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19th November 2009
Section 1: The need to describe river habitats
In this section of the seminar there will be two different talks dealing with the
implementation of the WFD (2000/60/CEE) and of the HD (92/43/CEE), and the need
that both directives have to assess river physical habitat. Representatives from
the Minister for the environment and governmental public companies, respectively,
will give these talks.
Section 2: River Habitat from the Basin to Cobbles
This part of the seminar will consist of two different talks regarding key fluvial
processes that generate and maintain physical river habitat. The first talk will
be done by a fluvial geomorphologist and will analyze the importance that catchment
factors (e.g., climate, geology, vegetation) have on the formation and maintenance
of river physical habitats, and how modification of these factors may affect local
habitat characteristics. The second talk will be given by a fluvial ecologist, and
will consist of how local processes and characteristics (e.g., riparian composition
and structure, large woody debris, leafy debris) may affect river physical habitat.
Section 3: Characterisation of River Habitats: A Spanish approach
This section is dedicated to review the different methods that have being developed
in Spain to assess river physical habitat. The methods that will be considered are:
• Índice Hidrogeomorfológico (IHG)
• Índice de Habitabilidad Fluvial (IHF)
• The IFIM Methodology to Calculate River Habitat in Spain (A review of methods)
• Protocolos del CEDEX para la evaluación de la calidad hidrogeomorfológica de los
sistemas fluviales
• Qualitat del Bosc de Ribera QBR & HIDRI Protocols
• Riparian Quality Index (RQI)
This section will have a break in which posters dealing with research done on river
physical habitats will be shown
Section 4: Characterisation of River Habitats: A European perspective
In this part of the seminar there will be five different talks. The first talk will
deal with a revision of international methods to assess river physical habitat and
will comment on the conception of the River Habitat Survey (RHS) and the selection
and use of this method of characterisation in the STAR project. The second talk
will communicate the application of the RHS methodology to the Italian rivers, the
modification into the South Europe version of the RHS, and the report of their results.
The third talk will be in relation to the problems and solutions of applying the
RHS methodology to Portugal and the report of their results. The fourth talk will
encompass the results of applying the RHS methodology to the Cantabrian rivers in
combination with a river theoretical network and other physical characteristics
measured at the meso-microhabitat scale. The fifth talk will deal with the intercalibration
process that has followed the WFD for hydromorphological characteristics of European
rivers. Finally, this section will finish with half an hour debate and conclusions
will be drawn.
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