How does my river work?

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How does my river work?

To systematically know how your river works is of great importance for achieving success in river restoration and should be the first step in the restoration process. This type of information is rather timeless as it describes the nature of your river system, which can be used in any future river basin management plan.

For "How your river works?" three main sections are important, namely:

  • Ecosystem structure
  • Ecosystem functioning
  • Ecosystem services


Ecosystem structure

Describing the ecosystem structure, or the characterisation of your river system, is the basic requirement for effective restoration. We developed the Multi-scale Hierarchical Framework for systematically describing your river and catchment. We give an overview of the method and show example cases studies in which the framework is applied.

Ecosystem functioning

In addition to the ecosystem structure, the "Ecosystem functioning" is important. REFORM focuses on the influence that hydromorphology has on plant and animal habitat. This section focuses especially on the reciprocal relation of hydromorphology and water plants. Understanding this relation is a major factor in the success or failure of restoration projects.

Ecosystem services

The ecosystem structure of your river can make it suitable for may human uses. We call these services that are provided by the ecosystem. This section describes REFORM's contribution of valuate the services in a river system.