Revision as of 18:12, 22 January 2013

Morphological assessment

General
River Characterisation
	Catchment; Catchment; Segment; Segment; Reach; Reach; Geomorphic unit; Geomorphic unit;
Hydromorphological quality elements
	Quantity and dynamics of water flow; River continuity; River depth and width variation; Structure and substrate of the river bed; Structure of the riparian zone; Structure of the floodplain;
Biological quality elements
	Phytoplankton; Macrophytes and phytobenthos; Benthic invertebrates; Fish;
Pressures
	Sediment discharge from dredging; Hydrological regime modification; Artificial barriers downstream from the site; Artificial barriers upstream from the site; Sand and gravel extraction; Sedimentation and sediment input; Embankments, levees or dikes; Loss of vertical connectivity; Impoundment; Alteration of riparian vegetation; Channelisation / cross section alteration; Other pressures;
Measures

Hydromorphological assessment methods

No measures apply to this tool.

No Ecosystem goods and services apply to this tool.

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 ==Type==
 Hydromorphological assessment methods
-==Main description==
-Methods for morphological assessment differ from physical habitat assessment methods as they have a broader geomorphological perspective, and give a greater consideration to physical processes (e.g. hydrological and sediment continuity, sediment transport, erosion, channel adjustments) and alterations derived from human pressures. They are generally applied at the reach and catchment scales. They are process-oriented and also generally evaluate the river hydromorphological conditions at a greater temporal scale. We reviewed 23 methods in total (12 for European countries and 11 for non-European countries).
-==Strenghts, limitations and gaps==
-Morphological assessment methods take into account physical processes at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. The main limitation is linked to the complexity in assessing and understanding physical processes; indeed these methods need to be applied by specialists and the assessment is often limited by data availability (e.g. historical photo and maps, GIS data etc.).
 ==Rivertypes==

General
Category	Hydromorphological assessment methods
River Characterisation
Catchment Catchment Segment Segment Reach Reach Geomorphic unit Geomorphic unit
Hydromorphological quality elements
Quantity and dynamics of water flow River continuity River depth and width variation Structure and substrate of the river bed Structure of the riparian zone Structure of the floodplain
Biological quality elements
Phytoplankton Macrophytes and phytobenthos Benthic invertebrates Fish
Pressures
Sediment discharge from dredging Hydrological regime modification Artificial barriers downstream from the site Artificial barriers upstream from the site Sand and gravel extraction Sedimentation and sediment input Embankments, levees or dikes Loss of vertical connectivity Impoundment Alteration of riparian vegetation Channelisation / cross section alteration Other pressures
Measures