Contributing Factors
The continuous changes down the water route are due to various factors. As described above, at its beginning, the river is very strongly influenced by material from outside the system, especially organic material which is consumed by various macroinvertebrates (mainly shredders). As you go further down the system there is an increase in autochthonous (i.e., within the system) production of organic material such as periphyton. The extent of this production varies depending on the amount of sunlight present. The last area is less dependent on the outside but still very much influenced by the degradation processes. In a continuous system without interference, such as by inflows, this development is possible in all river systems, with some variations occurring due to seasonal changes and other environmental factors (especially temperature).
Read more about this topic: River Continuum Concept
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