The Domino Theory

The previous information was used to provide a foundation of the general concepts and definitions relating to important freshwater inflow issues.

The difficulty in using flow regimes to manage estuaries is the complexity of estuarine ecosystem functions. One model that can be used to better understand the estuarine relationships is the Domino Theory Model. Although many components are included in the Domino Theory Model, the main relationship that can be shown experimentally is the linkage of bioindicator species, under estuarine resources titled integrity, to the estuarine condition salinity, and then those salinity tolerance ranges to freshwater inflows.

The “Domino Theory” that freshwater inflow has an indirect effect on estuarine resources by controlling estuary condition.
The “Domino Theory” that freshwater inflow has an indirect effect on estuarine resources by controlling estuary condition. Source: Palmer et al. 2011.