Abstract
Temperature is a primary factor structuring biotic communities and regulating ecosystem functions in streams and rivers. Temperature affects surface-subsurface interactions, the solubility of gases, chemical and biochemical reactions, ecosystem processes, and the structure of invertebrate communities (Constanz & Murphy, 1991; Vannote et al., 1980; Vannote & Sweeney, 1980; Ward, 1992; Ward & Stanford, 1982). Constant temperatures prevail only in special aquatic habitats such as some spring sources, whereas thermal heterogeneity is a characteristic feature of most freshwater ecosystems. Stream temperature is determined by the fluxes of heat comprising net radiation, sensible heat exchange, heat input by tributaries and groundwater, friction, incoming stream flow and losses by radiation or latent heat exchange (Webb & Zhang, 1997). Heat budgets depend on the regional climate and local characteristics such as riparian vegetation, aspect, channel morphology, stream water-groundwater interactions and hydrology (Constanz, 1998; Gu et al., 1998; Hawkins et al., 1997; Ward, 1985).
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Uehlinger, U., Malard, F. (2003). Thermal Heterogeneity. In: Ward, J.V., Uehlinger, U. (eds) Ecology of a Glacial Flood Plain. Aquatic Ecology Series, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0181-5_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0181-5_5
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