. The highest species richness of microcrustaceans emerged from the treatments with soils of the frequently flooded floodplains. The mean total number of emerged microcrustaceans per sample was highest from sediments of rainpools followed by frequently flooded floodplains. Findings of this experiment suggest that high flooding frequency of temporary aquatic habitats may be important to sustain high viability of microcrustacean propagules in the sediments. Reduction of regular inundation of temporary floodplains due to the threats of increasing human water abstractions and climate change may have some negative effects on the microcrustaceans of the Okavango Delta by reducing the viable propagules within these systems. The findings of this experimental study will be relevant towards efforts that are aimed at reconciling anthropogenic pressures and conservation of microcrustaceans in the Okavango Delta. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem analyzed in our paper is quantification of the impact of sediment deposition and riparian vegetation growth on floodplain inundation frequency. An additional factor is water reservoir operation. A Warta River reach was selected for the study. This natural channel is located above the Jeziorsko Reservoir. The applied methodology is a combination of data collection, hydrodynamic model simulations, and analysis of water stage frequencies. Computations and analyses showed interesting relations between elements of the river system studied. Floodplain inundation frequency was found permanently increasing. Although the main factor responsible for this is sediment deposition, the influence of riparian vegetation is important at higher water stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Litter decomposition is the key process of nutrient cycling and energy flowing in wetlands, which is also one of the important processes to maintain wetland ecosystem functions. The litter decomposition and C and N returns of Phragmites australis and Suaeda salsa were investigated during the growing period in typical wetlands f the Yellow River Delta with different flooding frequencies using litter bag technique in order to study the effects of flooding frequencies on litter decomposition and nutrient return of wetland plants. The results showed that during the study period, the litter weight loss rate and C return rate of Phragmites australis were lower than those of Suaeda salsa, while N return rate (64.3%) was higher compared to Suaeda salsa(43.3%) under the same flooding patterns. Flooding frequency had a significant effect on the processes of litter decomposition and nutrients returns of Phragmites australis and Suaeda salsa. Seasonally-flooded Phragmites australis had the highest decomposition rate, but the tidally-flooded Phragmites australis had a higher N return rate. However, the C return rate of the short-term-flooded Phragmites australis showed higher values in respective to others. Suaeda salsa had higher return rates of C and N elements and weight loss rate in tidally flooded wetlands than those in in short-term-flooded wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dutch water policy aims for more frequent, controlled flooding of river valley floodplains to avoid unwanted flooding elsewhere; in anticipation of increased flooding risks resulting from climate changes. Controlled flooding usually takes place in winter in parts of the valleys which had not been subject to flooding in the last decades. It may thus affect existing nature with its conservation values. The goal of this study was to clarify the geochemical and hydrological factors determining plant species composition of winter-flooded river valley grasslands. A correlative study was carried out in 43 sites in 13 Dutch river valley floodplains, with measurements of flooding regime, vegetation composition, soil nutrients and soil pH status. With the use of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) the plant species composition was investigated in relation to the geochemical variables and the winter winter-flooding regime. We found that the distributions of target species and non-target species were clearly correlated with geochemical characteristics and flooding regime. Clustering of sites within the CCA plots has led us to distinguish between four types of winter flooding in our areas: floodplains with (a) accumulating rain water, (b) low groundwater levels flooded with river water, (c) discharging groundwater and (d) high groundwater levels flooded with river water. Our major conclusions are (1) the winter groundwater level of winter-flooded grasslands was important for evaluating the effects of winter flooding on the geochemistry and plant species composition, and (2) winter winter-flooding effects were largely determined by the nature of the flooding. A high frequency of flooding particularly favoured a small set of common plant species. In areas with groundwater seepage, winter flooding may provide geochemical conditions suitable for diverse vegetation types with rare species. Rainwater flooded sites appeared less suitable for most target species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A digital elevation model describing topography, tide elevation and inundation degree and frequency of a mangrove forest in North Brazil is discussed in relation to existing phosphate and physicochemical data in waters of an adjacent tidal creek. Due to smooth topography, an increase of 20 cm in tidal height above average neap tides increases flooded area from about 50 to 80%. Analysis of the relationship between microtopography, tidal height and flooding rate showed that in the upper 60 cm of the mangrove forest, increases of 20 cm in topographical height resulted in a doubling of the inundation frequency. This can be particularly relevant for the analysis of nutrient mobilization and vegetation structure of infrequently inundated wetlands. Throughout the year, low-tide phosphate in creek water was inversely proportional to the maximum area flooded during high tide, this correlation being higher during the dry season. Similarly, the inverse relationship between flooded areas and low-tide/high-tide pH ratios was highly significant during the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season. Although the high correlations obtained are based on data pairs obtained at high and low tide, it has to clarified whether the association between inundation degree and creek water pH is relevant for the stability of P compounds in sediment on the short scale of a tidal cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and composition of riparian forests were examined along the Tokachi River, northern Japan. Both the hydrogeomorphic gradient and the temporal gradient were analyzed in attempt to explain the present pattern of riparian forests. The stability of floodplain surfaces was estimated on the basis of the elevation above the riverbed and the distance from the river channel. The characteristics of the substratum on which trees were established were also examined by excavation of buried sediment. The results indicated that soil moisture and organic content increased while the size of particles in the substratum decreased with increased elevation and distance from the river channel. Gradient analysis was employed to examine the distribution of dominant species, such as Alnus hirsuta, Toisusu urbaniana, Populus maximowiczii, Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis. The relative dominance of each could be arrayed across the elevation gradient. Although the three broad-leaved pioneers dominated bars and floodplains near the river channel, their modes shifted from lower to higher elevation and amplitudes of distribution curves decreased in the following order: A. hirsuta, T. urbaniana, P. maximowiczii and conifers, which were located on the highest floodplains. Sites could be divided into three classes in terms of stability. There were fewer species at active sites, which favored the three pioneer species, but species richness and diversity increased with stand age. Semi-active and stable sites were more diverse with the establishment of conifers and other broad-leaved trees, which included upland species. However, species richness peaked and then decreased after trees reached 50 to 60 years of age. The growth of dwarf bamboo and the development of conifer-dominant stands impeded the establishment of other species, thereby reducing species richness and diversity in mature stands. Chronologically, floodplains could be differentiated into high- and low-frequency zones of flood disturbance, with pioneer species occupying the former, and late successional species found largely in the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological recovery is the basis for restoring the structure and function of wetlands in semiarid and arid areas of China. Selecting an appropriate hydrological recovery mode may be helpful for improving the effectiveness of wetland restoration. We conducted pot experiments to study the effects of the flooding frequency, duration, depth, and occurrence time on the height, biomass, ion contents, and photosynthetic physiology of Phragmites australis in degraded saline–alkaline marsh in the West Songnen Plain, China. At the end of the growing season, we found that the biomass, photosynthetic parameters, and water use efficiency (WUE) of the leaves increased, whereas the Na+ concentration decreased, and the K+ content remained unchanged under an increased flooding frequency treatment. As the flooding depth increased, the plant height increased, but there were no differences in the photosynthetic parameters, biomass, and WUE under flooding at 5 cm and 10 cm. Under different flooding duration treatments, the plant height and biomass were greater, but the photosynthetic parameters and Na+ and K+ contents were lower under a flooding duration of three months. The flooding occurrence time had little effect on the growth of P. australis. Our results indicate that the flooding frequency and duration had greater effects than the flooding depth and occurrence time in the hydrological recovery model for P. australis restoration. The biomass accumulated by P. australis was related to lower Na+ contents and the maintenance of a high K+/Na+ contents, and WUE increased by adjusting photosynthesis under a moderate flooding frequency and duration. These results have important implications for the restoration of degraded semiarid wetlands with man-made channel systems in conditions with limited freshwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland hydrology can greatly influence the variations in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Soil cores were sampled to a depth of 100 cm at 10 cm intervals above 20 cm soils and 20 cm intervals below 20 cm soils in river marginal wetlands with different flooding frequencies (i.e., permanently flooded, one-year, five-year, ten-year, and one-hundred-year floodplains) in 1999 and 2009, respectively. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were measured to investigate spatial and temporal variations in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks in five floodplains with different flooding frequencies on a small scale. The results showed that SOCS ranged from 4.62 kg C/m2 to 13.21 kg C/m2 and TNS from 0.41 kg N/m2 to 2.01 kg N/m2 in the top 1m depth in five zones in both sampling years. Higher soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks were observed in these floodplain wetlands with higher flooding frequencies (i.e. permanently flooded, one-year, and five-year floodplains) than those in lower-flooding-frequency floodplains (i.e., ten-year and one-hundred floodplains), and the highest soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks in top 10 cm appeared in one-year floodplain rather than permanently flooded floodplain in both years. This indicated that higher flooding frequencies could contribute to soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation due to better hydrological conditions compared with lower flooding frequencies. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks in top 1m depth decreased by approximately 8–53% and by 22–55% from 1999 to 2009, respectively, of which the highest change rate occurred in one-hundred fooldplain and the lowest in permanently flooded floodplain. The decline in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks of deeper soils mainly caused by heavy alkalinity, reduced water table, and elevated temperature in a ten-year period possibly contribute to explaining the total carbon and nitrogen losses in soil profiles. Correlation analysis showed that soil organic carbon and total nitrogen levels in this region were significantly correlated with flooding frequencies, soil depth, soil pH value, bulk density, soil texture, and microbial biomass. It is necessary to pay much more attention to carbon and nitrogen stocks in deeper soils and find out the key factors that cause carbon and nitrogen loss in these floodplain wetlands to improve carbon sink function of wetland soils. The findings of this work provide a potential explanation for the "missing" carbon sinks at a larger scale. • Upper soils of higher flooding-frequency wetlands showed higher SOC and TN stocks. • The highest SOC and TN stocks in top 10 cm soils appeared in Zone O, not in Zone B. • SOC and TN stocks decreased gradually along soil profiles in both years. • SOC and TN stocks in the top 100 cm soils dramatically decreased from 1999 to 2009. • SOC and TN stocks in deeper soils decreased in 2009 compared with 1999. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has induced considerable changes in the dynamics of key hydro-climatic variables across Canada, including floods. In this study, runoff projections made by 21 General Climate Models (GCMs) under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are used to generate 25 km resolution streamflow estimates across Canada for historical (1961–2005) and future (2061–2100) time-periods. These estimates are used to calculate future projected changes in flood magnitudes and timings across Canada. Results obtained indicate that flood frequencies in the northernmost regions of Canada, and south-western Ontario can be expected to increase in the future. As an example, the historical 100-year return period events in these regions are expected to become 10–60 year return period events. On the other hand, northern prairies and north-central Ontario can be expected to experience decreases in flooding frequencies in future. The historical 100-year return period flood events in these regions are expected to become 160–200 year return period events in future. Furthermore, prairies, parts of Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, and Yukon territories can be expected to experience earlier snowmelt-driven floods in the future. The results from this study will help decision-makers to effectively manage and design municipal and civil infrastructure in Canada under a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]