Spatial and temporal variability of environmental flow indicators - developing the tools for an ecologically meaningful assessment of hydrological change

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Doerthe Tetzlaff
• Subject Area: Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
• Term: from 2004 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5436473

Altfbough the role of hydrology in sustaining river ecosystems is recogised, there is still a major scientific challenge in fully understanding the way river hydrology and flow dynamics affect aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, the ways in which such interrelationships are influenced by human activities such as urbanisation or reservoir operation remain unclear. For an ecologically meaningful assessment of hydrological change, integrative approaches are needed that link the spatikal and temporal variability of hydrological parameters - whose effects are mediated by the physical characteristics of river channels (hydromorphology) - with ecological responses. The proposed project will investigate the variability of selected hydrological parameters, at a range of spatial and temporal scales, in nested research chatchments of relatively natural river systems in Scotland. The influence of such variability on aquatic ecosystems will also be assessed. In addition to a comprehensive statistical analysis of existing extensive discharge and biological data sets, complementary experimental measurements - both for discharge and ecological response - will also be conducted. Furthermore, the ecologically significant hydrological parameters will be applied in catchments with river regulation schemes for hydropower production. Thus hydrological changes and their ecological impacts will be assessed. The proposed project will contribute to the testing of existing hypotheses concerming the relationship between the ecological functioning of river systems and hydrological change. Such work will significantly contribute to the development of guidelines which are needed to protect and enhance the ecological status of rivers as required by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: United Kingdom