Methods and tools for the spatial analysis of fish habitats in anthropized river contexts

Abstract

Effective management and restoration of habitat for fish should consider how the different vital habitats need to be arranged spatially and their connectivity, especially in human-impacted rivers. As few operational methods are available to study these issues, we propose a riverscape approach based on landscape ecology and stream ecology concepts. It uses a GIS-based habitat mapping and methods and software tools, adapted to the running water characteristics, to make the spatial analysis of fish habitats patterns. These methods allow the detection of the effects of physical alteration and flow regulation on the spatial structure of fish habitats. An illustration is made with the common barbel (Barbus barbus), a threatened species in human-impacted European rivers.