Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Perspectives The River Continuum Conce TL: Centralist
Perspectives The River Continuum Conce TL: Centralist
Stroud Water Research Center, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Avondale, PA 1931 1, USA
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
Weyerhouser Corporation, Forestry Research, 505 North Pearl Street, Centralist W A 98531, USA
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1980.37:130-137.
R. L., G . W. MINSHALL,
VANNOTE, K. W. CUMMINS, J. R. SEDELL, AND C. E. CUSHING.
1980.
Tab . -.
. . .T , F. - - . i r C ~ r i 37: 1 s 1 3 7 .
From headwaters to mouth, the physical variables within a river system present a con-
tinuous gradient of physical conditions. This gradient should elicit a series of responses within
the constituent populations resulting in a continuum of biotic adjustments and consistent
patterns of loading, transport, utilization, and storage of organic matter along the length of a
river. Based on the energy equilibrium theory of fluvial geomorphologists, we hypothesize that
the structural and functional characteristics of stream conununities are adapted to conform
to the most probable position or mean state of the physical system. We reason that producer
and consumer communities characteristic of a given river reach become established in harmony
with the dynamic physical conditions of the channel. In natural stream systems, biological
communities can be characterized as forming a temporal continuum of synchronized species
replacements. This continuous replacement functions to distribute the utilization of energy
inputs over time. Thus, the biological system moves towards a balance between a tendency for
efficient use of energy inputs through resource partitioning (food, substrate, etc.) and an
opposing tendency for a uniform rate of energy processing throughout the year. We theorize
that biological communities developed in natural streams assume processing strategies involving
minimum energy loss. Downstream communities are fashioned to capitalize on upstream
processing inefficiencies. Both the upstream inefficiency (leakage) and the downstream adjust-
ments seem predictable. We propose that this River Continuum Concept provides a frame-
work for integrating predictable and observable biological features of lotic systems. Implica-
tions of the concept in the areas of structure, function, and stability of riverine ecosystems are
Ke-v words: river continuum; stream ecosystems; ecosystem structure, function; resource
partitioning; ecosystem stability; community succession; river zonation; stream geomor-
phology
R.L.,G . W. ~'IINSHALL,
VANNOTE, K. W. CUMMINS, J. R. SEDELL, AND C. E. CUSHING.
1980.
The river continuum concept. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 37: 130-137.
De la tCte des eaux B l'embouchure, un rCseau fluvial otfre un gradient continu de condi-
tions physiques. Ce gradient devrait susciter, chez les populations habitant dans le rCseau, une
s&ie de rkponses aboutissant 3i un continuum d'ajustements biotiques et B des schCmas uni-
formes de charge, transport, utilisation et emmagasinage de la matikre organique sur tout le
parcours d'une rivikre. Faisant appel a la thkorie de I'kquilibre Cnergetique des spkialistes de la
geomorphologie fluviale, nous avanCons l'hypothkse que les caractkristiques structurales et
fonctionnelles des communautks fluviatiles sont adaptkes de f a ~ o nk se conformer ti la position
ou condition moyenne la plus probable du systkme physique. Nous croyons que les commu-
nautCs de producteurs et de consornmateurs caractkristiques d'un segment donnk de la rivikre
se rnettent en harmonie avec les conditions physiques dynamiques du chenal. Dans des rkseaux
fluviaux naturels, on peut dire que les cornmunautks biologiques foment un continuum tem-
pore1 de rernplacements synchronisks d'espkces. Grdce ti ce ren~placementcontinu, il y a
rkpartition dans le temps de l'utilisation des apports knergktiques. Ainsi, le systkme biologique
vise B un kyuilibre entre une tendance vers I'utilisation eficace des apports d'knergie en par-
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
tageant les ressources (nourriture, substrat, etc.), d'une part, et une tendance opposke vers un
taux uniforme de transformation de I'knergie durant I'annke, d'autre part. A notre avis, les
communautks biologiques habitant dans des cours d'eau naturels adoptent des stratkgies de
transformation comportant une perte minimale d'knergie. Les communautks d'aval sont
organis6es de fason k tirer profit de l'inefficacitk de transformation des comrnunautes d'amont.
N C U F
suggkrons ce concept d'un continuum fluvial cornme cadre dans lequel intCgrer les caractkres
biologiques previsibles et observables des systkmes lotiques. Nous analysons les implications
du concept quant B la structure, fonction et stabilitk des kcosystkmes fluviaux.
Received May 14, 1979 R e p le 14 mai 1979
Accepted September 19, 1979 Accept6 le 19 septembre 1979
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1980.37:130-137.
Statement of the Concept land forms and streams (young, mature, ancient)
Many communities can be thought of as continua proved unsatisfactory, the concepts gradually were re-
consisting of mosaics of integrading population aggre- placed by a principle of dynamic equilibrium (Curry
gates (McIntosh 1967; Mills 1969). Such a con- 1972). The concept of the physical stream network
ceptualization is particularly appropriate to streams.
Several workers have visualized streams as possessing tems in dynamic ("quasi") equilibrium was first pro-
assemblages of species which respond by their occur- posed by Leopold and Maddock (1953) to describe
rences and relative abundances to the physical gradients consistent patterns, or adjustments, in the relationships
present (Shelford 191 1; Thompson and Hunt 1930; of stream width, depth, velocity, and sediment load.
Ricker 1934; Ide 1935; Burton and Odum 1945; Van These "steady state" systems are only rarely character-
&-
Deusen 1954; Huet 1954, 1959; Slack 1955; Minshall
1968; Ziemer 1973; Swanston et al. 1977; Platts 1979). channel tend toward a mean form, definable only in
Expansion of this idea to include functional relation- terms of statistical means and extremes (Chorley
ships has allowed development of a framework, the 1962); hence, the idea of a "dynamic" equilibrium.
"River Continuum Concept," describing the structure The equilibrium concept was later expanded to include
a t least nine physical variables and was progressively
and function of communities along a river system. p.
Basicany, the concept proposes that understandmg of
the biological strategies and dynamics of river systems utilization, and rate of entropy gain (Leopold and
Langbein 1962; Leopold et al. 1964; Langbein and
requires consideration of the gradient of physical fac-
Leepold 1966). I n this view, equilibration of river
tors formed by the drainage network. Thus energy
input, and organic matter transport, storage, and use morphology and hydraulics is achieved by adjustments
between the tendency of the river t o maximize the
by macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups may
v of enerev .. . the c q p m l @ d -
oe rqukted largely 'by fluvial geomofphic processes.
ency toward a uniform rate of energy use.
The patterns of organic matter use may be analogous
to those of physical energy expenditure proposed by Based upon these geomorphological considerations,
geomorphoIogists (Leopold and Maddock 1953; Leo- Vannote initially formulated the hypothesis that struc-
pold and Langbein 1962; Langbein and Leopold 1966; tural and functional characteristics of stream com-
munities distributed along river gradients are selected
Curry 1972). Further, the physical structure coupled
to conform to the most probable position or mean state
1977) for biological responses and result in consistent of the physical system. From our collective experience
patterns of community structure and function and or- with a number of streams, we felt it was possible to
ganic matter loading, transport, utilization, and stor- translate the energy equilibrium theory from the phys-
age along the length of a river. ical system of geon.morphologists into a biological
analog. In this analysis, producer and consumer com-
munities characteri'tic o'f a given reach of the river
continuum conform to the manner in which the river
As the cvclic theom for exdainine the evolution of
u system utilizes its kinetic energy in achieving a dynamic
132 CAN. J. FISH. AQUAT. SCI. VOL. 37, 1980
I
1 ' 2 ' 3 ' 4 ' 5 ' 6 ' 7 ' 8 ' 9 ' 1 0 T I 1 1 1 2 f
STREAM ORDER
FIG. 2. Hypothetical distribution of selected parameters through the river continuum from
headwatcr seeps to a twelfth order river. Parameters include heterogeneity of soluble organic
matter, maximum die1 temperature pulse, total biotic diversity within the river channel,
coarse to fine particulate organic matter ratio, and the gross photosynthesis/respirationratio.
with P / R > 1. Shredders are hypothesized to be of large particle detritus to energy flow in the system
codominant with collectors in the headwaters, re- is expected to follow a curve similar to that of the
flecting the importance of riparian zone CPOM and diversity of soluble organic compounds; however, its
FPOM-UPOM derived from it. With increasing stream importance may extend furthcr downstream.
size and a general reduction in detrital particle size, Thus the river system, from headwaters to mouth,
collectors should increase in importance and dominate can be considered as a gradient of conditions from a
the macroinvertebrate assemblages of large rivers strongly heterotrophic headwater regime to a seasonal,
(Fig. 1). and in many cases, an annual regime of autotrophy in
The predatory invertebrate component changes little midrcacher. and then a gradual return to heterotrophic
in relative dominance with stream order. Fish popula- processes in downstrcani waters (Fisher 1977). Major
tions (Fig. 1 ) show a shift from cool water species low bioenergetic influences along thc stream continuum are
in diversity to more diverse warm water communities local inputs (allochthonous litter and light) and trans-
(e.g. Huet 1954). Most headwater species are largely port from upstream reaches and tributaries (Fig. 1).
invertivores. Piscivorous and invertivorous species As a consequence of physical and biological processes,
characterize the midsized rivers and in large rivers the particle size of organic matcrial in transport should
some planktivorous species are found - reflecting the become progressively smaller down the continuum (re-
semi-lentic nature of such waters. flected by CP0M:FPOM ratio in Fig. 2, except for
The expected diversity of soluble organic compounds localized input of lower order tributaries) and the
through the continuum is shown in Fig. 2 (dashed stream community response reflect progressively more
line). Headwater streams represent the maximum inter- efficient processing of smaller particles.
face with the landscape and therefore are predominantly
accumulators, processors, and transporters of materials
from the terrestrial system. Among these inputs are
heterogeneous assemblages of labile and refractory dis- Stability of the river ecosystem may be viewed as a
solved compounds, comprised of short- and long-chain tendency for reduced fluctuations in energy flow, while
organics. Heterotrophic use and physical absorption of community structure and function are maintained, in
labile organic compounds is rapid, leaving the more the face of environmental variations. This implicitly
refractory and relatively high molecular weight com- couples community stability (sensu Ricklefs 1979) to
pounds for export downstream. The relative importance the instability ("noise") of the physical system. In
134 CAN. J. FISH. AQUAT. SCI.. VOL. 37, 1980
highly stable physical systems, biotic contribution to stability of the system should be correlated with re-
ecosystem stability may be less critical. However, in duction in variance of diel temperature. We wish to
widely fluctuating environments (e.g. stream reaches emphas~zethat temperature is not the only factor re-
with lage fluctuations in temperature), the biota may sponsible for the change in community
L sys- L
. ,. structure; it is
LO V r S t m n L ~ . 7
tem. In this interpretation, ecosystem stability is such as riparian influence, substrate, flow, and food
a l w arg
tributing to stabilization (e.g. debris dams, filter feed- downstream both absolutely and in terms of the relative
ers, and other retention devices: nutrient cycling) and heterogeneity of each.
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
AN OF ENERGY
EQUILIBRIUM FLOW
diversity may be low and yet total stability of the
. .
mamtamed. In coPltrrrst, sys- Natural stream ecosystems should tend towards unl-
tems with a high degree of physical variation may have formity of energy flow on an annual basis. Although
species function which acts to maintain stability. tion by consumer organisms are believed to approach
a .. .
temperature changes, organisms may be exposed to shift seasonally. In natural stream systems, both living
suboptimum temperatures for significant portions of and detrital food bases are processed continuously,
the day, but over some range in the diel cycle each but there is a seasonal shift in the relative importance
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1980.37:130-137.
Also, in the thermally fluctuating system, many popu- the importance of detritus in supporting autumn-
1 9 W
temperatures oscillate around a mean position, various for consumer organisms during other seasons of the
populations may increase or decrea..e their processing year. Autotrophic communities often form the maior
rates. Thus, an important aspect of the predictably food base, especially in spring and summer months
fluctuating physical system is that it encompasses op- (Minshall 1978).
timum conditions for a large number of species. This Studies on headwater (order 1-3) streams have
interplay between physical and biological components shown that biological communities in most habitats
- c UI vy LUIP can be cnaracteflzed as furmmg a t e q m r a l b ~ q u e n c x
sidering the response of total biotic diversity in thc of synchronized species replacement. As a species com-
a
temperature range (AT max) (Fig. 2). Headwater placed by other species performing essentially the same
streams in proximity to groundwater supply or infiltra- function, differing principally by the season of growth
tion source areas exhibit little variation in AT max. (Minshall 1968; Sweeney and Vannote 1978; Vannote
With increased distance from subsurface sources and 1978; Vannote and Sweeney 1979). I t is this continu-
separation of the forest canopy, A T max will attain its ous species replacement that functions to distribute the
widest variance because of increased solar input. The utilization of energy inputs over time (e.g. Wallace
A F lnax amplitude is greafly diminished in high order et al. IY 1 I ) . Individuais within a species win tend to
streams due to thc buffering effect of the large volume exploit their environment as efficiently as possible. This
1 /D-no 1a62\ T
springs and brooks, diversity may be low because bio- semblage) tending to maximize energy consumption.
a n a d from those s~ecies B e c a u s e s o e w Dernst through time and because
which can function within a narrow temperature range new species become dominant, and these too are ex-
on a restricted nutritional base; the stability of the ploiting their environment as efficiently as possible,
system may be maintained by the low amplitude of processing of energy by the changing biological system
die1 and annual temperature regimes. Total community tends to result in uniform energy processing over time.
diversity is greatest in mefium-sized (3rd to 5fh order Yhus, f i e bioiogicai sysiem moves iowards equilibrium
in Fig. 2) streams where temperature variations tend by a trade-off between a tendency to make most effi-
in midsized streams may be aided by high biotic diver- ing of food. substrate, temperature, etc. and tendency
qitv w the- of h i ~ hvariance in toward a d o r m rate af e w g y processing through-
the physical system as characterized by A T max; i.e. out the yeas. From strategies observed on small to
variation due to fluctuating thermal regimes should be medium-sized streams (orders 1-51, we propose that
offset by a high diversity of biota. In large rivers, biological communities, developed in natural streams
PERSPECTIVES 135
in dynamic equilibrium, assume processing strategies cataclysmic events and in response to slow processes
involving minimum energy loss (termed maximum of channel development.
"spiraling" by Webster 1975). The concept of time invariance allows integration of
community structure and function along the river with-
out the illusion that successional stages are being ob-
ECOSYSTEM
PROCESSING
ALONGTHE CONTINUUM served at a given location in a time-dependent series.
The dynamic equilibrium resulting from maximiza- The concept of biological succession (Margalef 1960)
tion of energy utilization and minimization of variation is of little use for rivcr continua,, because the com-
in its use over the year determines storage or leakage munities in each reach have a continuous heritage
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
of energy. Storage includes production of new tissue rather than an isolated temporal composition within a
and physical retention of organic material for future sequence of discrete successional stages. In fact, the
processing. In stream ecosystems, unused or partially biological subsystems for each reach are in equilibrium
processed materials will tend to be transported down- with the physical system at that point in the continuum.
stream. This energy loss, however, is the energy income, The concept of heritage implies that in natural river
together with local inputs, for communities in down- systems total absence of a population is rare, and
stream reaches. We postulate that downstream com- biological subsystems are simply shifting spatially
munities are structured to capitalize on these ineffi- (visualize a series of overlapping normal species-abun-
ciencies of upstream processing. In every reach some dance curves in which all species are present at any
material is processed, some stored, and some released. point on the spatial axis but their abundance differs
The amount released in this fashion has been used in from one point to the next) and not in the temporal
calculating system efficiency (Fisher 1977). Both the sense typical of plant succession.
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1980.37:130-137.
upstream inefficiency (leakage) and the downstream On an evolutionary time scale, the spatial shift has
adjustments seem predictable. Communities distributed two vectors: a donwstream one involving most of the
along the river are structured to process materials aquatic insects and an upstream one involving molluscs
(specific detrital sizes, algae, and vascular hydrophytes) and crustaceans. The insects are believed to have
thereby minimizing the variance in system structure evolved terrestrially and to be secondarily aquatic. Since
and function. For example. materials prone to wash- the maximum terrestrial-aquatic interface occurs in the
out, such as flocculant fine-particle detritus, might be headwaters, it is likely that the transition from land
most efficiently processed either in transport or after to water first occurred here with the aquatic forms then
deposition in downstream areas. The resistivity of fine moving progressively downstream. The molluscs and
particle detritus to periodic washout is increased by crayfish are thought to have developed in a marine en-
sedimentation in depositional zones or by combination vironment and to have moved through estuaries into
in a matrix with the more cohesive silt and clay sedi- rivers and thence upstream. The convergence of the
ments. Thus, enhanced retention results in the forma- two vectors may explain why maxinluin species diver-
tion of a distinct community adapted to utilize this sity occurs in the midreaches.
material. The minimization of the variance of energy
flow is the outcome of seasonal variations of energy Conclusion
input rates (detritus and autotrophic production),
coupled with adjustments in species diversity, spe- We propose that the River Continuum Concept pro-
cialization for food processing, temporal expression of vides a framework for integrating predictable and ob-
functional groups, and the erosional-depositional servable biological features of flowing water systems
transport and storage characteristics of flowing waters. with the physical-geomorphic environment. The model
has been developed specifically in reference to natural,
TIMEINVARIANCE
AND THE ABSENCE
OF SUCCESSION
unperturbed stream ecosystems as they operate in the
IN STREAM
COMMUNITIES context of evolutionary and population time scales.
However, the concept should accommodate many un-
A corollary to the continuum hypothesis, also arising natural disturbances as well, particularly those which
from the geomorphological literature (Langbein and alter the relative degree of autotrophy:heterotrophy
Leopold 1966), is that studies of biological systems (e.g. nutrient enrichment, organic pollution, alteration
estabIished in a dynamically balanced physical setting of riparian vegetation through grazing, clear-cutting,
can be viewed in a time independent fashion. In the etc.) or affect the quality and quantity of transport
context of viewing adaptive strategies and processes (e.g. impoundment, high sediment load). In many
as continua along a river system, temporal change be- cases, these alterations can be thought of as reset
comes the slow process of evolutionary drift (physical mechanisms which cause the overall continuum re-
and genetic). Incorporation of new functional com- sponse to be shifted toward the headwaters or seaward
ponents into the conlmunity over evolutionary time depending on the type of perturbation and its location
necessitates an efficiency adjustment towards reduced on the river system.
leakage. In natural river systems, community structure A concept of dynamic equilibrium for biological
gains and loses species in response to low probability communities, despite some difficulties in absolute defini-
136 CAN. J. FISH. AQUAT. SCI., VOL. 37, 1980
tion, is useful because it suggests that community struc- LEOPOLD, L. B., ~m W. B. LANGBEIN. 1962. The concept of
ture and function adjust to changes i n certain geo- entropy in landscape evolution. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof.
morphic, physical, a n d biotic variables such as stream Pap. 500-A: 20 p.
LEOPOLD, L. B., M. G . WOLMAN, AND J. P. MILLER.1964.
flow, channel morphology, detritus loading, size of
Fluvial processes in geontorphology. W. H. Freeman,
particulate organic material, characteristics of auto- San Francisco, Calif. 522 p.
trophic production, and thermal responses. I n develop- MACKAY,R. J., AND J. KALFP.1973. Ecology of two related
ing a theory of biological strategies along the river species of caddisfly larvae in the organic substrates of a
continuum, it also should be possible t o observe a woodland stream. Ecology 54: 499-511.
number of patterns that describe various processing MCINTOSH, R. P. 1967. The concept of vegetation. Bot. Rev.
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
courantes. Bull. Fr. Piscic. 175: 41-53. A quantitative geomorphic approach to predicting pro-
1959. Profiles and biology of Western European ductivity of pink and chum salmon in Southeast Alaska.
streams as related to fish management. Trans. Am. Fish. Publ. Pac. N. W. Forest Range Exp. Stn.
SWEENY, B. W., AND R. L. VANNOTE. 1978. Size variation and
SOC.88 : 153-163.
the distribution of hemimetabolous aquatic insects: two
IDE,F. P. 1935. The effect of temperature on the distribution of thermal equilibrium hypotheses. Science 200: 444-446.
the mayfly fauna of a stream. Publ. Ont. Fish. Res. Lab.
50: 1-76. THOMPSON, D. H., AND F. D. HUNT. 1930. The fishes of
KAUSHIK, N. K., AND H. B. N. HYNES.1971. The fate of dead Champaign County: a stody of the distribution and
leaves that fall into streams. Arch. Hydrobiol. 68: 465- abundance of fishes in small streams. Bull. Ill. Nat. Hist.
C1 C
J l J.
Surv. 19: 5-101.
LANGBEIN,W. B., Arm L. B. LFOPOLD. 1966. River meanders - VANDEUSEN, R. D. 1954. Maryland freshwater stream classi-
theorv of minimum variance. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. fication by watersheds. Contr. Chesapeake Biol. Lab. 106:
422-H: 15 p. 1-30.
LEOPOLD. L. B.. AND T. MADDOCK JK. 1953. The hydraulic VANNOTE, R. L. 1978. A geometric model describing a quasi-
geometry df stream channels and some phYsi;graphic equilibrium of energy flow in populations of stream
implications. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 252: 57 p. insects. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75: 381-384.
PERSPECTIVES 137
VANNOTE, R. L., AND B. W. SWEENEY. 1979. Geographic WEBSTER,J. R. 1975. Analysis of potassium and calcium
analysis of thermal equilibria: a conceptual model for dynamics in stream ecosystems on three southern Ap-
evaluating the effect of natural and modified thermal palachian watersheds of contrasting vegetation. Ph.D.
regimes on aquatic insect communities. Am. Nat. 14: thesis, Univ. Georgia, Athens, Ga. 232 p.
(In press) ZIEMER,G. L. 1973. Quantitative geomorphology of drainage
WALLACE, J. B., J. R. W E B ~ KAND, W. R. WOODALL. 1977. basins related to fish production. Alaska Fish Game Dep.
The role of filter feeders in flowing waters. Arch. Hydro- Info. LeaB. 162: 1-26.
biol. 79: 506-532.
Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by St. Francis X Univ on 08/23/18. For personal use only.
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1980.37:130-137.