STREAMES - Human effects on nutrient cycling in fluvial ecosystems:
Development of an Expert System to assess stream water quality
management at reach scale
Chronology: 2001-2003
Founding: European Community (EC-RTD, EVK1-2000-22083)
International coordinator: Professor Dr. F. Sabater (University of Barcelona)
Research team (IECB): Dr. Tom J. Battin (PI), Dr. Gabriele Weigelhofer, Mag.
Michaele Panzenböck
Graduate students: Gabriel Singer, Christina Marchesani
Objectives
Many streams are increasingly impacted by human alterations and elevated nutrient and
organic matter inputs from various land-use practices.
The main objective of this project is to develop an Expert System (ES) that supports
decision making by stream managers.The outcome of the ES will be set to propose
adequate management strategies to ameliorate water quality of middle size streams.
The following research objectives will serve to build up the empirical knowledge base:
(i) To examine relationships between land-use practices in the catchment and stream
nutrient loads and to evaluate the relative importance of point vs. non-point sources on
the overall nutrient loading of each study stream.
(ii) To examine the effect of high nutrient loads on in-stream nutrient transport,
transformation and retention and to evaluate the role of geomorphologic and hydrologic
features of the study reaches on nutrient retention control.
(iii) To examine the role of stream biological processes on the control of nutrient
retention. This objective focuses on processes occurring at the sub-reach scale.
(iv) To develop the Expert System and to validate its consistency.
Core hypotheses
The central hypotheses of the STREAMES project are that (i) point sources from
wastewater treatment plants interrupt the natural longitudinal continuum of streams, (ii)
catchment and sub-reach scale processes influence structures and functions at the reachscale and (iii) that the reach is the scale where stream and wastewater treatment plant
managers can effectively act.
Methodologies
Methods involved in the STREAMES project include techniques from landscape ecology
such as GIS but also catchment-scale modeling of nutrients and hydrology (MONERIS).
On the reach and sub-reach scales, we estimate hydrodynamic exchange as a function of
stream geomorphology, perform whole-stream experimental nutrient additions to
measure uptake rates of NH4-N, NO3-N and PO4-P, measure whole-ecosystem
metabolism (respiration and primary production) and estimate biomass and production of
benthic macroinvertebrates.
Project outputs
The project outcomes are numerous and range from presentations at professional
meetings, participation of the PI’s at workshops, report writing to the European
Commission and publication of scientific results in peer reviewed journals (see
www.streames.org).
Opportunities for students
presently none
Links
www.streames.org