Causes and consequences of changes in riparian vegetation for plant litter decomposition throughout river networks
Book Chapter
Kominoski, JS, Chapman, SK, Dodds, WK et al. (2021). Causes and consequences of changes in riparian vegetation for plant litter decomposition throughout river networks
. 273-296. 10.1007/978-3-030-72854-0_13
Kominoski, JS, Chapman, SK, Dodds, WK et al. (2021). Causes and consequences of changes in riparian vegetation for plant litter decomposition throughout river networks
. 273-296. 10.1007/978-3-030-72854-0_13
Riparian ecosystems occupy land-water interfaces along upland-to-lowland and coastal gradients of river networks. Global changes in riparian vegetation alter the types and processing of organic matter at these interfaces and throughout river networks. Dominant pathways of structural changes in riparian vegetation are associated with (i) temperature increases and changes in precipitation and hydrology, (ii) range expansion/contraction of native and non-native species, (iii) altered land-use for agriculture/forest plantations and harvesting, and urban development, (iv) shifts in disturbance regimes, such as fire, disease, pest outbreaks, and storms, and (v) saltwater intrusion. Widespread changes in riparian vegetation alter above and belowground carbon (C) stores and shift the relative proportion of algal and detrital basal resources in aquatic ecosystems. Global changes in riparian vegetation likely shift the sources and sinks of organic matter along river networks from upland headwaters to lowland rivers and coastal wetlands. Climate and global changes are expanding and contracting continental vegetation species ranges while sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion are transgressing coastal ecosystems landward. Understanding the general pathways and functional consequences of changes in riparian vegetation is vital to conserving ecosystem functions and services throughout continental river networks and coastal wetlands that are supported by organic matter processing.
