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Water Extraction (water + extraction)
Kinds of Water Extraction Selected AbstractsSUBCRITICAL WATER EXTRACTION OF CAFFEINE FROM BLACK TEA LEAF OF IRANJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2008ANVAR SHALMASHI ABSTRACT This study examines subcritical water extraction (SCWE) of caffeine from black tea leaf. The effects of various operating conditions such as water temperature (100, 125, 150 and 175C), water flow rate (1, 2 and 4 g/min), mean particle size (0.5, 1 and 2 mm) on extraction yield and rate were determined. SCWE at 175C, water flow rate of 2 g/min and mean particle size of 0.5 mm were found to be able to recover 3.82% (w/w) of caffeine present in the black tea leaf within 3 h of extraction. In comparison to the SCWE, conventional hot water extraction showed 3.30% (w/w) extraction yield. It was found also that pressure had no effect on extraction yield and rate. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Recently, subcritical water has become of great interest as an alternative solvent for extraction of natural active compounds. Subcritical water, as a green solvent, can be used in many different fields of applications. In recent years, extraction of flavors, fragrances and antioxidant components from plant materials, and hydrolysis of carbohydrates, vegetable oils and fatty acids have been widely investigated by many researchers. Using subcritical water for analytical purposes, for soil remediation and applying it as a reaction media are some other interesting fields for practical applications. Subcritical water is an excellent solvent for caffeine as well as many other organic compounds but is safer than the organic solvents that are used for caffeine extraction. [source] Carbon Dioxide and Ground Water Extraction in the United StatesGROUND WATER, Issue 2 2009Warren W. Wood No abstract is available for this article. [source] Soil water dynamics along a tree diversity gradient in a deciduous forest in Central GermanyECOHYDROLOGY, Issue 3 2010Inga Krämer Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether soil water dynamics differ along a tree species diversity gradient. The 12 study plots in the Hainich National Park, Germany, were composed of up to 11 tree species. Fagus sylvatica formed the monospecific plots. Mixed forest plots consisted of a variable admixture of other broad-leaved deciduous tree species such as Tilia spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Carpinus betulus, and Acer pseudoplatanus. Volumetric soil water content and soil water potential were measured for about two and a half years. Overall patterns of soil water dynamics were similar in all study plots. However, during a desiccation period in summer 2006, significant correlations between soil water in the upper soil and tree species diversity of the 12 study plots were observed. At the beginning of this period, soil water was extracted at higher rates in the species-rich plots than in the beech-dominated plots. However, later during the desiccation period, when atmospheric evaporative demand was higher, only the beech-dominated stands were able to increase soil water extraction. In plots of high tree species diversity, soil water reserves were already low and soil water extraction reduced. Possible explanations for high water extraction rates in mixed species plots at the beginning of the desiccation period include species-specific characteristics such as high maximum water use rate of some species, enhanced exploitation of soil water resources in mixed stands (complementarity effect), and additional water use of the herb layer, which increased along the tree species diversity gradient. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Decadal change in wetland,woodland boundaries during the late 20th century reflects climatic trendsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2010DAVID A. KEITH Abstract Wetlands are important and restricted habitats for dependent biota and play vital roles in landscape function, hydrology and carbon sequestration. They are also likely to be one of the most sensitive components of the terrestrial biosphere to global climate change. An understanding of relationships between wetland persistence and climate is imperative for predicting, mitigating and adapting to the impacts of future climate change on wetland extent and function. We investigated whether mire wetlands had contracted, expanded or remained stable during 1960,2000. We chose a study area encompassing a regional climatic gradient in southeastern Australia, specifically to avoid confounding effects of water extraction on wetland hydrology and extent. We first characterized trends in climate by examining data from local weather stations, which showed a slight increase in precipitation and marked decline in pan evaporation over the relevant period. Remote sensing of vegetation boundaries showed a marked lateral expansion of mires during 1961,1998, and a corresponding contraction of woodland. The spatial patterns in vegetation change were consistent with the regional climatic gradient and showed a weaker co-relationship to fire history. Resource exploitation, wildland fires and autogenic mire development failed to explain the observed expansion of mire vegetation in the absence of climate change. We therefore conclude that the extent of mire wetlands is likely to be sensitive to variation in climatic moisture over decadal time scales. Late 20th-century trends in climatic moisture may be related primarily to reduced irradiance and/or reduced wind speeds. In the 21st century, however, net climatic moisture in this region is projected to decline. As mires are apparently sensitive to hydrological change, we anticipate lateral contraction of mire boundaries in coming decades as projected climatic drying eventuates. This raises concerns about the future hydrological functions, carbon storage capacity and unique biodiversity of these important ecosystems. [source] Transient Leakance and Infiltration Characteristics during Lake Bank FiltrationGROUND WATER, Issue 1 2009B. Wiese Infiltration capacity of bank filtration systems depends on water extraction and hydraulic resistance of the bed sediments. Lakebed hydraulics may be especially affected by clogging, which is dependent on settlement of fine particles, redox potential, and other factors. In the field, most of these processes are difficult to quantify, and thus, when calculating response to pumping the water flux across the sediment surface is assumed to be linearly dependent on the hydraulic gradient. However, this assumption was not adequate to describe conditions at a bank filtration site located at Lake Tegel, Berlin, Germany. Hence, we first assumed the leakage coefficient (or leakance) is spatially distributed and also temporally variant. Furthermore, observations show that the leakance is considerably higher in shallow than in deeper areas; hence, leakance was assumed to be dependent on the existence and thickness of an unsaturated zone below the lake. The proposed explanation of spatial and temporal variability in leakance involves a hypothesis for redox dependent and reversible biogeochemical clogging, supported by geochemical observations in surface water and ground water. Four leakance approaches are implemented in the ground water flow code MODFLOW2000 and calibrated by inverse modeling using the parameter estimation software PEST. These concepts are evaluated by examining the fit to the hydraulic heads, to infiltration measurements, transport modeling results, and considering the degrees of freedom due to the number of calibration parameters. The leakage concept based on the assumption of the influence of an unsaturated zone on clogging processes best explains the field data. [source] A First Estimate of Ground Water Ages for the Deep Aquifer of the Kathmandu Basin, Nepal, Using the Radioisotope Chlorine-36GROUND WATER, Issue 3 2001Richard G. Cresswell The Kathmandu Basin in Nepal contains up to 550 m of Pliocene-Quaternary fluvio-lacustrine sediments which have formed a dual aquifer system. The unconfined sand and gravel aquifer is separated by a clay aquitard, up to 200 m thick, from the deeper, confined aquifer, comprised of Pliocene sand and gravel beds, intercalated with clay, peat, and lignite. The confined aquifer currently provides an important water supply to the central urban area but there are increasing concerns about its sus-tainability due to overexploitation. A limited number of determinations of the radioisotope 36Cl have been made on bore waters in the basin, allowing us to postulate on the age of ground water in the deeper, confined aquifer. Ground water evolution scenarios based on radioisotope decay, gradual dissolution of formational salts as the ground waters move downgradient, and flow velocity estimations produce comparable ground water ages for the deep waters, ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 years. From these ages, we deduce a mean ground water flow velocity of only 45 mm/year from recharge in the northeast to the main extraction region 15 km to the southwest. We thus estimate current recharge at about 5 to 15 mm/year, contributing 40,000 to 1.2 million m3/year to the ground water system. Current ground water extraction is estimated to be 20 times this amount. The low specific discharge confirms that the resource is being mined, and, based on current projections, reserves will be used up within 100 years. [source] Future hydroclimatology of the Mekong River basin simulated using the high-resolution Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) AGCMHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2008Anthony S. Kiem Abstract Analysis of future Japan Meteorological Agency atmospheric general circulation model (JMA AGCM) based climate scenarios for the Mekong River basin (MRB) indicates that annual mean precipitation will increase in the 21st century (2080,2099) by 4·2% averaged across the basin, with the majority of this increase occurring over the northern MRB (i.e. China). Annual mean temperatures are also projected to increase by approximately 2·6 °C (averaged across the MRB). As expected, these changes also lead to significant changes in the hydrology of the MRB. All MRB subbasins will experience an increase in the number of wet days in the ,future' and, importantly for sustainable water resources management and the mitigation of extreme events (e.g. floods and droughts), the magnitude and frequency of what are now considered extreme events are also expected to increase resulting in increased risk of flooding, but a reduction in the likelihood of droughts/low-flow periods,assuming water extraction is kept at a sustainable level. Despite the fact that the climate change impact projections are associated with significant uncertainty, it is important to act now and put in place policies, infrastructure and mitigation strategies to protect against the increased flooding that could occur. In addition, despite this study indicating a decrease in the number of ,low-flow' days, across most of the MRB, further analysis is needed to determine whether the reduction in low-flow days is enough to compensate for (and sustain) the rapidly increasing population and development in the MRB. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modeling and optimization of a novel pressurized CHP system with water extraction and refrigerationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2008J. R. Khan Abstract A novel cooling, heat, and power (CHP) system has been proposed that features a semi-closed Brayton cycle with pressurized recuperation, integrated with a vapor absorption refrigeration system (VARS). The semi-closed Brayton cycle is called the high-pressure regenerative turbine engine (HPRTE). The VARS interacts with the HPRTE power cycle through heat exchange in the generator and the evaporator. Waste heat from the recirculated combustion gas of the HPRTE is used to power the absorption refrigeration unit, which cools the high-pressure compressor inlet of the HPRTE to below ambient conditions and also produces excess refrigeration in an amount that depends on ambient conditions. Water produced as a product of combustion is intentionally condensed in the evaporator of the VARS, which is designed to provide sufficient cooling for the inlet air to the high-pressure compressor, water extraction, and for an external cooling load. The computer model of the combined HPRTE/VARS cycle predicts that with steam blade cooling and a medium-sized engine, the cycle will have a thermal efficiency of 49% for a turbine inlet temperature of 1400°C. This thermal efficiency, is in addition to the large external cooling load, generated in the combined cycle, which is 13% of the net work output. In addition, it also produces up to 1.4 kg of water for each kg of fuel consumed, depending upon the fuel type. When the combined HPRTE/VARS cycle is optimized for maximum thermal efficiency, the optimum occurs for a broad range of operating conditions. Details of the multivariate optimization procedure and results are presented in this paper. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of sandy bed solar collector system for water extraction from airINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006A. E. KabeelArticle first published online: 13 JAN 200 Abstract Extracting water from air by using sandy bed solar collector system is explored in the current paper. The system is studied theoretically and experimentally to evaluate the performance of the sandy bed impregnated with 30% concentration CaCl2 to produce water from moist air. In addition, the system was investigated at three different tilt angles: 15°, 20° and 25°. The theoretical model was constructed to study the effect of various parameters including solution concentration, and solar radiation intensity on the amount of collected water. Results show that sandy bed is effective for collecting water from moist air. The system can provide up to about 1.2-l fresh water per square meter of glass cover per day. A reasonable agreement between theoretical results and experimental measurements is achieved. Results show also that a slight increase in the system productivity can be generated for 25° inclination angle. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] SUBCRITICAL WATER EXTRACTION OF CAFFEINE FROM BLACK TEA LEAF OF IRANJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2008ANVAR SHALMASHI ABSTRACT This study examines subcritical water extraction (SCWE) of caffeine from black tea leaf. The effects of various operating conditions such as water temperature (100, 125, 150 and 175C), water flow rate (1, 2 and 4 g/min), mean particle size (0.5, 1 and 2 mm) on extraction yield and rate were determined. SCWE at 175C, water flow rate of 2 g/min and mean particle size of 0.5 mm were found to be able to recover 3.82% (w/w) of caffeine present in the black tea leaf within 3 h of extraction. In comparison to the SCWE, conventional hot water extraction showed 3.30% (w/w) extraction yield. It was found also that pressure had no effect on extraction yield and rate. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Recently, subcritical water has become of great interest as an alternative solvent for extraction of natural active compounds. Subcritical water, as a green solvent, can be used in many different fields of applications. In recent years, extraction of flavors, fragrances and antioxidant components from plant materials, and hydrolysis of carbohydrates, vegetable oils and fatty acids have been widely investigated by many researchers. Using subcritical water for analytical purposes, for soil remediation and applying it as a reaction media are some other interesting fields for practical applications. Subcritical water is an excellent solvent for caffeine as well as many other organic compounds but is safer than the organic solvents that are used for caffeine extraction. [source] DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING GROUND WATER RESOURCES IN THE CHOUSHUI RIVER ALLUVIAL IN TAIWAN,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2004Chen Wuing Liu ABSTRACT: Ground water is a vital water resource in the Choushui River alluvial fan in Taiwan. A significantly increased demand for water, resulting from rapid economic development, has led to large scale ground water extraction. Overdraft of ground water has considerably lowered the ground water level, and caused seawater intrusion, land subsidence, and other environmental damage. Sound ground water management thus is essential. This study presents a decision support system (DSS) for managing ground water resources in the Choushui River alluvial fan. This DSS integrates geographic information, ground water simulation, and expert systems. The geographic information system effectively analyzes and displays the spatially varied data and interfaces with the ground water simulation system to compute the dynamic behavior of ground water flow and solute transport in the aquifer. Meanwhile, a ground water model, MODFLOW-96, is used to determine the permissible yield in the Choushui River alluvial fan. Additionally, an expert system of DSS employs the determined aquifer permissible yield to assist local government agencies in issuing water rights permits and managing ground water resources in the Choushui River alluvial fan. [source] RECIRCULATING WELLS: GROUND WATER REMEDIATION AND PROTECTION OF SURFACE WATER RESOURCES,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 1 2000Keith W. Ryan ABSTRACT: Several chlorinated solvent plumes threaten the sole-source aquifer underlying the Massachusetts Military Reservation at the western end of Cape Cod. Sensitive surface water features including ponds, cranberry bogs, and coastal wetlands are hydraulically connected to the aquifer. For one of the plumes (CS-10 the original remedy of 120 extraction and reinjection wells has the potential for significant disruption of surface water hydrology, through the localized drawdown and mounding of the water table. Recirculating wells with in-well air stripping offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional pump-and-treat technology that does not adversely affect the configuration of the water table. Pilot testing of a two well system, pumping 300 gpm, showed a capture radius of > 200 feet per well, in-well trichloroethylene (TCE) removal efficiencies of 92 to 98 percent per recirculation cycle, an average of three recirculation cycles within the capture zone, and no measurable effect on water table elevations at any point within the recirculation/treatment zone. During 120 days of operation, the mean concentration of TCE in the treatment zone was reduced by 83 percent, from 1,111 ,g/l to 184 ,g/l. Full-scale design projections indicate that 60 wells at an average spacing of 160 feet, having an aggregate recirculation 11 MGD, can contain the CS-b plume without ground water extraction or adverse hydraulic effects on surface water resources. The estimated capital costs for such a system are about $7 million, and annual operations-and-maintenance costs should be about $1.4 million, 40 percent of those associated with a pump and treat system over a 20-year period. [source] Isolation, structural features and rheological properties of water-extractable ,-glucans from different Greek barley cultivarsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 10 2004Maria Irakli Abstract ,-Glucans were isolated from six Greek barley cultivars (Persefoni, Kos, Thessaloniki, Athinaida, Dimitra and Triptolemos) by water extraction at 47 °C, enzymatic removal of starch and protein and subsequent precipitation of the water-soluble ,-glucans with 37% (w/v) ammonium sulfate saturation. The purity of barley ,-glucans was high (>93% dry basis) with some small contamination by protein (<3.84%). The molecular size of the ,-glucan isolates was determined by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC); the weight-average molecular weights and the intrinsic viscosities ranged between 0.45 × 106 and 1.32 × 106 and 2.77 and 4.11 dl g,1, respectively. Structural features of barley ,-glucans were revealed by 13C NMR spectroscopy and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) of the oligomers released by the hydrolytic action of lichenase. Lichenase degradation showed that ,-glucans from all barley cultivars consisted of blocks of cellotriosyl and cellotetraosyl units, accounting for 90.6,92.3% of the total oligomers released, with a molar proportion of these units between 2.31 and 2.77. Rheological measurements of aqueous solutions/dispersions of ,-glucans showed the behaviour of non-interacting polysaccharides and a transition from the typical viscoelastic response to gel-like properties after a time period that depended on the molecular size of the polysaccharide. The lowest molecular size ,-glucans from the Triptolemos cultivar showed shorter gelation times than their higher molecular weight counterparts. The effect of sugar incorporation (glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose and ribose), at a concentration of 30% (w/v), to the ,-glucans gels (6% w/v) on compression parameters seemed to be related to the type of sugar used; the pentose sugars substantially reduced gel firming. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Optimization of hot water extraction of roselle juice using response surface methodology: a comparative study with other extraction methodsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 12 2003Peng-Kong Wong Abstract Roselle has regained the attention of many fruit juice manufacturers in Malaysia as a product that contains high ascorbic acid and anthocyanins. However, ascorbic acid and anthocyanin pigments can be easily destroyed during processing of fruit juice. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of different processing methods, namely hot water extraction (HWE), hot water blending, cold water blending and screw press, on the changes in anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents of roselle juice were evaluated. The anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents of roselle were determined using the pH differential method and high-performance liquid chromatography respectively. The physico-chemical characteristics and sensory properties of roselle juice were also evaluated. The results of the study indicate that the HWE method is the most effective extraction method, resulting in high anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents of 43 g l,1 (as delphinidin-3-glucoside) and 2.34 g kg,1 respectively. The optimum juice extraction conditions were 3.5 h at 60 °C. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Policies, plans, practice, and prospects: irrigation in northeastern SyriaLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2007F. Hole Abstract Over the past half-century the agricultural landscape of northeastern Syria has been transformed, due in large part to the introduction of significant irrigation to the steppe. At the beginning of this period, irrigation was confined almost entirely to river floodplains and natural depressions. The steppe was dominated by wintertime rain-fed agriculture and year-round grazing. The introduction of diesel-powered wells and, subsequently, state-operated dam and canal systems, has led to the expansion of both wintertime and summertime irrigation on the steppe away from the floodplain. The sustainability of these irrigation projects has always been suspect. Even as technologies for water extraction have allowed for previously impossible patterns of cultivation, the combination of declining water quality, a deepening water-table, and degradation-prone soils have limited crop yields and led to the rapid abandonment of many steppe farms. The actual trajectory of land-use in the region is determined by social and political forces as well as by hydrology and surficial geology. In this paper we examine recent land-use history in the watersheds of two tributaries of the Euphrates River, the Balikh and Khabur. A review of historical drivers of development in the region is combined with satellite analyses to provide an overview of the structure and dynamics of land-use in this water-limited region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Preparative separation of the saponin lancemaside a from Codonopsis lanceolata by centrifugal partition chromatographyPHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 5 2008Osamu Shirota Abstract Introduction. Lancemaside A is a saponin that inhibits decreases in blood testosterone level and thus prevents or ameliorates symptoms associated with male climacteric disorder. Our initial attempt to preparative isolation of lancemaside A from the saponin fraction of Codonopsis lanceolata roots by a preparative HPLC did not give a clear result. Objective. To develop a simple and efficient method for the preparative isolation of lancemaside A from the hot water extract of C. lanceolata roots using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). Methodology. The saponin fraction obtained from the hot water extract of C. lanceolata roots was used as the sample for preparative-scale separation of lancemasides by CPC using n -hexane:n -butanol:methanol:0.1% aqueous formic acid (3:4:1:6, v/v) as the two-phase solvent system. The upper phase (organic phase) of the two-phase solvent system was used as the mobile phase, and 0.5 g of saponin fraction was applied for separation by CPC. Each fraction that was separated by CPC was analysed by HPLC, and the fractions containing each of the separated compounds were pooled together, and then were purified by simple preparative HPLC. Results. The demonstrated separation sequence, hot water extraction, DIAION HP-20 column chromatography, CPC and preparative HPLC, yielded lancemaside A, foetidissimoside A and astersaponin Hb in their pure forms. Conclusion. The simple and efficient method for the preparative isolation of lancemaside A along with two other saponins, foetidissimoside A and astersaponin Hb, from the saponin fraction of C. lanceolata was established using CPC. [source] Photosynthetic Acclimation to Simultaneous and Interacting Environmental Stresses Along Natural Light Gradients: Optimality and ConstraintsPLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004ü. Niinemets Abstract: There is a strong natural light gradient from the top to the bottom in plant canopies and along gap-understorey continua. Leaf structure and photosynthetic capacities change close to proportionally along these gradients, leading to maximisation of whole canopy photosynthesis. However, other environmental factors also vary within the light gradients in a correlative manner. Specifically, the leaves exposed to higher irradiance suffer from more severe heat, water, and photoinhibition stresses. Research in tree canopies and across gap-understorey gradients demonstrates that plants have a large potential to acclimate to interacting environmental limitations. The optimum temperature for photosynthetic electron transport increases with increasing growth irradiance in the canopy, improving the resistance of photosynthetic apparatus to heat stress. Stomatal constraints on photosynthesis are also larger at higher irradiance because the leaves at greater evaporative demands regulate water use more efficiently. Furthermore, upper canopy leaves are more rigid and have lower leaf osmotic potentials to improve water extraction from drying soil. The current review highlights that such an array of complex interactions significantly modifies the potential and realized whole canopy photosynthetic productivity, but also that the interactive effects cannot be simply predicted as composites of additive partial environmental stresses. We hypothesize that plant photosynthetic capacities deviate from the theoretical optimum values because of the interacting stresses in plant canopies and evolutionary trade-offs between leaf- and canopy-level plastic adjustments in light capture and use. [source] River restoration, habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity: a failure of theory or practice?FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 2010MARGARET A. PALMER Summary 1. Stream ecosystems are increasingly impacted by multiple stressors that lead to a loss of sensitive species and an overall reduction in diversity. A dominant paradigm in ecological restoration is that increasing habitat heterogeneity (HH) promotes restoration of biodiversity. This paradigm is reflected in stream restoration projects through the common practice of re-configuring channels to add meanders and adding physical structures such as boulders and artificial riffles to restore biodiversity by enhancing structural heterogeneity. 2. To evaluate the validity of this paradigm, we completed an extensive evaluation of published studies that have quantitatively examined the reach-scale response of invertebrate species richness to restoration actions that increased channel complexity/HH. We also evaluated studies that used manipulative or correlative approaches to test for a relationship between physical heterogeneity and invertebrate diversity in streams that were not in need of restoration. 3. We found habitat and macroinvertebrate data for 78 independent stream or river restoration projects described by 18 different author groups in which invertebrate taxa richness data in response to the restoration treatment were available. Most projects were successful in enhancing physical HH; however, only two showed statistically significant increases in biodiversity rendering them more similar to reference reaches or sites. 4. Studies manipulating structural complexity in otherwise healthy streams were generally small in scale and less than half showed a significant positive relationship with invertebrate diversity. Only one-third of the studies that attempted to correlate biodiversity to existing levels of in-stream heterogeneity found a positive relationship. 5. Across all the studies we evaluated, there is no evidence that HH was the primary factor controlling stream invertebrate diversity, particularly in a restoration context. The findings indicate that physical heterogeneity should not be the driving force in selecting restoration approaches for most degraded waterways. Evidence suggests that much more must be done to restore streams impacted by multiple stressors than simply re-configuring channels and enhancing structural complexity with meanders, boulders, wood, or other structures. 6. Thematic implications: as integrators of all activities on the land, streams are sensitive to a host of stressors including impacts from urbanisation, agriculture, deforestation, invasive species, flow regulation, water extractions and mining. The impacts of these individually or in combination typically lead to a decrease in biodiversity because of reduced water quality, biologically unsuitable flow regimes, dispersal barriers, altered inputs of organic matter or sunlight, degraded habitat, etc. Despite the complexity of these stressors, a large number of stream restoration projects focus primarily on physical channel characteristics. We show that this is not a wise investment if ecological recovery is the goal. Managers should critically diagnose the stressors impacting an impaired stream and invest resources first in repairing those problems most likely to limit restoration. [source] |