Advances in Hydrology and Hydraulics: Integrating Aquatic Biota and River Ecosystem Processes

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is intended to serve as a collection of the latest works on the development of hydrology and hydraulics in connection with aquatic organisms and ecosystem processes of river systems. It is also intended to be a valuable review of the achievements and shortcomings in these fields, which can serve their further development.

This call is open to all research that concerns the following:

1. River flow dynamics:

• Analysis of river flows, including hydraulic modeling.
• Research on the characteristics of unsteady flows and extreme hydrological phenomena (e.g., floods, droughts).
• Changes in river flow due to climatic and anthropogenic changes.

2. River basin hydrology:

• The hydrological cycle at the river basin scale and its variability.
• Recharge processes of surface and groundwater in the context of river systems.
• Hydrological modeling of river basins—water flow, water balance.

3. Sediment transport in rivers:

• Research on the mechanisms of sediment transport in rivers.
• The influence of erosion and sedimentation on the morphology of the river channel.
• Modeling sediment transport and their impact on hydrotechnical infrastructure.

4. Interactions of surface and groundwater:

• Exchange processes between surface and groundwater in river ecosystems.
• Modeling hydrodynamic interactions between groundwater and surface water.
• The impact of these processes on water quality and biodiversity.

5. Ecohydrology and environmental hydraulics:

• The impact of hydrological changes on biodiversity and river ecosystems.
• Sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems and protection against pollution.
• River restoration projects and their impact on water flows and quality.

6. Renaturation and revitalization of rivers:

• Planning, implementation and assessment of renaturation/revitalization measures (e.g., re-meandering, floodplain reconnection, riparian restoration, nature-based solutions).
• Evaluation of hydromorphological, hydraulic and ecological outcomes of restoration interventions, including long-term monitoring.
• Renaturation and revitalization in urban and heavily modified rivers, balancing flood risk reduction, ecosystem services and stakeholder needs.

7. Aquatic organisms:

• Responses of fish, macroinvertebrates, aquatic vegetation and microbial communities to changes in flow regime, sediment transport, temperature and water quality.
• Ecohydraulic habitat assessment and modeling (e.g., habitat suitability, environmental flows, ecological connectivity).
• The effects of barriers (dams, weirs) and river regulation on migration, reproduction and community structure, including mitigation measures.

Dr. Karol Plesiński
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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