Rivers provide us with freshwater. Additionally, they serve as habitats for many aquatic organisms and plants alike.
Headwaters of rivers can take many forms; from melting glaciers like Asia’s Gangotri Glacier that feeds into the Nile, to lakes or springs bursting forth from beneath the earth’s surface.
Algae
Algae are multicellular photosynthetic microorganisms found in water environments, from single-celled Ochromonas species to immense kelp forests that reach over 60 metres (200 feet). Algae are essential to aquatic ecosystems as they produce oxygen, food for fish and marine life, pharmaceutical products and industrial compounds – not to mention providing industrial jobs!
Algae growth can be an indicator of healthy waterways. But when left to grow unchecked, algae can quickly outgrow their boundaries, starve aquatic life of oxygen, and impair river quality – particularly those contaminated by sediment runoff, human or livestock waste, or excess fertilizer.
People commonly associate algae with green pond scum, but there are actually thousands of types ranging from single-celled to multicellular forms. Most live in either fresh or salt water environments and many use sunlight to convert energy into energy through photosynthesis; some varieties are even commonly known as seaweed due to their marine location and thick layer formation on surfaces.
They come in an assortment of colours, from the green hue of chlorophyll to red and brown shades emitted by other pigments. Some species employ flagella for propulsion through water; while others can attach themselves directly to solid substrates through stalks.
Similar to plants, algae are divided into multiple groups according to their anatomy and features. What makes algae different than their counterparts are their simpler bodies – up to five cell types for green algae and 14 for red and brown ones!
Algae can be found almost everywhere from oceans and rivers to ponds, brackish waters and snow (according to “Current Biology”). Some types can even survive on land where they form relationships with lichen-forming fungi or colorful coral Symbiodinium species.
Although algae may make swimmers, paddlers, and anglers shudder, they perform essential ecological services including oxygen production and nutrient cycling, providing food sources for aquatic life and providing oxygen production itself. Furthermore, many have come to recognize the many health benefits that certain forms of algae possess (even those used as nutritional supplements!).
Floodplains
Floodplains are flat, fertile areas of land through which rivers flow intermittently, depositing sediment over time. Over time, they influence how and where floodwater spreads out (conveyance), as well as helping reduce its height (stage). They’re integral parts of river systems’ functionality and offer many benefits both humans and nature alike.
Example of their versatility includes their relatively level surfaces being suitable for transportation and agriculture, providing open space for recreational activities like fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, bird watching and boating. Their rich nutrient-rich soils allow people to grow crops without chemical fertilization while their natural vegetation filters water, helping reduce nonpoint pollution while upholding quality in rivers lakes and streams.
Lakes provide essential habitat for fish spawning grounds and critical migration routes for migrating waterfowl and birds, while also being essential to the development and growth of wild animals and plants, including several rare species.
Apart from providing food and other goods and providing recreational areas, forests contribute to the economy in other ways as well. They can be used for mining sand and gravel deposits as well as livestock grazing or forestation purposes and present research and education opportunities.
Floodplains along the Congo and Murray-Darling rivers remain virtually unchanged for millennia, providing habitats that support an array of native animals and plants such as hairy-nosed wombats and wedge-tailed eagles – two iconic examples of biologically rich habitats.
As rivers migrate their channels through erosion and accretion, their characteristics change accordingly. An old floodplain might contain numerous fluvial terraces formed over time by river action; sometimes these terraces were cut directly out of bedrock while in others they may have formed due to sedimentation. Such terraces offer us an invaluable opportunity to examine past river migration patterns as well as their history within floodplains – this knowledge can help us better protect such valuable landscapes for generations to come.
Tributaries
Tributaries can be an effective way to increase water supplies for rivers. By helping ensure an uninterrupted supply, tributaries ensure a constant flow of water which can then be utilized by agriculturalists or industry processes – an integral component of an ecosystem! They also allow more water to enter a river’s mouth which keeps it clean.
Flooded rivers tend to fill their tributaries with debris and pollution from nearby areas, as their runoff carries pollutants that pose health threats both to wildlife and humans alike. Therefore it is crucial that pollution doesn’t enter river systems through their tributaries.
One way of accomplishing this goal is preventing sewage and waste from being discharged into rivers. Another is reducing pollutant production through sustainable development practices; finally it’s important that tributaries are protected from industrial activities, such as dam construction.
A tributary is any stream or river that flows into a larger body of water, like a river or ocean, at its source and joins together at what’s called the confluence point. These confluences may occur nearby the main river; alternatively they could even be located far away – for instance the Shenandoah River has two long tributaries called North Fork and South Fork which meet at Harpers Ferry in West Virginia.
Geographers and river managers generally employ two main classification schemes when classifying tributaries: Size-based classification or source and direction classification. As an example, both Switzerland’s River Thur and Austria’s River Ill are considered tributaries to the Rhine.
Though rivers’ tributaries may appear small in comparison with their main waterway, they play an integral part in keeping it healthy. Not only do they increase its volume but they provide habitats and nourishment to various animals and plants as well as algae and microbes that live there.