Influence of Bioturbation on Hyporheic Exchange in Streams: Conceptual Model and Insights From Laboratory Experiments

Abstract

Bioturbation occurs in streambeds by the action of a range of faunal species, but little is known about how it could modify the hyporheic exchange in streams. Previous experimental work investigating the effects of sediment-biota interaction on exchange across the sediment-water interface has been largely conducted in small mesocosms or infiltration columns that do not represent the lotic environment adequately. Therefore, the experimental findings from these studies may not be transferable to flowing water environments (e.g., streams). In this work, we first present a conceptual model demonstrating the causal pathways through which the sediment reworking and burrow ventilation processes (to..