The River Continuum Concept

The River Continuum Concept describes how a river’s physical environment and biological communities change gradually from its source to its mouth. As you move downstream, the flow becomes wider, deeper, and slower, affecting the types of plants, animals, and insects that live there. In the headwaters, the environment is cold and fast-moving, supporting different organisms than the slower, warmer, and wider sections downstream. This continuous change creates a predictable pattern in the river’s ecosystem, where different habitats support specific communities, illustrating how river life adapts to the changing conditions along its length.