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Corline NJ, Bellido-Leiva F, Alarcon A, Dahlgren R, Van Nieuwenhuyse EE, Beakes M, Lusardi RA. Reservoir-derived subsidies provide a potential management opportunity for novel river ecosystems. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118852. [PMID: 37647732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems world-wide are being irreversibly altered, suggesting that new and innovative management strategies are necessary to improve ecosystem function and sustainability. In river ecosystems degraded by dams environmental flows and selective withdrawal (SWD) infrastructure have been used to improve habitat for native species. Yet, few studies have quantified nutrient and food web export subsidies from upstream reservoirs, despite their potential to subsidize downstream riverine food webs. We sampled nutrient, phytoplankton, and zooplankton concentrations in outflows from the Shasta-Keswick reservoir complex in Northern California over a 12-month period to understand how SWD operation and internal reservoir conditions interact to influence subsidies to the Sacramento River. We found that nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton were continuously exported from Shasta Reservoir to the Sacramento River and that gate operations at Shasta Dam were important in controlling exports. Further, our results indicate that gate operations and water-export depth strongly correlated with zooplankton community exports, whereas internal reservoir conditions (mixing and residence time) controlled concentrations of exported zooplankton biomass and chlorophyll a. These results demonstrate that reservoirs can be an important source of nutrient and food web subsidies and that selective withdrawal infrastructure may provide a valuable management tool to control ecosystem-level productivity downstream of dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Corline
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA; Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Francisco Bellido-Leiva
- Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Adriana Alarcon
- Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Randy Dahlgren
- Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Michael Beakes
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Bay Delta Office, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA
| | - Robert A Lusardi
- Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA; Department of Wildlife, Fish, And Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, 95616, USA
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2
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Oshun MI, Grantham TE. Leveraging species richness and ecological condition indices to guide systematic conservation planning. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 341:117970. [PMID: 37148768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The global crises of biodiversity loss and climate change are interconnected in root cause and solutions. Targeted land conservation has emerged as a leading strategy to protect vulnerable species and buffer climate impacts, however, consistent methods to assess biodiversity and prioritize areas for protection have not yet been established. Recent landscape-scale planning initiatives in California present an opportunity to conserve biodiversity, but to enhance their effectiveness, assessment approaches should move beyond commonly used measures of terrestrial species richness. In this study, we compile publicly available datasets and explore how distinct biodiversity conservation indices - including indicators of terrestrial and aquatic species richness and of biotic and physical ecosystem condition - are represented in watersheds of the northern Sierra Nevada mountain region of California (n = 253). We also evaluate the extent to which the existing protected area network covers watersheds that support high species richness and intact ecosystems. Terrestrial and aquatic species richness showed unique spatial patterns (Spearman R = 0.27), with highest richness of aquatic species in the low-elevation watersheds of the study area and highest richness of terrestrial species in mid- and high-elevation watersheds. Watersheds with the highest ecosystem condition were concentrated in upper-elevations and were poorly correlated with those with the highest species richness (Spearman R = -0.34). We found that 28% of watersheds in the study area are conserved by the existing protected area network. Protected watersheds had higher ecosystem condition (mean rank-normalized score = 0.71) than unprotected areas (0.42), but species richness was generally lower (0.33 in protected versus 0.57 in unprotected watersheds). We illustrate how the complementary measures of species richness and ecosystem condition can be used to guide strategies for landscape-scale ecosystem management, including prioritization of watersheds for targeted protection, restoration, monitoring, and multi-benefit management. Though designed for California, application of these indices to guide conservation planning, design monitoring networks, and implement landscape-scale management interventions provides a model for other regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly I Oshun
- Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Theodore E Grantham
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, 95618, USA.
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3
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Birnie‐Gauvin K, Lynch AJ, Franklin PA, Reid AJ, Landsman SJ, Tickner D, Dalton J, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. The
RACE
for freshwater biodiversity: Essential actions to create the social context for meaningful conservation. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Birnie‐Gauvin
- Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, National Institute for Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Denmark
| | - Abigail J. Lynch
- U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science Center Maryland USA
| | - Paul A. Franklin
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research New Zealand
| | - Andrea J. Reid
- Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Canada
| | - Sean J. Landsman
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | | | - James Dalton
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Switzerland
| | - Kim Aarestrup
- Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, National Institute for Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Denmark
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
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4
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Murray MD. Macroparasites of Gila orcutti and Pimephales promelas (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) in the Santa Clara River, Ventura County, California. J Parasitol 2022; 108:577-581. [DOI: 10.1645/19-154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Max D. Murray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095-1606
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5
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Chakona A, Jordaan MS, Raimondo DC, Bills RI, Skelton PH, van der Colff D. Diversity, distribution and extinction risk of native freshwater fishes of South Africa. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:1044-1061. [PMID: 35170047 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Extinction risk for 101 valid species and 18 unique genetic lineages of native freshwater fishes of South Africa was assessed in 2016 following the IUCN Red List criteria. An additional five species (three new species that were described and two species that were revalidated subsequent to the 2016 assessments) were assessed in the present study. A synthesis of the outcome of the assessments of the 106 valid species and 18 genetic lineages indicates that 45 (36%) of South Africa's freshwater fish taxa are threatened (7 Critically Endangered, 25 Endangered, 13 Vulnerable). Of the remaining taxa, 17 (14%) are listed as Near Threatened, 57 (46%) are Least Concern and five (4%) are Data Deficient. More than 60% of the endemic taxa are threatened. The Cape Fold Ecoregion has the highest proportion of threatened taxa (67%) due to the existence of a unique assemblage of narrow-range endemic species. Galaxias and Pseudobarbus have the highest number of highly threatened taxa as most of the species and lineages in these genera are classified as either CR or EN. Major threats to the native freshwater fishes of the country are invasive fish species, deterioration of water quality, impoundments and excessive water abstraction, land use changes and modification of riverine habitats. Immediate conservation efforts should focus on securing remnant populations of highly threatened taxa and preventing deterioration in threat status, because recovery is rare. Accurate delimitation of species boundaries, mapping their distribution ranges, improved knowledge of pressures and long-term monitoring of population trends need to be prioritised to generate credible data for the 2026 IUCN threat status assessments and designation of important fish areas as part of the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) initiative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Chakona
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
| | - Martine S Jordaan
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
- CapeNature Biodiversity Capabilities Unit, Stellenbosch
- Center of Excellence for Invasion Biology, CapeNature Biodiversity Capabilities Unit, Stellenbosch
| | - Domitilla C Raimondo
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Threatened Species Program, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town
| | - Roger I Bills
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
| | - Paul H Skelton
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
| | - Dewidine van der Colff
- Center of Excellence for Invasion Biology, CapeNature Biodiversity Capabilities Unit, Stellenbosch
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Threatened Species Program, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town
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6
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Osborn K, Mulligan T, Buchheister A. Seasonal Fish Communities in Three Northern California Estuaries. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2021. [DOI: 10.3398/064.081.0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tim Mulligan
- Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521
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Floury M, Pollock LJ, Buisson L, Thuiller W, Chandesris A, Souchon Y. Combining expert‐based and computational approaches to design protected river networks under climate change. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Floury
- RiverLY Research Unit National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) Villeurbanne France
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA Villeurbanne F‐69622 France
| | - Laura J. Pollock
- Department of Biology McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Montreal Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine, F‐38000 Grenoble France
| | - Laëtitia Buisson
- Laboratoire écologie fonctionnelle et environnement Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 ‐ Paul Sabatier (UPS) Toulouse France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine, F‐38000 Grenoble France
| | - André Chandesris
- RiverLY Research Unit National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) Villeurbanne France
| | - Yves Souchon
- RiverLY Research Unit National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) Villeurbanne France
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8
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Stahl AT, Fremier AK, Cosens BA. Mapping legal authority for terrestrial conservation corridors along streams. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:943-955. [PMID: 32056252 PMCID: PMC7497071 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife corridors aim to promote species' persistence by connecting habitat patches across fragmented landscapes. Their implementation is limited by patterns of land ownership and complicated by differences in the jurisdictional and regulatory authorities under which lands are managed. Terrestrial corridor conservation requires coordination across jurisdictions and sectors subject to site-specific overlapping sources of legal authority. Mapping spatial patterns of legal authority concurrent with habitat condition can illustrate opportunities to build or leverage capacity for connectivity conservation. Streamside areas provide pragmatic opportunities to leverage existing policy mechanisms for riverine and terrestrial habitat connectivity across boundaries. Conservation planners and practitioners can make use of these opportunities by harmonizing actions for multiple conservation outcomes. We formulated an integrative, data-driven method for mapping multiple sources of legal authority weighted by capacity for coordinating terrestrial habitat conservation along streams. We generated a map of capacity to coordinate streamside corridor protections across a wildlife habitat gap to demonstrate this approach. We combined values representing coordination capacity and naturalness to generate an integrated legal-ecological resistance map for connectivity modeling. We then computed least-cost corridors across the integrated map, masking the terrestrial landscape to focus on streamside areas. Streamside least-cost corridors in the integrated, local-scale model diverged (∼25 km) from national-scale least-cost corridors based on naturalness. Spatial categories comparing legal- and naturalness-based resistance values by stream reach highlighted potential locations for building or leveraging existing capacity through spatial coordination of policy mechanisms or restoration actions. Agencies or nongovernmental organizations intending to restore or maintain habitat connectivity across fragmented landscapes can use this approach to inform spatial prioritization and build coordination capacity. Article impact statement: Combined mapping of legal authority and habitat condition reveals capacity to coordinate actions along streams for clean water and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda T. Stahl
- School of the EnvironmentWashington State UniversityP.O. Box 642812PullmanWA99164‐2812U.S.A.
| | - Alexander K. Fremier
- School of the EnvironmentWashington State UniversityP.O. Box 642812PullmanWA99164‐2812U.S.A.
| | - Barbara A. Cosens
- College of LawUniversity of Idaho875 Perimeter Dr. MS 2321MoscowID83844‐2321U.S.A.
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9
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Acreman M, Hughes KA, Arthington AH, Tickner D, Dueñas M. Protected areas and freshwater biodiversity: a novel systematic review distils eight lessons for effective conservation. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Acreman
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Wallingford UK
- Hydro‐ecology Consulting Ltd Wallingford UK
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10
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Zarri LJ, Danner EM, Daniels ME, Palkovacs EP. Managing hydropower dam releases for water users and imperiled fishes with contrasting thermal habitat requirements. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Zarri
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California
| | - Eric M. Danner
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service Santa Cruz California
| | - Miles E. Daniels
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service Santa Cruz California
- Institute of Marine Science University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Eric P. Palkovacs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California
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11
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Coristine LE, Jacob AL, Schuster R, Otto SP, Baron NE, Bennett NJ, Bittick SJ, Dey C, Favaro B, Ford A, Nowlan L, Orihel D, Palen WJ, Polfus JL, Shiffman DS, Venter O, Woodley S. Informing Canada’s commitment to biodiversity conservation: A science-based framework to help guide protected areas designation through Target 1 and beyond. Facets (Ott) 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2017-0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet—and its people. Yet, increasingly, human activities are causing the extinction of species, degrading ecosystems, and reducing nature’s resilience to climate change and other threats. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada has a legal responsibility to protect 17% of land and freshwater by 2020. Currently, Canada has protected ∼10% of its terrestrial lands, requiring a marked increase in the pace and focus of protection over the next three years. Given the distribution, extent, and geography of Canada’s current protected areas, systematic conservation planning would provide decision-makers with a ranking of the potential for new protected area sites to stem biodiversity loss and preserve functioning ecosystems. Here, we identify five key principles for identifying lands that are likely to make the greatest contribution to reversing biodiversity declines and ensuring biodiversity persistence into the future. We identify current gaps and integrate principles of protecting ( i) species at risk, ( ii) representative ecosystems, ( iii) intact wilderness, ( iv) connectivity, and ( v) climate refugia. This spatially explicit assessment is intended as an ecological foundation that, when integrated with social, economic and governance considerations, would support evidence-based protected area decision-making in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Coristine
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Aerin L. Jacob
- Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, 200-1350 Railway Ave., Canmore, AB T1W 1P6, Canada
| | - Richard Schuster
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Natural Resource and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Sarah P. Otto
- Biodiversity Research Centre & Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Nancy E. Baron
- COMPASS, National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
| | - Nathan J. Bennett
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sarah Joy Bittick
- Biodiversity Research Centre & Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cody Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Drive, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Brett Favaro
- School of Fisheries, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, 155 Ridge Road, St. John’s, NL A1C 5R3, Canada
| | - Adam Ford
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Linda Nowlan
- West Coast Environmental Law, 200-2006 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 2B3, Canada
| | - Diane Orihel
- School of Environmental Studies and Department of Biology, Queen’s University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Wendy J. Palen
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Jean L. Polfus
- Biology Department, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - David S. Shiffman
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Oscar Venter
- Natural Resource and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Stephen Woodley
- IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, 64 Chemin Juniper, Chelsea, QC J9B 1T3, Canada
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12
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High Variability Is a Defining Component of Mediterranean-Climate Rivers and Their Biota. WATER 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/w9010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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