SF2.1 Water pipes and subterranean canals

Biome: SF2. Anthropogenic subterranean freshwaters biome

Contributors:
(texts)

Waters flowing rapidly through artificial conduits are typically bereft of their own primary producers in the absence of light and rely on imported algae and detritus as sources of energy. These support simple bacterial and fungal communities in biofilms and largely itinerant invertebrates. Diversity, abundance and productivity are low, but filter feeders may colonise and productivity may be higher if source waters supply nutrients and organic carbon.

Key Features

Artificial flowing waterbodies that carry water with variable flow regime, limited light, sometimes with high carbon and nutrients supporting opportunities aquatic detritivores and predators.

Overview of distribution

Ubiquitous in developed regions of the world, most commonly in urban landscapes and irrigation areas.

Profile versions

• v1.0 (2020-01-20): DA Keith
• v2.0 (2020-06-17): DA Keith; TM Iliffe; V Gerovasileiou; B Gonzalez; D Brankovits; A Martínez García
• v2.01 ():
• v2.1 (2022-04-06): DA Keith; TM Iliffe; V Gerovasileiou; B Gonzalez; D Brankovits; A Martínez García Full profile available at official site

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

• Douterelo I, Sharpe RL, Boxall JB (2013) Influence of hydraulic regimes on bacterial community structure and composition in an experimental drinking water distribution system Water Research 47, 503-516 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2012.09.053

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of SF2.1 Water pipes and subterranean canals. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

SF2.1.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

• FEOW-2008

Map references

• Abell R, Thieme ML, Revenga C, Bryer M, Kottelat M, Bogutskaya N, Coad B, Mandrak N, Contreras Balderas S, Bussing W, Stiassny MLJ, Skelton P, Allen GR, Unmack P, Naseka A, Ng R, Sindorf N, Robertson J, Armijo E, Higgins JV, Heibel TJ, Wikramanayake E, Olson D, López HL, Reis RE, Lundberg JG, Sabaj Pérez MH, Petry P (2008) Freshwater ecoregions of the world: A new map of biogeographic units for freshwater biodiversity conservation, BioScience 58: 403–414. DOI:10.1641/B580507

SF2.1.web.orig_v1.0

Freshwater ecoregions (Abell et al. 2008) containing urban and industrialised areas with water transfer infrastructure were identified by consulting available ecoregion descriptions (http://www.feow.org/), maps of irrigation and other water infrastructure, and expertise of authors. Due to uncertainty and limited verification and likely limited spatial extent within mapped areas, all inferred occurrences were shown as minor at 30 arc seconds spatial resolution. Open image full size.

Datasets

• FEOW-2008

Map references

• Abell R, Thieme ML, Revenga C, Bryer M, Kottelat M, Bogutskaya N, Coad B, Mandrak N, Contreras Balderas S, Bussing W, Stiassny MLJ, Skelton P, Allen GR, Unmack P, Naseka A, Ng R, Sindorf N, Robertson J, Armijo E, Higgins JV, Heibel TJ, Wikramanayake E, Olson D, López HL, Reis RE, Lundberg JG, Sabaj Pérez MH, Petry P (2008) Freshwater ecoregions of the world: A new map of biogeographic units for freshwater biodiversity conservation, BioScience 58: 403–414. DOI:10.1641/B580507

Back to: Realm overview / Freshwater Realm / Subterranean Realm / Biome overview / SF2. Anthropogenic subterranean freshwaters biome
Check: the Glossary / Profile structure / the public document