Stream canopy influences timing of annual maximum water temperature
Abstract
The timing of thermal patterns have important implications for ecosystem functions. Understanding how temporal patterns may vary in different thermal regimes can improve understanding of physical and ecological feedbacks. We analyzed annual stream temperature patterns for reaches with canopy cover ≥ 70% with cover gaps ≤ 6 km using sine functions fitted to daily maximum water temperatures using the least-squares method. The timing of annual maximum water temperature was determined and compared to values previously established in the literature. The results of our analysis show that some streams exhibit a shift from annual heating to cooling approximately 30 days earlier than has been previously identified as standard timing for northern hemisphere streams. These findings suggest that such streams should be examined for potential ecological feedbacks related to the earlier timing of stream cooling and potentially prioritized for cold-water conservation. The findings of this research can be applied to local, regional, or large-scale conservation strategies to identify areas where nature-based processes provide robust habitat with targeted management actions.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H23K2045W
- Keywords:
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- 1807 Climate impacts;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1813 Eco-hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1880 Water management;
- HYDROLOGY