Hydrological and geomorphological structure of hydrosystems

Abstract

Chapter 4 described the basic mechanisms of river dynamics, emphasizing longitudinal and transverse variability in morphology and flows of water and material. This chapter applies information on river morphology and dynamics to examine the physical structure of hydrosystems. The interplay between river channels and the set of environmental variables determines geomorphological ‘styles’; the basis of ‘functional sectors’ with their distinct patchworks of special habitats.