Geomorphic Analysis of River Systems (ePub)

Filling a niche in the geomorphology teaching market, this
introductory book is built around a 12 week course in fluvial
geomorphology.

'Reading the landscape' entails making sense
of what a riverscape looks like, how it works, how it has evolved
over time, and how alterations to one part of a catchment may have
secondary consequences elsewhere, over different timeframes. These
place-based field analyses are framed within their topographic,
climatic and environmental context. Issues and principles presented
in the first part of this book provide foundational understandings
that underpin the approach to reading the landscape that is
presented in the second half of the book. In reading the landscape,
detective-style investigations and interpretations are tied to
theoretical and conceptual principles to generate
catchment-specific analyses of river character, behaviour and
evolution, including responses to human disturbance.

This book has been constructed as an introductory text on river
landscapes, providing a bridge and/or companion to
quantitatively-framed or modelled approaches to landscape analysis
that are addressed elsewhere. Key principles outlined in the book
emphasise the importance of complexity, contingency and emergence
in interpreting the character, behaviour and evolution of any given
system.

The target audience is second and third year undergraduate
students in geomorphology, hydrology, earth science and
environmental science, as well as river practitioners who use
geomorphic understandings to guide scientific and/or management
applications.

The primary focus of Kirstie and Gary's research and
teaching entails the use of geomorphic principles as a tool with
which to develop coherent scientific understandings of river
systems, and the application of these understandings in management
practice. Kirstie and Gary are co-developers of the River
Styles® Framework and Short Course that is widely used in
river management, decision-making and training.

Additional resources for this book can be found at: href="http://www.wiley.com/go/fryirs/riversystems">www.wiley.com/go/fryirs/riversystems.