Biological monitoring and assessment of rivers as a basis for identifying and prioritising river management options

Abstract

The output of monitoring programmes such as the National Aquatic Ecosystem Bio monitoring Programme must be used in the management of aquatic ecosystems. To achieve this, collected data must, through a systematic framework, be linked to measurable management objectives. This paper demonstrates how the results obtained with biological indices and system-specific knowledge, are combined to derive semi quantitative assessments of ecosystem condition. These assessments provide the basis for responding to the results of a river monitoring programme.