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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Water Resour Assoc. 2018 Apr;54(2):323–345. doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12632

Table 1.

Examples of different functions of streams and floodplain wetlands and their downstream effects.

Function1 Exchange2 Boundary3 Propagation4 Downstream Effect Supporting reference
Function Origin Conveyance mechanism Conveyed entity Locus of consequence
Source Transfer Neutral, Amplification Stream Fluvial transport Water River More flow, volume, and wetted area downstream Alexander et al., 2007
Source Transfer Neutral, Amplification Coastal wetland Seiche Organic matter Lake Erie Subsidy of unique carbon to support life Bouchard, 2007
Lag Filter Transmission Stream Overbank flooding Sediment Floodplain wetland Less sedimentation, turbidity Noe and Hupp, 2009
Transformation Filter Transformation Stream Hyporheic exchange Manganese Hyporheic zone Reduced contaminant exposure Fuller and Harvey, 2000
Sink Filter Absorption Stream or wetland Fluvial transport, overbank flooding Nitrogen Atmosphere Reduced downstream nitrogen loading. Mulholland et al., 2008; Forshay and Stanley, 2005
1

After Leibowitz et al., this issue;