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CADDIS Volume 2: Sources, Stressors & Responses


Click on any heading to see more detailed information about that pathway.
Click on subheadings to read more about highlighted topics under each heading.

Urbanization is an increasingly pervasive land cover transformation that significantly alters the physical, chemical and biological environment within surface waters.

The diagram above provides a simple schematic illustrating pathways through which urbanization may affect stream ecosystems. Riparian/channel alteration, wastewater inputs and stormwater runoff associated with urbanization can lead to changes in five general stressor categories: water/sediment quality, water temperature, hydrology, physical habitat within the channel, and basic energy sources for the stream food web.

This module is organized along these pathways. You can learn more about urban stream sources and stressors by clicking on these headings in the diagram above. You can click on subheadings within each shape to learn about specific topics in greater detail. To return to this organizational diagram from any point in the module, simply click on the Urbanization link in navigation bar (at left) or in the breadcrumbs (at top).

You also can download a PDF version of the Urbanization module (44pp, 3MB, About PDF), and view a complete list of references cited in the module.


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