Nature & Environment
Global River Research Network: Rivers And Streams Around The World Becoming Intermittent
Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Jun 10, 2016 06:00 AM EDT
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) reside more than half the length of the global river network. These by nature come to an end or become completely dry at different times and places.
According to a research, many rivers and streams around the world, these include some of the world largest rivers, are becoming broken or inconsistent in regards to their water distribution. This is due to humans extracting their water for drinking and irrigation, land use alteration and climate change.
The research was authored by Thibault Datry and R. Corti, from Ecohydrology Laboratory (DYNAM), Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, French National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA). It was co-authored by A. Foulquier from Laboratoire d'écologie Alpine, T. Tockner, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany and D. von Schiller, Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology in Spain.
There is a significant role of river networks in global biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes and services. On the other hand, the water resources managers and the scientists have passed over the IRES. There has been a scarcity of data in regards to river science.
The researchers said that this is troublesome because IRES are the major water bodies in regions wherein water is scant. In Arizona, the IRES account for 94 percent of the river network and in California, the streams and rivers account for 66 percent. The IRES also take place as of Antarctica to Amazonia. These are the humid regions. On the other hand, the IRES in the global extent of river networks and their data, which includes their water distribution, flow regimes and connections with perennial channels, remain unknown.
To address this IRES data shortage, the 1000IRP network is established. The goals of this project are to raise awareness of the global occurrence and importance of IRES and to enhance the global estimate of the spatial and temporal extent of IRES. This includes describing their links with perennial rivers. The project will also manage low-intensity field and laboratory experiments to address concerns regarding IRES. It will also formulate an international network of researchers dedicated to IRES.
As of today, there are 112 participants from 28 countries that have joined the 1000IRP Network. The researchers are encouraging some countries to join the project.
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First Posted: Jun 10, 2016 06:00 AM EDT
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) reside more than half the length of the global river network. These by nature come to an end or become completely dry at different times and places.
According to a research, many rivers and streams around the world, these include some of the world largest rivers, are becoming broken or inconsistent in regards to their water distribution. This is due to humans extracting their water for drinking and irrigation, land use alteration and climate change.
The research was authored by Thibault Datry and R. Corti, from Ecohydrology Laboratory (DYNAM), Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, French National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA). It was co-authored by A. Foulquier from Laboratoire d'écologie Alpine, T. Tockner, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany and D. von Schiller, Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology in Spain.
There is a significant role of river networks in global biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes and services. On the other hand, the water resources managers and the scientists have passed over the IRES. There has been a scarcity of data in regards to river science.
The researchers said that this is troublesome because IRES are the major water bodies in regions wherein water is scant. In Arizona, the IRES account for 94 percent of the river network and in California, the streams and rivers account for 66 percent. The IRES also take place as of Antarctica to Amazonia. These are the humid regions. On the other hand, the IRES in the global extent of river networks and their data, which includes their water distribution, flow regimes and connections with perennial channels, remain unknown.
To address this IRES data shortage, the 1000IRP network is established. The goals of this project are to raise awareness of the global occurrence and importance of IRES and to enhance the global estimate of the spatial and temporal extent of IRES. This includes describing their links with perennial rivers. The project will also manage low-intensity field and laboratory experiments to address concerns regarding IRES. It will also formulate an international network of researchers dedicated to IRES.
As of today, there are 112 participants from 28 countries that have joined the 1000IRP Network. The researchers are encouraging some countries to join the project.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone