Environmental heterogeneity controls organic-matter dynamics in river-floodplain ecosystems

Environmental heterogeneity is a key regulator of ecological processes. Riverine floodplains are particularly heterogeneous and dynamic systems and loss of their natural environmental heterogeneity and dynamism as a consequence of human impacts constitutes their most serious threat. On river floodplains, flow and flood pulses create a shifting mosaic of channels, ponds, bars, islands, and riparian forest patches. Composition and spatial arrangement of these habitat patches determine their degree of connectivity, which in turn controls the flux of matter and energy among adjacent patches. In light of these attributes, riverine floodplains are model ecosystems for studying the effect of heterogeneity on ecological processes. In this article we introduce a conceptual model for river-flood-plain ecosystems that unifies leaf decomposition, organic-matter input, storage and quality, and stresses the importance of the flow and inundation regime. In combining these aspects of organic matter dynamics, which have been treated separately in the ecological literature, this model fosters a more holistic perspective of ecosystem processes on riverine floodplains. We conclude that the linkage between natural heterogeneity and ecosystem processes needs to be considered in future river-floodplain restoration projects.