INTEGRATING HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL DATA INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF RIVER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

INTEGRATING HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL DATA INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF RIVER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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Published: August 2026

ORICD:
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2240-6776
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7461-2611
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8479-2030
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0438-2048
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6455-4761
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2607-2454
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3132-721X 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keywords: Hydromorphology, Ecosystem Services, River Basin Management Plans

Abstract

EU Member States monitor, in accordance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC), the quality elements of water bodies, which subsequently inform the development of river basin management plans. Building on the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, there is growing recognition of how rivers contribute to ecosystem service provision and how management measures may influence these benefits. Given the time and resource demands of collecting environmental data, it is increasingly important to explore whether existing monitoring data can support estimates of ecosystem service provision and, at the same time, enable the identification of ecologically valuable and degraded river reaches. This study examines the potential of hydromorphological monitoring data collected under the Czech HYMOS methodology (developed in accordance with EN 14614:2020), using a single water body of the Olše River in northeastern Czechia. Five river reaches were assessed, revealing marked spatial differences in hydromorphological conditions, ranging from good to poor status. These contrasts highlight the ability of hydromorphological monitoring data to distinguish between river sections with differing ecological quality and management relevance, thereby supporting their use in identifying reaches with higher conservation value or greater restoration needs. Furthermore, many hydromorphological indicators can act as proxies for the capacity of river ecosystems to provide ecosystem services, including erosion control, sediment retention, habitat provision, thermal regulation, water availability, flood attenuation, and cultural benefits. At the same time, the study highlights limitations of reach-based indicators that record only the proportion of anthropogenic pressures without their precise spatial localization. A more spatially explicit representation of pressures would improve the assessment of ecosystem service capacity and enable more robust evaluation of changes following restoration measures. Overall, the findings underline the value of hydromorphological monitoring as a key input for ecosystem-based river management and conservation planning.

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