Understanding hydro-ecological surprises for riverine ecosystem management

Human interference within riverine systems has substantially altered the regimes of the natural hydrological cycle. This can be characterised by large changes in water discharge and sediment fluxes which have led to degradation of riverine ecosystems and biodiversity across many large river basins of the world, resulting in hydro-ecological surprises. This review summarizes major unknowns including human environment interactions and hydrological alterations and how they lead to degradation of riverine ecosystems through different bio-geochemical processes. It proposes to identify the state of riverine ecosystems using a stress-strain analysis approach and to develop integrated interdisciplinary modelling for supporting conservation, adaptation or transformation strategies for riverine ecosystem management at different states.