Author(s): Paolo Vezza; Giovanni Negro; David Faro; Beatrice Pinna; Simone Forte; Guido Zolezzi

Linked Author(s): Paolo Vezza, Giovanni Negro, Guido Zolezzi

Keywords: Temporary rivers; Large-scale simulations; Databases; Mesohabitat; SimStream-Web

Abstract: Recent advances in river habitat modeling have led to the development of a new suite of tools designed to enhance mesohabitat characterization and ecological assessment in both temporary and perennial rivers. In this work, we present the latest developments including new tools and databases. (1) A dedicated module for non - perennial rivers and streams (NPRs) has been developed in the framework of the MesoHABSIM methodology and it is now available to represent hydrological intermittency and habitat dynamics. For mesohabitat delineation, (2) a novel unsupervised classification algorithm (namely “mesounit”) automates the delineation of hydro-morphological units (HMU) from high -resolution hydrodynamic simulations. The toolkit also incorporates (3) mesohabitat suitability models for more than 40 freshwater species and a comprehensive habitat model for the entire macroinvertebrate community, facilitating multi-species ecological predictions. Complementing these modeling tools, (4) a curated database currently compiles more than 400 applications in Italy, providing a valuable resource for calibration, validation, and comparative analysis. Together, these innovations represent a major step forward in the standardization, automation, and ecological realism of river mesohabitat modeling.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64697/iahr.proc.ise2026.abs.192

Year: 2026