Rivers and streams A river and stream can be defined as.  a natural stream of water that flows through

land and empties into a body of water such as an ocean or lake

GeographyDrain most of the landscapes of the world.River basins are areas of the land that are

drained by riversRivers eventually flow out to sea or to an

internal basin lakeBasins are separated from each other by

water sheds (the area of land that drains in to a river)

Geography continued

StructureRivers and streams can be divided into three

dimensions1) wetted channel: contains water year round2) active channel: is usually flooded once a year3) riparian zone: is a transition between the aquatic environment to the terrestrial environment

Physical ConditionsLight: amount of light penetration is affected

by two main factors organic and inorganic material that is washed into or blown in to them from the land and sediment that is suspended in the water

Temperature: closely tracks air temperature but does not reach the extremes of terrestrial habitats

Water Movements: is dependent on where the river or stream is located at

Chemical ConditionsSalinity: the amount of salt dissolved in river

water reflects the prevailing climate in its basin

Oxygen: is inversely correlated with its temperature

BiologyBoth fauna and flora vary greatlyIs dependent on the location of the river or

stream

Human InfluencesPollutionDiverting Industry