| Session Details | |
| Section | HS - Hydrological Sciences |
| Session Title | Ecohydrology of Disturbance |
| Main Convener | Prof. Yasuhiro Takemon (Kyoto University, Japan) |
| Co-convener(s) | |
| Session Description | Disturbance is one of the key concepts in ecohydrology as a driving force of geomorphology, biological community structure and material cycles in a wide range of ecosystems including forest, river, floodplain and marine ecosystems. In case of comparatively dry land ecosystems, for example, disturbance by wildfire is an inevitable and indispensable factor for maintenance of species diversity and such ecosystem is called as a “fire prone ecosystem”. In case of marine and freshwater ecosystems, roles of the disturbance regimes have been traditionally considered with “intermediate disturbance hypothesis” predicting the maximum species diversity under disturbance of intermediate intensity. In addition, “flood pulse concept” has been also important for understanding interaction between river and floodplain ecosystems. Since most of the organisms have adapted to such catastrophic physical disturbance in their evolutional history, they need it for their habitat conditions and/or for completing their life cycle. Therefore, investigations on desirable disturbance regimes are required for impact assessment and nature restoration against any artificial alteration of natural systems, such as deforestation, sediment control works, reservoir dams and barrages, etc. In this session, we focus on methodological studies for measuring disturbance regimes, possible roles of any disturbance in an ecohydrological context, and evaluation of human impacts on ecosystems from the aspect of disturbance. Papers on the following subjects will be welcome: e.g., habitat creation and conditioning by sedimentation processes in river and coastal ecosystems, reset of biological succession by disturbance in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, behavior of toxic material in relation to disturbance regimes, ecology of desert rivers in relation to disturbance regimes, forest ecohydrology on deforestation and/or forest fires, impact assessment of artificial control of flow regimes in river ecosystems, and any opinions on the way for association with natural hazards for sustainable use of natural resources. |