Hydrological connectivity: an introduction to the concept

Abstract

The concept of connectivity, especially hydrological connectivity, is used in Earth and environmental sciences as a term and as a conceptual framework for addressing spatial and temporal variability in runoff and sediment transport. Hydrological connectivity can be defined as the transfer of water and sediment through a fluvial system or a dynamic linkage between surface and subsurface waters flowing through a landscape. Five forms of hydrological connectivity may be distinguished: stream-hillslope connectivity, river-floodplain connectivity, stream-lake connectivity, longitudinal or upstream-downstream connectivity, and stream-groundwater connectivity. All of them are interconnected. Hydrological connections are not only unidirectional but cover multiple dimensions and operate across different temporal scales. As a framework, connectivity is useful for understanding spatial variations in runoff. //   Pojem povezljivosti, zlasti hidrološke povezljivosti, se v vedah o Zemlji in okolju uporablja kot strokovni izraz in kot konceptualni okvir za obravnavo prostorske ter časovne spremenljivosti v pretoku vode in prenosu gradiva. Hidrološko povezljivost lahko opredelimo kot prenašanje vode in sedimentov skozi rečni sistem ali kot dinamično povezavo med nadzemnimi in podzemnimi vodami, ki tečejo skozi pokrajino. Razlikujemo lahko pet oblik hidrološke povezljivosti: povezljivost med vodotokom in pobočjem, povezljivost med vodotokom in njegovim poplavnim območjem, povezljivost med vodotokom in jezerom, vzdolžno povezljivost med vodotokovim povirnim in izlivnim delom ter povezljivost med vodotokom in podzemno vodo. Vse so med sabo povezane. Vodne povezave niso samo enosmerne, ampak imajo več razsežnosti glede na prostor in čas. Kot okvir je povezljivost koristna za razumevanje prostorskih razlik pri odtoku.