Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Stream gradient settings variable

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Authors

Kevin McGarigal, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Brad Compton, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ethan Plunkett, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Bill DeLuca, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Joanna Grand, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Publication Date

2017

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences | Sustainability

Description

Stream gradient is one of several ecological settings variables that collectively characterize the biophysical setting of each 30 m cell at a given point in time (McGarigal et al 2017). Stream gradient is a measure of the percent slope of a stream, which is a primary determinate of water velocity and thus sediment and nutrient transport, and habitat for aquatic plants, invertebrate, fish, and other organisms. Stream gradient is often approximated by categories such as pool, riffle, run, and cascade. Stream gradient is 0% for lentic waterbodies, palustrine, and uplands. It ranges from 0% to infinity (theoretically) for streams.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/R5WW7FW8

Recommended Citation

McGarigal, Kevin; Compton, Brad; Plunkett, Ethan; DeLuca, Bill; and Grand, Joanna, "Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Stream gradient settings variable" (2017). Data and Datasets. 11.
https://doi.org/10.7275/R5WW7FW8 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/data/11