Final answer:
The correct answer is discharge, which represents the volume of water flowing through a channel over a time period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of water flowing through a channel over a given amount of time is its discharge. The term 'discharge' refers to the volume of water that is moving through a river channel or any other flow system during a certain period of time.
The concept of discharge is often used in environmental biology when studying river systems and their ecological impact. The flow rate, Q, is given by the formula Q = Av, where A is the cross-sectional area and v is the velocity of water flow.
This equation indicates that the flow rate or discharge is proportional to both the area through which water is flowing and the velocity at which it is traveling.