Headwaters in a changing climate

Streams play a vital role in the global hydrological and biogeochemical cycle. However, chronic global change is expected to impact their streamflow, and the consequences for ecosystem health remain uncertain. Especially lower-order streams experience reduced streamflow and regularly fall dry (intermittency). This intermittency is predicted to occur more frequently in the future. There is a clear need to study intermittency in lower-order streams to better anticipate the future consequences of reduced streamflow on these sensitive systems. This presentation provides insights into current research on intermittency in streams.