Thus, the importance of the smaller streams within the headwaters of catchments and their role in the maintenance of microbial biodiversity within the river network is highlighted. [...] Given the ongoing declines in water and habitat quality across NI river networks (see Chapter 6), it is essential to reassess the significance of the combined total of the dendritic nature of the small stream network (SSN) to the biodiversity potential of each headwater branch. [...] 18 The UWWTD defines eutrophication as: “The enrichment of water by nutrients, especially compounds of nitrogen and/or phosphorus, causing an accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of plant life to produce an undesirable disturbance to the balance of organisms present in the water and to the quality of the water concerned.” The NiD defines eutrophication as: “The enrichment of water by nitro. [...] These patterns arise from the shape and size of the channel, the distribution of riffle and pool habitats, the abundance and diversity of gravel bars and the stability of the substrate, determined by the interactions between flow regime and local geology and topography (Frissell et al., 1986). [...] The WFD identifies the importance of longitudinal connectivity to the character of rivers, both for upstream and downstream movement of aquatic organisms and for sediment transport and re-naturalisation of constrained rivers.
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