Results
Site location within the network, i.e. distance to source (DS), was
uncorrelated to flow permanence (FP) and upstream connectivity (i.e. the
percentage of perennial upstream reaches (%UC)), confirming that
perennial and intermittent sites were evenly distributed throughout the
river network (Fig S1 & S2). Upstream connectivity was moderately
correlated with FP (r = 0.58, Fig. S1). Environmental characteristics
were similar among intermittent and perennial sites (PERMANOVA: F =
1.243, p = 0.259; Fig S3) but differed among network locations due to
differences in mean wetted width, instream canopy cover, pH, and soil
moisture and organic matter contents between headwaters and the mainstem
(PERMANOVA: F = 4.192, p = 0.001; Fig. S4).