Siltation in rivers: Causes, impacts, and new approaches for biomonitoring

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Alberto Doretto delivers a seminar on their research -

Siltation (i.e. the excessive accumulation of fine sediment on the riverbed) is globally recognized as one of the greatest impacts in lotic ecosystems due to the intensification of hydro-morphological (i.e. sediment flushing from dams) and land-use (i.e. deforestation, agriculture, urbanization) pressures. However, the ability to identify general cause-effect mechanisms of biological and morphological impairment are often limited by the context-dependency of individual studies. This seminar will consider a range of different studies and experimental approaches dealing with the response of stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities to fine sediment deposition. The examples include Alpine streams in Northen Italy as well as lowland rivers in UK, thus highlighting parallels and contrasts in the response of macroinvertebrate communities to fine sediment pressure within two different geographical settings. These findings provide valuable insights into biomonitoring approaches including how to monitor the effects of anthropogenically induced siltation in streams. 

Arrivals from 11:45 am for a 12:00 noon start. For those joining in-person, lunch will be served after the seminar from 1:00pm.

This event is hybrid format, please use the required booking button at the bottom of the page to choose either in-person or online attendance.
(Please note that in-person spaces are limited and booking is required, so we can manage numbers for catering and also the space in the seminar room)

By booking a place at this event, attendees agree to behave in a respectful manner such that everyone feels comfortable contributing as they wish. The IAS reserves the right to eject anyone who does not abide by this policy.

IAS seminars are typically recorded, minus any Q&A sessions at the end, again to encourage contributions. The recordings are then uploaded to our website on a Fellows bio page and/or Programme page, along with our IAS YouTube Channel. If you are not able to attend a seminar live, please do still register as we will email everyone who registered to let them know once the recordings are made available.