IMPACT (Developing an Integrated Model to Predict Abiotic Habitat Conditions and Biota of Rivers Application in Climate Change Research and Water Management)

The objective of the Impact project aims at developing an integrated model which predicts the abiotic habitat conditions and biota of natural, semi-natural or restored river reaches in three different study sites. The relative importance of anthropogenic pressu-res at different spatial scales (e.g. discharge changes, fine sediment input, river fragmentation by weirs and dams) will be investigated and the coupled model will be used to disentangle these effects.

As a consequence, the integrated model may contribute to a more realistically assessment of river restorations, especially with respect the the main objectives of the Water framework directive, which main goal is to achive an good ecolo-gical status of surface waterbodies until 2015.

For detailled information on the project please see: www.impact.igb-berlin.de