be even more compelling due to several unique
aspects of this form of natural disturbance. First, in
contrast to many other disturbances, which are often
of relatively short-duration (e.g. days to months in the
case of floods and fires), droughts may last from
months to years. They also impact large areas of the
landscape—much larger than most other disturbances.
Finally, their duration, and hence also their
severity, can be extremely difficult to predict, even
once the onset of a drought has been recognised. Thus
the impacts of drought and their ecological consequences
can ramify through aquatic ecosystems long
after the drought appears to have broken, or is
declared to be over.