Confluence of time and space: An innovation for quantifying dynamics of hydrologic floodplain connectivity with remote sensing and GIS

River Research and Applications
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Abstract

Hydrologic connectivity is a crucial determinant of aquatic ecosystem services, governing the exchange of nutrients, sediments, chemicals, and biota. Various indices and metrics exist for quantifying hydrologic connectivity across diverse environments and scales. However, existing methodologies often fail to adequately capture lateral connectivity between floodplain lakes and streams across vast, low-relief, multi-lake floodplain systems. This study introduces a novel approach for quantifying lateral hydrologic connectivity specifically tailored for floodplain lakes connecting to streams within the expansive floodplain of the Lower Mississippi River. This approach centers on the spatial and temporal intersection of lakes and streams, leveraging remote sensing and GIS data to estimate nine distinct metrics of hydrologic connectivity. To assess the reliability of the method, the study estimated connectivity metrics for 92 randomly selected floodplain lakes, comprising 53 lakes connected to large streams (Strahler order >7), 13 lakes connected to medium (order 4-6) streams, and 26 lakes connected to small (order 1-3) streams. As expected, there was significant variability in hydrologic connectivity across different stream size classes. The outlined approach contributes valuable insights into the hydrologic connectivity of floodplain lakes and offers a generalizable framework applicable to other floodplains. Its versatility makes it a practical tool for understanding connectivity requirements for biota and facilitating applications in conservation and water resources management. Thus, this work represents a meaningful step toward advancing our understanding of lateral hydrologic connectivity dynamics in complex aquatic ecosystems.  

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Confluence of time and space: An innovation for quantifying dynamics of hydrologic floodplain connectivity with remote sensing and GIS
Series title River Research and Applications
DOI 10.1002/rra.4426
Volume 41
Issue 5
Publication Date February 06, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Atlanta
Description 16 p.
First page 1014
Last page 1029
Country United States
State Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee
Other Geospatial Lower Mississippi River floodplain
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