Biological Monitoring of Rivers

This book derives from a workshop whose objectives were the comprehensive study of the aquatic environment and the promotion of the use of biotic methods in evaluating the quality of running waters. The workshop anticipated the aims and strategies of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) in focusing on methodological questions related to a common understanding of technical and scientific implications. Since the workshop some relevant changes have occurred in technical and legislative fields related to the topics covered. For this reason the book covers aspects of river monitoring, including new tools and strategies for river ecology evaluation, appropriate for complete coverage of the topic. The contents are presented as follows: The river environment - including floodplains, instream and bankside habitats Biological monitoring of rivers - considers the monitoring and assessment methods based on macroinvertebrates, fish, algae and macrophytes. In addition it covers the organisation of biological monitoring with a focus on the EU and North America. Case studies in biological monitoring - features alpine rivers, North European rivers, Mediterranean and running waters in Eastern and Central European countries as well as bioassessment development in the North America. New tools and strategies for river ecology evaluation - presents decision making on what constitutes a significant environmental change; predictive modelling approaches; evaluating fluvial functioning (FFI), planning the integration of urban and ecological processes and concluding with a discussion 'Beyond Biological Monitoring: An Integrated Approach' This book offer scientists and all workers involved in river monitoring the possibility to have an updated and integrated view on river ecology, the application of biotic indices using the more common biological indicators and the interpretation and future development of river monitoring in different parts of world.