[1] The theory is based on the concept of dynamic equilibrium in which streamforms balance between physical parameters, such as width, depth, velocity, and sediment load, also taking into account biological factors.
[2] It offers an introduction to map out biological communities and also an explanation for their sequence in individual sections of water.
The group studied stream and river ecosystems in their respective geographical areas to support or disprove tenets of their original theory.
[6] Throughout the continuum of the river, the proportion of the four major food types; shredders, collectors, grazers (scrapers) and predators change.
[8] Some common shredders of North American waters include the Mayfly (Ephemeroptera), Odonata (damselflies) and stone fly (Plecoptera) larvae, whereas decapods (particularly Atyid shrimp) fulfill the same role in tropical environments.
[9] The grazers (scrapers) feed off of periphyton that accumulates on larger structures such as stones, wood or large aquatic plants.
[10] Because of the structure of organic matter at different sections in a river, the make up and frequency of these groups in a community vary.
In the upper reaches of a river, shredders and collectors make up a large percentage of total macroinvertebrates due to the excess presence of coarse plant matter.
In the midreaches of a stream or river, where more light is available, there is an increase in the proportion of grazers due to the presence of periphyton.
The reason for the even distribution is that predators are not dependent on the size of the organic matter but on the availability of prey animals in the area.
The creek area in the upper reaches or headwaters of a water system is usually very narrow and lined by thick shore vegetation.
This prevents the penetration of sunlight, in turn decreasing the production of organic material through photosynthesis in the water.
The majority of the organic matter that does make its way into the system is in the form allochthonous plant material that falls into the river, such as leaves and sticks.
Collectors and grazers make up a majority of the macro invertebrate structure in this area, with the predator's share remaining unchanged.
[14] In the lower reaches, there is a large flux in particulate material and also a decrease in production through photosynthesis, due to an increase in water cloudiness (turbidity) and surface film from suspended FPOM.
[16] At any point in the system when organic material is added, it is used or stored, with a small proportion making its way further downstream.
The midreaches are the most affected by daily periodic changes, because here there is the greatest biodiversity, each with different ideal conditions.
[19] The first comprehensive presentation of the 1980 concept was part of a two-day conference at Stroud Water Research Center, whose head director was Robin Vannote.
The publication of the hypothesis was released later that same year under the title "The River Continuum Concept" in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
[20] The concept built on the work of other American limnologists such as Ruth Patrick, from which the modern riverine ecosystem model has emerged, and Luna Leopold, which deals with the physical changes of water.
Vannote himself described the current situation as follows, "in those days, most people studied a square meter of water to death [22]”.
Meaning that previous research was always only on small pieces of water and only rarely was the entire river system considered, allowing for the creation of a general model.
Stanford came up with the Serial Discontinuity Concept in 1983, which addresses the impact of geomorphologic disorders such as congestion and integrated inflows.
Bayley in 1990 and K. Tockner in 2000, takes into account the large amount of nutrients and organic material that makes its way into a river from the sediment of surrounding flooded land.
Trends in particulate organic matter fluxes, community processes and macroinvertebrate functional groups along a Great Lake Drainage Basin river continuum.
Characterization and dynamics of benthic organic matter and invertebrate functional feeding group relationships in the Upper Salmon River, Idaho (USA).
Ordination of functional groups and organic matter parameters from the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho.
1983 Macroscopic models of community organization: analyses of diversity, dominance, and stability in guilds of predaceous stream insects, pp. 231–264.
1984, Diatoms of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River drainage with notes on their relative abundance and distribution.
Benthic community metabolism in four temperate stream systems: An inter-biome comparison and evaluation of the river continuum concept.