Journal article
A framework for lotic macrosystem research
ECOSPHERE, v 12(2), e03342
Feb 2021
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
We analyze here the nature of research in freshwater macrosystem biology (especially lotic studies) from both conceptual and current research perspectives. The boundaries of permanent and transitional lotic macrosystems from the smallest to largest spatial extents are described. We contrast ecosystem vs. macrosystem research and macroecology vs. macrosystems ecology and provide some examples of representative aquatic macrosystems ecology projects in the USA. We recommend approaches for incorporating certain large-scale lotic concepts developed over the last 40 yr as the bases for lotic macrosystem studies. Of these, the three most appropriate in chronological order are the River Continuum Concept, the Riverine Ecosystem Synthesis, and the Stream Biome Gradient Concept. Four other concepts would be suitable for testing macrosystem hypotheses after incorporating small to large conceptual or geographic expansions of the models. We suggest future research directions in lotic macrosystem research in areas of climate change and teleconnections among distant organisms and systems and include general recommendations for conducting macrosystem-level research.
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Details
- Title
- A framework for lotic macrosystem research
- Publication Details
- ECOSPHERE, v 12(2), e03342
- Publisher
- WILEY; HOBOKEN
- Grant note
- All authors contributed text and editorial comments to this manuscript, with the order of authorship reflecting the amount of their contributions to discussing ideas, contributing text, and reviewing the manuscript. We are especially grateful to the many senior and junior scientists (including post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduates) from the USA, Mongolia, Germany, and Italy who participated in our field research on rivers in the USA and Mongolia and who in some cases contributed directly to development of this manuscript. While the coauthors of this paper are in agreement as to its general content, individual authors may not, of course, agree with all its statements and conclusions. Preparation of this manuscript was aided by our NSF macrosystem ecology grant 1442595 to J.H. Thorp and 10 Co-P.I.s in Europe (Alain Maasri), Mongolia (Bazartseren Boldgiv), and the USA (Sudeep Chandra, Walter Dodds, Jon Gelhaus, Barbara Hayford, Olaf Jensen, Scott Kenner, Mark Pyron, and Daniel Reuman) and by NSF grant 1926596 to JH Thorp and three Co-P.I.s. Additional funding was provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to Alain Maasri (BMBF, grant no. 01LN1320A). Finally, we thank reviewers for persuading us to rethink the nature of Macro research and to propose new research avenues, as problematic as those new ideas may turn out to be! The authors declare no conflict of interests.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000623677800003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85101761764
- Other Identifier
- 991021860750404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Ecology