Abstract
Riverine flood plains are dynamic systems characterized by a diverse array of aquatic habitats and a rich biota adapted to the high spatio-temporal heterogeneity (Tockner and Stanford, 2002). Hydrological processes interacting with geomorphic features play a major role in sustaining high levels of habitat heterogeneity within river corridors (Ward et al., 2002). Seasonal changes in discharge result in expansion/contraction of channel networks, accompanied by changes in hydrologic connectivity between floodplain waterbodies and between surface waters and groundwater aquifers, thereby forming a dynamic mosaic of shifting water sources and flow paths (Stanley et al., 1997; Malard et al. 1999; Tockner et al., 2002). Although the “flood pulse” (sensu Junk et al., 1989) is widely recognized as the major force structuring floodplain habitat conditions, even moderate increases in discharge (“flow pulses”) may result in dramatic expansion of inundated area and can be important in sustaining habitat heterogeneity in river flood plains (Tockner et al., 2000).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Amoros, C., & Petts, G. E. eds. (1993). Hydrosystemes Fluviaux. Paris: Masson.
Bayley, P. B. (1991). The floodpulse advantage and the restoration of river-floodplain systems. Regulated Rivers: Research & Management, 6, 75–86.
Benke, A. C., Chaubey, I., Ward, G. M., & Dunn, E. I. (2000). Flood pulse dynamics of an unregulated river floodplain in the southern U.S. coastal plain. Ecology, 81, 2730–2741.
Burgherr, P., Ward, J. V., & Robinson, C. T. (2002). Seasonal variation in zoobenthos across habitat gradients in an alpine glacial flood plain (Val Roseg, Swiss Alps). Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 21, 561–575.
Fausch, K. D., Torgersen, C. E., Baxter, C. V., & Li, H. W. (2002). Landscapes to riverscapes: bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes. BioScience, 52, 483–498.
Füreder, L. (1999). High alpine streams: cold habitats for insect larvae. In R. Margesin & F. Schinner (Eds.), Cold adapted organisms: Ecology, physiology, enzymology and molecular biology (pp. 181–196). Springer: Berlin.
Hamilton, S. K., Sippel, S. J., & Melack, J. M. (1996). Inundation patterns in the Pantanal wetland of South America determined from passive microwave sensing. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 137, 1–23.
Hieber, M., Robinson, C. T., Uehlinger, U., & Ward, J. V. (2002). Are alpine lake outlets less harsh than other alpine streams. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 154, 199–223.
Junk, W. J., Bayley, P. B., & Sparks, R. E. (1989). The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 106, 110–127.
Klein, B., & Tockner, K. (2000). Biodiversity in springbrooks of a glacial floodplain (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Verhandlungen der Internationalen Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, 27, 704–710.
Körner, Ch., & Spehn, E. M. eds. (2002). Mountain biodiversity: a global assessment. London: Parthenon Publishing.
Malard, F., Tockner, K., & Ward J. V. (1999). Shifting dominance of subcatchment water sources and flow paths in a glacial floodplain (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 31, 135–150.
Malard, F., Tockner, K., & Ward, J. V. (2000). A landscape-level analysis of phsyico-chemical heterogeneity in a glacial floodplain. Landscape Ecology, 15, 679–695.
Mertes, L. A. K. (1997). Documentation and significance of the perirheic zone on inundated floodplains. Water Resources Research, 33, 1749–1762.
Robertson, A. I., Bunn, S. E., Boon, P. I., & Walker, K. F. (1999). Sources, sinks and transformations of organic carbon in Australian floodplain rivers. Marine and Freshwater Research, 50, 813–29.
Sippel, S. J., Hamilton, S. K., Melack, J. M., & Novo, E. M. M. (1998). Passive microwave observations of inundation area and the area/stage relation in the Amazon River floodplain. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 19, 3055–3074.
Sporka, F. (1998). The typology of floodplain water bodies of the Middle Danube (Slovakia) on the basis of the superficial polychaete and oligochaete faunas. Hydrobiologia, 386, 55–62.
Stanford, J. A., & Ward, J. V. (1993). An ecosystem perspective of alluvial rivers: connectivity and the hyporheic corridor. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 12, 48–60.
Stanley, E. H., Fisher, S. G., & Grimm, N. B. (1997). Ecosystem expansion and contraction in streams. BioScience, 47, 427–435.
Tockner, K., & Stanford, J. A. (2002). Riverine floodplains: present state and future trends. Environmental Conservation, 29, 308–330.
Tockner, K., Malard, F., Burgherr, P., Robinson, C. T., Uehlinger, U., Zah, R., & Ward, J. V. (1997). Physico-chemical characterization of channel types in a glacial floodplain ecosystem (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 140, 433–463.
Tockner, K., Malard, F., & Ward, J. V. (2000). An extension of the flood pulse concept. Hydrological Processes, 14, 2861–2883.
Tockner, K., Malard, F., Uehlinger, U., & Ward, J. V. (2002). Nutrients and organic matter in a glacial river-floodplain. Limnology & Oceanography, 47, 266–277.
Uehlinger, U., Malard, F., & Ward, J. V. (2003). Thermal patters in the surface waters of a glacial river corridor (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Freshwater Biology, 48, 284–300.
Van der Nat, D., Schmidt, A., Tockner, K., Edwards, P J., & Ward, J. V. (2002). Inundation dynamics in braided floodplains. Ecosystems, 5, 636–647.
Ward, J. V. (1994). Ecology of alpine streams. Freshwater Biology, 32, 277–294.
Ward, J. V., & Tockner, K. (2001). Biodiversity: toward a unifying theme in river ecology. Freshwater Biology, 46, 807–819.
Ward, J. V., Tockner, K., & Schiemer, F. (1999). Biodiversity of floodplain river ecosystems: ecotones and connectivity. Regulated Rivers: Research & Management, 15, 125–139.
Ward, J. V., Tockner, K., Arscott, D. B., & Claret, C. (2002). Riverine landscape diversity. Freshwater Biology, 47, 517–539.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tockner, K., Malard, F. (2003). Channel Typology. In: Ward, J.V., Uehlinger, U. (eds) Ecology of a Glacial Flood Plain. Aquatic Ecology Series, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0181-5_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0181-5_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6507-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0181-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive