The Potential Importance of Boundaries of Fluvial Ecosystems

Abstract

Boundaries separating adjacent resource patches are dynamic components of the aquatic landscape. This article addresses some fundamental questions about boundary structure and function in lotic ecosystems. We give examples of longitudinal and lateral boundaries associated with stream systems, demonstrate the application of chaos theory to understanding the inherent variability of boundary properties, and compare characteristics of boundaries in an arctic-tropical transect. We conclude that studies of resource patches, their boundaries, and the nature of exchange with adjacent patches will improve our perspective of drainage basin dynamics over a range of temporal and spatial scales.