Disturbance and the role of refuges in mediterranean climate streams

摘要: Refuges protect plant and animal populations from disturbance. Knowledge of refuges disturbance in mediterranean climate rivers (med-rivers) has increased the last decade. We review processes their relationship to streams regions (med-regions). Med-river fauna show high endemicity are often exposed disturbance; hence critical importance during (both seasonal supraseasonal) disturbances. Disturbance pressures increasing med-regions, particular climatic change, salinisation, sedimentation, water extraction, hydropower generation, supraseasonal drought, wildfire. Med-rivers annual cycles constrained precipitation predictable drying, causing biota depend on refuges, particular, those that spatially predictable. This creates a spatial temporal mosaic inundation determines habitat extent refuge function. sufficient size duration maintain populations, such as perennially flowing reaches, sustain biodiversity may harbour relict particularly aridification, where little other suitable remains landscapes. Therefore, disturbances threaten perennial flows potentially cascade disproportionately reduce regional scale med-regions. Conservation approaches for med-river systems need conserve both connectivity, impact anthropogenic predictable, flow patterns.