Abstract
Transport, storage, and reactions along the river corridor influence
mass and energy balances from local to continental scales. This network
regulates both natural and human-induced disturbances, playing a crucial
role in the sustainable management of water resources amid ongoing
social, economic, and climatic changes. Our understanding of how
channels connect with their surroundings has significantly improved over
the past 40 years, emphasizing the importance of viewing the river
corridor as a complex three-dimensional system rather than just a linear
feature. This presentation highlights recent advances that combine
mechanistic insights with data-driven methods to address three major
environmental challenges involving the river corridor. First, we look at
hyporheic exchange as a key connectivity pathway and a natural
biogeochemical reactor, underscoring the need for better constraints to
refine estimates of whole-stream metabolism. Second, we explore how
connectivity within the river corridor affects nutrient cycling and
greenhouse gas emissions. Third, we consider the river corridor’s role
in the global environmental plastics budget. For each issue, we stress
the value of simple modeling approaches that support the creation,
implementation, and evaluation of sustainable practices for managing
water quantity and quality at a continental scale.