The course, Environmental impacts and rehabilitation measures in regulated rivers, is given over two and a half days. The course has a catchment perspective, focusing on landscape connectivity and structure. This will give you an understanding of the interaction between catchment flows, and water dependent ecosystems both within and adjacent to the river. To understand the impact of hydropower production on river ecosystems, it is important to understand how altering flow patterns and connectivity in one part of the catchment affects the other parts, and how implementing an environmental measure at one site may have effects in other parts of the catchment. The course has a wide ecosystem approach both regarding effects of hydropower and mitigation measure. However, there will be less focus on technical solutions to fish migration as such courses will be given at other times. We will use a lot of the research and material done within our research group during the course.
The course is divided into three parts:
Part 1 River ecology: This section will give a basic understanding of the structure and function of rivers and riverine ecosystems. We will discuss the environmental drivers that shape these systems with a focus on master variables such as water flow and morphology.
Part 2 Environmental effects of hydropower production: This section will focus on the ecological functions and habitats that are affected by hydropower production, and how this affects the species that live within and along the rivers.
Part 3 Rehabilitation of regulated rivers: This section focuses on how some of the negative impact can be mitigated and what rehabilitation measures that exists. We will discuss both measures that have a significant impact on hydropower production and measures that can be applied without significant impact.
Facts:
Points: 2 hp (ECTS)
Teaching: Dr Birgitta Malm Renöfält, Umeå University, Professor Roland Jansson, Umeå University,
Dr Åsa Widén, SLU
Examination: Examining seminar
Literature: Scientific papers