IntEractions between hydrodyNamics and bioTic communities in fluvial Ecosystems: advancement in the knowledge and undeRstanding of PRocesses and ecosystem sustainability by the development of novel technologieS with fIeld monitoriNg and laboratory testing
PRIN Project (PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2017 Prot. 2017SEB7Z8) funded by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) of Italy
Project web-site: https://enterprisingprin.eu/
Period: November 2019 – March 2023
Partners: The consortium is leaded by CNR with the collaboration of other 4 partners:
- University of Perugia;
- University of Palermo;
- University of Trento;
- University of Padova.
Description: The overall objective of the project is the development of advanced technologies and innovative methods that, using radar, biological sensors, hydrodynamic models and algorithms, allow, for the first time, to predict the river flows also during high floods as well as the impact of hydrodynamic processes on the river biotic communities.
The project aims to face a twofold challenge, the first is that raised by World Meteorological Organization to identify advanced techniques for discharge monitoring at high flow, of interest to control extreme events and the second challenge is that of the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 (European Commission, 2011) for a better protection of ecosystems along with the contribution to averting global biodiversity loss. The basic idea of the project comes from recent studies conducted by involved Research Units that have highlighted how the integrated use of advanced technology and a refined eco-hydraulic modeling can lead to new insights on discharge monitoring and ecosystem-river processes. To achieve the target, ENTERPRISING is articulated in different levels of activity synergistically connected and concern:
1) the monitoring of river flow by developing innovative no-contact technology;
2) the identification and modeling of interaction mechanisms between hydrodynamics processes and biotic communities;
3) the development of advanced technologies for monitoring the response of biotic communities to hydro-morphological changes with the testing in laboratory and field;
4) the evaluation of the effects of hydrodynamic processes on river ecosystem communities in different environments as a base for the development of an effective Biological Early Warning System (BEWS).
ENTERPRISING will contribute in improving the scientific and non-contact technological capabilities for a continuous, effective and accurate monitoring of surface velocity and water level by developing and testing an innovative multi-function lightweight radar sensor, able to operate in a wide variety of conditions such as during extreme events, at night, or on-board of drones so as to allow monitoring inaccessible sites too. A prototype of radar-drone system will be tested in different river contexts. The surface velocity and water level measurements provided by the developed radar will feed a hydrodynamic, entropy-based model able to characterize the main turbulence structures of flow along with the intensity of associated sediment transport, also in presence of secondary currents and vegetation. Considering that the entropy-based model is a 2D site-based approach, a high-resolution 3D numerical modelling will be also developed to refine the entropy-based velocity distribution mainly in the representation of turbulence structures close to the side-walls. The relevant hydrodynamic processes will be identified in flow domains also affected by bed-forms and grain textures, such as step and pools, riffle or dunes. A detailed determination of zones of high or small entraining stresses around the grains of the bed, will help to understand the dynamic of sediment transport. This analysis is meant to identify the hydraulic stressors for biotic ecosystems. Case Studies in field and laboratory will be used for the study.