Humans have globally altered river ecosystems through different activities, which are both expanding and intensifying. The impact of these activities can propagate along river catchments and reach coastal ecosystems (e.g. dams capture sediments and contribute to the sink of deltas). Also, human impacts on coastal ecosystems can move upstream (e.g. invasive species). However, river and coastal ecosystems have been traditionally studied as separate systems, and their interactions remain relatively understudied. Gathering information on how human activities occurring in the land are affecting the coasts (and vice versa) are key to implement effective management strategies (e.g. integrated catchment management) and achieve sustainable development goals.
The aim of this Research Topic is to advance our knowledge on the human impacts on river catchments and coastal ecosystems, through an integrated perspective. That includes the fluxes of energy, matter, and organisms between both ecosystems (i.e. meta-ecosystem concept) and a wide range of human activities (e.g. agriculture; industry, hydropower generation) and associated impacts (e.g. water pollution, hydrological and geomorphological alterations; invasive species).
We are specifically interested in the following research lines:
- River regulation effects on coastal ecosystems.
- River pollution effects on coastal ecosystems.
- Connections between freshwater and coastal eutrophication.
- Multiple stressors and integrated catchment management.
- Species invasions across ecosystem boundaries.
- Species dispersal and population recruitment.
- Climate change effects from a meta-ecosystem perspective.
However, we will be happy to consider contributions that do not fall within any of the listed topics.
Humans have globally altered river ecosystems through different activities, which are both expanding and intensifying. The impact of these activities can propagate along river catchments and reach coastal ecosystems (e.g. dams capture sediments and contribute to the sink of deltas). Also, human impacts on coastal ecosystems can move upstream (e.g. invasive species). However, river and coastal ecosystems have been traditionally studied as separate systems, and their interactions remain relatively understudied. Gathering information on how human activities occurring in the land are affecting the coasts (and vice versa) are key to implement effective management strategies (e.g. integrated catchment management) and achieve sustainable development goals.
The aim of this Research Topic is to advance our knowledge on the human impacts on river catchments and coastal ecosystems, through an integrated perspective. That includes the fluxes of energy, matter, and organisms between both ecosystems (i.e. meta-ecosystem concept) and a wide range of human activities (e.g. agriculture; industry, hydropower generation) and associated impacts (e.g. water pollution, hydrological and geomorphological alterations; invasive species).
We are specifically interested in the following research lines:
- River regulation effects on coastal ecosystems.
- River pollution effects on coastal ecosystems.
- Connections between freshwater and coastal eutrophication.
- Multiple stressors and integrated catchment management.
- Species invasions across ecosystem boundaries.
- Species dispersal and population recruitment.
- Climate change effects from a meta-ecosystem perspective.
However, we will be happy to consider contributions that do not fall within any of the listed topics.