Nonalpine

Alpine plants also achieve maximum photosyntetic rates at cooler temperatures than nonalpine species and many start growing even before snowdrifts melt .

It year-round flow is more consistent than that of most rivers, largely because of a naturally balanced discharge regime: its alpine tributaries (those upstream, or south, of Basel) shed their waters during the warm summer months when the snow meltoff is highest, where its nonalpine tributaries (those downstream, or north, of Basel) peak during the rainy winter months.

The emission rates into the air are higher for hydropower plants in nonalpine regions due to higher emission rates of methane biogenic (7.94 × 10₋₅ kg for nonalpine plants and 3.89 × 10₋₆ kg for alpine ones), but for dinitrogen monooxide, hydropower plants of alpine regions have higher emission rates (2.14 x 10₋₈ ky for alpine plants and 1.1 x 10₋₁₁ kg for nonalpine ones).