TY - JOUR
T1 - A conceptual framework for understanding the biogeochemistry of dry riverbeds through the lens of soil science
AU - Arce, María Isabel
AU - Mendoza-Lera, Clara
AU - Almagro, María
AU - Catalán, Núria
AU - Romaní, Anna M.
AU - Martí, Eugènia
AU - Gómez, Rosa
AU - Bernal, Susana
AU - Foulquier, Arnaud
AU - Mutz, Michael
AU - Marcé, Rafael
AU - Zoppini, Annamaria
AU - Gionchetta, Giulia
AU - Weigelhofer, Gabriele
AU - del Campo, Rubén
AU - Robinson, Christopher T.
AU - Gilmer, Alan
AU - Rulik, Martin
AU - Obrador, Biel
AU - Shumilova, Oleksandra
AU - Zlatanović, Sanja
AU - Arnon, Shai
AU - Baldrian, Petr
AU - Singer, Gabriel
AU - Datry, Thibault
AU - Skoulikidis, Nikos
AU - Tietjen, Britta
AU - von Schiller, Daniel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Authors
PY - 2019/1
Y1 - 2019/1
N2 - Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) encompass fluvial ecosystems that eventually stop flowing and run dry at some point in space and time. During the dry phase, channels of IRES consist mainly of dry riverbeds (DRBs), prevalent yet widely unexplored ecotones between dry and wet phases that can strongly influence the biogeochemistry of fluvial networks. DRBs are often overlooked because they do not strictly belong to either domain of soil or freshwater science. Due to this dual character of DRBs, we suggest that concepts and knowledge from soil science can be used to expand the understanding of IRES biogeochemistry. Based on this idea, we propose that DRBs can be conceptually understood as early stage soils exhibiting many similarities with soils through two main forces: i) time since last sediment transport event, and ii) the development status of stabilizing structures (e.g. soil crusts and/or vascular plants). Our analysis suggests that while DRBs and soils may differ in master physical attributes (e.g. soil horizons vs fluvial sedimentary facies), they become rapidly comparable in terms of microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We further propose that drivers of DRBs biogeochemistry are similar to those of soils and, hence, concepts and methods used in soil science are transferable to DRBs research. Finally, our paper presents future research directions to advance the knowledge of DRBs and to understand their role in the biogeochemistry of intermittent fluvial networks.
AB - Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) encompass fluvial ecosystems that eventually stop flowing and run dry at some point in space and time. During the dry phase, channels of IRES consist mainly of dry riverbeds (DRBs), prevalent yet widely unexplored ecotones between dry and wet phases that can strongly influence the biogeochemistry of fluvial networks. DRBs are often overlooked because they do not strictly belong to either domain of soil or freshwater science. Due to this dual character of DRBs, we suggest that concepts and knowledge from soil science can be used to expand the understanding of IRES biogeochemistry. Based on this idea, we propose that DRBs can be conceptually understood as early stage soils exhibiting many similarities with soils through two main forces: i) time since last sediment transport event, and ii) the development status of stabilizing structures (e.g. soil crusts and/or vascular plants). Our analysis suggests that while DRBs and soils may differ in master physical attributes (e.g. soil horizons vs fluvial sedimentary facies), they become rapidly comparable in terms of microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We further propose that drivers of DRBs biogeochemistry are similar to those of soils and, hence, concepts and methods used in soil science are transferable to DRBs research. Finally, our paper presents future research directions to advance the knowledge of DRBs and to understand their role in the biogeochemistry of intermittent fluvial networks.
KW - Aquatic-terrestrial interfaces
KW - Cross-ecosystem research
KW - Drought
KW - Non-perennial
KW - Sediments
KW - Temporary
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058954427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.12.001
M3 - Review article
SN - 0012-8252
VL - 188
SP - 441
EP - 453
JO - Earth-Science Reviews
JF - Earth-Science Reviews
ER -