5
Table 1.1 Disparate disciplinary views of a river
Discipline
Structure
Stability
Energy
Form
River
Downstream flux
Ecology
Aquatic
Organisms
10
0
y
Solar, flow
Hierarchical patches Channel,
hyporheic
Water, organic matter,
nutrients, organisms
Riparian
Vegetation
a
10
0
–10
2
y
Solar, flow
Floodplain
landforms
Channel,
floodplain
Water, propagules,
genetic information
Engineering
Dams, bridges
10
0
–10
1
y
Flow
Cross sectional,
gradient
Channel
Water, (sediment)
Geomorphology
Geologic
underpinning
10
1
–10
4
y
Flow, tectonics
Bedforms,
planform,
longitudinal profile
Channel,
floodplain
Water, sediment
a
Canopy height and stem density; ages of plants within a population
1.1 Perceptions of Rivers