Are Tropical Streams Ecologically Different from Temperate Streams

摘要: If tropical streams differ ecologically from temperate ones, we must be cautious in our extrapolation of ecosystem models developed temperate-zone streams. Similarly, approaches and techniques used routinely management may not applicable the tropics. Despite considerable variability geological history, flow regime geomorphology, tropics typically receive higher insolation more intense rainfall, with warmer water often relatively predictable floods. For many groups aquatic taxa, also harbour biodiversity than their equivalents. Nonetheless, there is little published evidence for consistent differences food-web structure, productivity, organic-matter processing nutrient dynamics, or responses to disturbance which would indicate that term 'tropical' has special significance when applied stream ecology. Instead, ecological processes appear driven by same variables are important ones. example, biotic drought flooding similar those while in-stream productivity limited factors: nutrients, shading, disturbance, trophic structure. Shredders reputed rare but this case southern streams, implying leaf breakdown north-temperate zone have universal applicability assumed. Biome comparisons among confounded immense inherent within both these zones, and the wide range climatic hydrological conditions - even Valid strategies less a matter versus but, instead, ensuring comparability at appropriate scales fuller understanding mechanisms, plus recognition magnitude complexity spatial temporal variation in ecosystems all latitudes.