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To support sound decision-making in environmental management, we need rigorous, defensible, and transparent synthesis of scientific evidence. The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography and associated aquatic science societies are leaders in applying science to decision-making, and yet many environmental decisions are still at risk of having to be made without a comprehensive, well-synthesized evidence base to support them. In this article, we discuss two synergistic approaches that can help science inform decision-making: systematic review and evidence banking. Our aim is to promote the use of these approaches, and to enlist support and action from you, the aquatic science community. We propose that you can improve the use and uptake of science in decision-making by making your research more compatible with synthesis efforts by: considering risk of bias when designing your study and reporting results; reporting all relevant contextual information; analyzing your data using standard effect size approaches; and publishing your raw data. Awareness of how primary research feeds into informing policies can help you broaden the impact of your research, making it more directly relevant to decision-making and more likely to contribute to the protection of aquatic ecosystems.

Diatom assemblages of surface sediments in 46 billabongs from four river floodplains in the southeast Murray-Darling Basin, Australia were sampled to investigate drivers of species distribution. The principal purpose of the study was to derive information to aid interpretation of diatom-based palaeoecological studies of these systems and of floodplain lakes more generally. Patterns in billabong diatom assemblages in relation to river reach, hydrology and farming intensity on surrounding land were examined, as were correlations with water quality variables. Seasonal variation in billabong water quality was high relative to spatial variation, and spatial patterns in billabong water quality were weak. In contrast, strong patterns were evident in diatom assemblages. Three main patterns were observed: (1) a distinction between billabongs dominated by planktonic diatoms from those dominated by benthic and attached forms; (2) differences in diatom assemblages in billabongs on different river reaches; and (3) differences in assemblages in billabongs with different hydrology. Of all water quality variables tested, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and pH exerted the strongest independent influence on diatom distribution; however, only TP remained an important variable when species variation due to river reach, hydrology, and aquatic plant cover was taken into account. The weak influence of water quality on diatom distribution is interpreted as reflecting the dichotomy between plankton and non-plankton-dominated billabongs, the influence of hydrology and biogeography, the lack of strong spatial water quality gradients and the high degree of temporal variability in water quality. The findings show that diatom records from billabong sediments can provide evidence of long-term changes in the abundance of aquatic macrophytes and hydrology. They also suggest that merging calibration data sets across regions for the purpose of improving diatom transfer functions for water quality reconstruction is of limited value for floodplain lakes, and that performance is more likely to be gained by boosting site numbers within regions.

1. Primary production on semiarid floodplains supports a diverse local and regional fauna. Reduced flooding from water resource development (WRD) may affect floodplain production by decreasing water and nutrient supply. 2. We investigated the effects of reduced wetting on soil fertility by performing a regional soil survey across a gradient of flood frequency. Soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) were recorded over a soil-wetting event where heavy rainfall and flooding coincided. 3. Soil nutrient concentrations indicate N limits plant growth and P does not. 4. No spatial patterns in soil P were detected across the floodplain, suggesting that the principal mechanism controlling P fertility is the concentration of P in floodplain source material, and that flood mediated import and export of P are minor processes. 5. Soil N concentrations rose following rainfall and flooding and the greatest increased occurred in flooded areas. Flood deposition of N accounted for only 9% of the boost in soil N in flooded areas, and N concentrations continued to rise when the floods and rains ceased. Elevated soil N levels do not appear to persist because at the start of a growth cycle, when soils were dry, soil N did not vary significantly with flood frequency. This suggests most of the boost in soil N was due to N-fixation, with the subsequent loss of N likely to have resulted from in situ processes such as denitrification. 6. Agricultural export of nutrients appears to not be a significant process in the context of the high phosphorus fertility of floodplain source material and the apparently high rates of in situ processing of nitrogen. 7. Synthesis and applications. Our data suggest that floodplain soil fertility is controlled by mechanisms other than flood frequency or agricultural export, meaning that WRD is unlikely to affect soil fertility; however, the biological implications of the brief pulse in soil N associated with wetting need further investigation.

Temporal variability at extra-annual scales is typically a feature of freshwater ecosystems, particularly in places like Australia where the climate is highly unpredictable and where recent anthropogenic changes have been dramatic. Accounting for this variability when studying freshwater systems is generally not possible if freshwater ecologists rely solely on measurements carried out in the course of studies that rarely exceed a few years in length. Alternative methods can be used to extend temporal perspective; however, we argue these are under-utilised in river ecology. This paper outlines approaches for extending temporal perspective (historical studies, palaeolimnological studies and modelling) and illustrates, using pertinent examples, areas of river ecology where we believe they can be of particular use. We conclude with some suggestions for ways in which cooperation between relevant disciplines can be enhanced.

Summary 1. Current approaches for determining river ‘health’ rely on the establishment of a ‘reference’ condition. This is often difficult to achieve for lowland floodplain river systems because of the lack of pristine or pre-impacted sites and process models capable of predicting the effect of natural and human disturbances. 2. Using examples from the River Murray, Australia, this paper highlights the benefits of using palaeo-ecological studies in deciding on benchmark or pre-European settlement conditions for lowland floodplain river systems. 3. Physical, chemical and biological analyses of sediment obtained from shallow cores (

Declining water quality and ecological condition is a typical trend for rivers and streams worldwide as human demands for water resources increase. Managing these natural resources sustainably is a key responsibility of governments. Effective water management policies require information derived from long-term monitoring and evaluation. Biological monitoring and assessment are critical for management because bioassessment integrates the biological, physical and chemical features of a waterbody. Investment in nationally coordinated riverine bioassessment in Australia has almost ceased and the foci of management questions are on more localised assessments. However, rivers often span political and administrative boundaries, and their condition may be best protected and managed under national policies, supported by a coordinated national bioassessment framework. We argue that a nationally coordinated program for the bioassessment of riverine health is an essential element of sustainable management of a nation’s water resources. We outline new techniques and research needed to streamline current arrangements to meet present-day and emerging challenges for coordinating and integrating local, regional and national bioassessment activities. This paper draws on international experience in riverine bioassessment to identify attributes of successful broad-scale bioassessment programs and strategies needed to modernise freshwater bioassessment in Australia and re-establish national broad-scale focus.