Abstract
Tropical montane rivers (TMR) are born in tropical mountains, descend through montane forests, and feed major rivers, floodplains, and oceans. They are characterized by rapid temperature clines and varied flow disturbance regimes, both of which promote habitat heterogeneity, high biological diversity and endemism, and distinct organisms’ life-history adaptations. Production, transport, and processing of sediments, nutrients, and carbon are key ecosystem processes connecting high-elevation streams with lowland floodplains, in turn influencing soil fertility and biotic productivity downstream. TMR provide key ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people in tropical nations. In light of existing human-induced disturbances, including climate change, TMR can be used as natural model systems to examine the effects of rapid changes in abiotic drivers and their influence on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1124-1129 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 365 |
| Issue number | 6458 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Sep 2019 |
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A global perspective on tropical montane rivers. / Encalada, Andrea C.; Flecker, Alexander S.; Poff, N. Le Roy; Suárez, Esteban; Herrera, Guido A.; Ríos-Touma, Blanca; Jumani, Suman; Larson, Erin I.; Anderson, Elizabeth P.
In: Science, Vol. 365, No. 6458, 13.09.2019, p. 1124-1129.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - A global perspective on tropical montane rivers
AU - Encalada, Andrea C.
AU - Flecker, Alexander S.
AU - Poff, N. Le Roy
AU - Suárez, Esteban
AU - Herrera, Guido A.
AU - Ríos-Touma, Blanca
AU - Jumani, Suman
AU - Larson, Erin I.
AU - Anderson, Elizabeth P.
PY - 2019/9/13
Y1 - 2019/9/13
N2 - Tropical montane rivers (TMR) are born in tropical mountains, descend through montane forests, and feed major rivers, floodplains, and oceans. They are characterized by rapid temperature clines and varied flow disturbance regimes, both of which promote habitat heterogeneity, high biological diversity and endemism, and distinct organisms’ life-history adaptations. Production, transport, and processing of sediments, nutrients, and carbon are key ecosystem processes connecting high-elevation streams with lowland floodplains, in turn influencing soil fertility and biotic productivity downstream. TMR provide key ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people in tropical nations. In light of existing human-induced disturbances, including climate change, TMR can be used as natural model systems to examine the effects of rapid changes in abiotic drivers and their influence on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
AB - Tropical montane rivers (TMR) are born in tropical mountains, descend through montane forests, and feed major rivers, floodplains, and oceans. They are characterized by rapid temperature clines and varied flow disturbance regimes, both of which promote habitat heterogeneity, high biological diversity and endemism, and distinct organisms’ life-history adaptations. Production, transport, and processing of sediments, nutrients, and carbon are key ecosystem processes connecting high-elevation streams with lowland floodplains, in turn influencing soil fertility and biotic productivity downstream. TMR provide key ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people in tropical nations. In light of existing human-induced disturbances, including climate change, TMR can be used as natural model systems to examine the effects of rapid changes in abiotic drivers and their influence on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072149133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/global-perspective-tropical-montane-rivers
U2 - 10.1126/science.aax1682
DO - 10.1126/science.aax1682
M3 - Article
VL - 365
SP - 1124
EP - 1129
JO - The Scientific monthly
JF - The Scientific monthly
SN - 0036-8075
IS - 6458
ER -