Rivers are lifelines of our planet!
Floodplains are an integral part of the riverine systems. It is hydrologically connected to the main river channel but was historically neglected. Much of the world floodplains have been reduced or disconnected.
Meandering is common in the rivers in the lower reaches of the rivers, where the river changes its course through time.
One of the most beautiful shapes of the rivers, the braided streams are wider riverbeds where the water is flowing in several channels through the sediment. It is typical for middle stretches of the rivers.
Rivers and streams deposit sediment along the entire course, in the form of the bars, floodplain deposits, deltas, and rarely alluvial fans. Sediment deposition is important for creating and resetting new habitats.
The discharge of a stream is the volume of water that flows past a given point in a unit of time. Usually, we measure the world rivers by its discharge to the sea.
The water is not the only thing that moves in the stream. The sediment, sand, and gravel for example, “flow” too. This sediment transport has a profound effect on river dynamics.
Rivers are so diverse that there are incredible differences in the speed of the flowing, from almost stagnant lake stretches to wild rapids.
Mulu National Park in Malaysian Borneo protects extraordinary biodiversity. It is one of the last stands of nature against the encroaching oil palm plantations.
Each stream, small or large, has a drainage basin, the total area drained by a stream and its tributaries.
