Mediterranean-climate streams and rivers: geographically separated but ecologically comparable freshwater systems

Streams and rivers in mediterranean-climate regions (med-rivers in med-regions) are ecologically unique, with flow regimes reflecting precipitation patterns. Although timing of drying and flooding is predictable, seasonal and annual intensity of these events is not. Sequential flooding and drying, coupled with anthropogenic influences make these med-rivers among the most stressed riverine habitat worldwide. Med-rivers are hotspots for biodiversity in all med-regions. Species in med-rivers require different, often opposing adaptive mechanisms to survive drought and flood conditions or recover from them. Thus, metacommunities undergo seasonal differences, reflecting cycles of river fragmentation and connectivity, which also affect ecosystem functioning. River conservation and management is challenging, and trade-offs between environmental and human uses are complex, especially under future climate change scenarios. This overview of a Special Issue on med-rivers synthesizes information presented in 21 articles covering the five med-regions worldwide: Mediterranean Basin, coastal California, central Chile, Cape region of South Africa, and southwest and southern Australia. Research programs to increase basic knowledge in less-developed med-regions should be prioritized to achieve increased abilities to better manage med-rivers

Extensional flow at low Reynolds number with surface tension

The extensional flow and break-up of fluids has long interested many authors. A slender viscous fluid drop falling under gravity from beneath a horizontal surface is examined. After reviewing previous work which has neglected surface tension, a one-dimensional model which describes the evolution of such a drop, beginning with a prescribed initial drop shape and including the effects of gravity and surface tension, is investigated. Inertial effects are ignored due to the high viscosity of the fluid. Particular attention is paid to the boundary condition near the bottom of the drop where the one-dimensional approximation is no longer valid. The evolving shape of the drop is calculated up to a crisis time at which the cross-sectional area at some location goes to zero. Results are compared with those obtained when surface tension is neglected. Near to the crisis time, as the Reynolds number increases and inertia becomes non-negligible, the model assumptions are invalid so that the model does not describe actual pinch-off of a fluid drop.Y. M. Stokes, B. H. Bradshaw-Hajek and E. O. Tuc