Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
Walter K. Dodds
Division of Biology Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall Manhattan Kansas66506USA
Caleb J. Robbins
Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
Alain Maasri
Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway Philadelphia Pennsylvania19103USA
Emily R. Arsenault
Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
Jackob A. Lutchen
Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
Flavia Tromboni
Department of Biology Global Water Center University of Nevada Reno Nevada89557USA
Barbara Hayford
Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana 32 Campus Dr. HS 104 Missoula Montana59812USA
Mark Pyron
Department of Biology Ball State University Cooper Life Science Building2111 W. Riverside Avenue Muncie Indiana47306USA
Gregory S. Mathews
Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
Anne Schechner
Division of Biology Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall Manhattan Kansas66506USA
Sudeep Chandra
Department of Biology Global Water Center University of Nevada Reno Nevada89557USA
Abstract We analyze here the nature of research in freshwater macrosystem biology (especially lotic studies) from both conceptual and current research perspectives. The boundaries of permanent and transitional lotic macrosystems from the smallest to largest spatial extents are described. We contrast ecosystem vs. macrosystem research and macroecology vs. macrosystems ecology and provide some examples of representative aquatic macrosystems ecology projects in the USA. We recommend approaches for incorporating certain large‐scale lotic concepts developed over the last 40 yr as the bases for lotic macrosystem studies. Of these, the three most appropriate in chronological order are the River Continuum Concept, the Riverine Ecosystem Synthesis, and the Stream Biome Gradient Concept. Four other concepts would be suitable for testing macrosystem hypotheses after incorporating small to large conceptual or geographic expansions of the models. We suggest future research directions in lotic macrosystem research in areas of climate change and teleconnections among distant organisms and systems and include general recommendations for conducting macrosystem‐level research.