Bed of Armor: Large rocks hold fast in flooding streams

Gravel-lined streambeds remain relatively unscathed by many floods, according to a new model. This finding may make ecological and hydrological effects of deluges easier to predict.

The surface layers of gravel-lined streambeds often have higher proportions of large rocks than does the underlying sediment. This armor of stones provides a habitat for aquatic insects and juvenile fish, says Peter R.