Heatwaves and Droughts Are Shaking River Ecosystems

As climate extremes intensify, rivers—critical conduits for global carbon and nutrient cycles—are increasingly vulnerable. A new study by Lyu et al. (2025) reveals how a record-breaking drought-heatwave event in the summer of 2022 dramatically disrupted aquatic plankton communities in China’s Yangtze River, threatening biodiversity, stability, and carbon balance.