ReviewParticle dynamics: The continuum of bedrock to alluvial river segments

- Bedrock segments are the governors of erosion within a river network.
- Alluvial segments are the biogeochemical reactors.
- Research questions for bedrock and alluvial rivers center on particle dynamics.

Particle dynamics refers to production, erosion, transport, and storage of particulate material including mineral sediment and organic matter. Particle dynamics differ significantly between the end members of bedrock and alluvial river segments and between alluvial river segments with different grain-size distributions. Bedrock segments are supply limited and resistant to change, with relatively slow, linear adjustments and predominantly erosion and transport. Particle dynamics in alluvial segments, in contrast, are transport limited and dominated by storage of mineral sediment and production of organic matter. Alluvial segments are resilient to change, with relatively rapid, multidirectional adjustments and stronger internal influences because of feedbacks between particles and biota. Bedrock segments are the governors of erosion within a river network, whereas alluvial segments are the biogeochemical reactors. Fundamental research questions for both types of river segments center on particle dynamics, which limit network-scale incision in response to base level fall (bedrock segments) and habitat, biogeochemical reactions, and biomass production (alluvial segments). These characterizations illuminate how the spatial arrangement of bedrock and alluvial segments within a river network influence network-scale resistance and resilience to external changes in relative base level, climate, and human activities.