The doctoral dissertations of the former Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Aalto University Schools of Technology (CHEM, ELEC, ENG, SCI) published in electronic format are available in the electronic publications archive of Aalto University - Aaltodoc.
Aalto

Two-Dimensional Aquatic Habitat Quality Modelling

Markku Lahti

Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science in Technology to be presented with due permission of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture for public examination and debate in Auditorium R1 at Helsinki University of Technology (Espoo, Finland) on the 21st of August, 2009, at 12 noon.

Dissertation in PDF format (ISBN 978-952-248-027-9)   [15724 KB]
Dissertation is also available in print (ISBN 978-952-248-026-2)

Abstract

Two-dimensional modelling of aquatic habitats of different organisms was developed, analysed and validated. The habitats and abundance of salmon, brown trout, grayling, pikeperch, stone loach, bullhead, crayfish and Persicaria Foliosa were modelled. In fish habitat modelling, two-dimensional hydraulic modelling was used, where wind induced potential lake bed erosion was calculated for crayfish. Models were calibrated with many types of biological material and tested. The effect of different methods of using biological information and of carrying out field measurements and hydraulic modelling were analysed. The selection of habitat preference curves and the density of field measurements were found to have the greatest effect on results. The models for salmonids and Persicaria Foliosa were found out to work consistently in sensitivity tests. The model was validated against observed habitat use. With the models, abundance of salmonids and Persicaria Foliosa could be predicted. Transferability of the habitat model of crayfish to different types of lakes must be further developed and confirmed.

Two-dimensional habitat models were found to work consistently if appropriately applied and used, in prediction of abundance of organisms despite a large natural variability and dynamics of habitat selection and the difficulty to accurately observe habitat selection making the validation of habitat models difficult.

Keywords: habitat, watershed

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© 2009 Helsinki University of Technology

Last update 2011-05-26