Sécheresse et fonctionnement écologique des cours d'eau / Université inter-âges de l'Ain

Drought and the ecological functioning of watercourses: challenges and prospects for an uncertain future.
Thibault DATRY

Global change is increasing the occurrence and severity of droughts in France, having a major impact on continental waters, particularly at surface level. Intermittent rivers, which dry up regularly, are naturally very present in our river systems and, on a global scale, are even more abundant than perennial rivers. Their biodiversity and ecological processes are governed by repeated cycles of aquatic and terrestrial conditions which, in turn, influence the dynamics of river biodiversity, as well as
associated ecosystem functions and services. But more and more rivers are becoming intermittent as a result of global change, with hitherto unknown consequences for river systems as a whole. In this talk, I will highlight how flow regimes, and in particular droughts, influence the biodiversity, ecosystem functions and processes of river systems at different spatial and temporal scales.
After exploring the possible future of river ecological functioning under global change, I will present the implications in terms of water management and public policy.
Finally, I will propose recommendations for future research to clarify how intermittent watercourses, whether natural or anthropogenic, influence river ecological functioning, in order to move towards more effective and holistic water management.

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