Optimization methodology for a river temperature monitoring network for the characterization of fish thermal habitat |
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| Authors: | Anik Daigle Arnaud Caudron Laure Vigier Hervé Pella |
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| Institution: | 1. Département de physique, Cégep Garneau, Québec, Canada;2. Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Québec, Canada;3. UMR CARRTEL, INRA - Un. Savoie Mont Blanc, Thonon-les-Bains, France;4. Fédération de Haute-Savoie pour la pêche et la protection du milieu aquatique, St-Martin Bellevue, France;5. Irstea, UR MALY, Villeurbanne, France |
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| Abstract: | A methodology for planning an optimized river water temperature monitoring network is presented. The methodology is based on sampling of the physio-climatic variability of the region to be monitored. Physio-climatic metrics are selected to describe the study region, based on principal component analysis. The sites to be monitored are then identified based on a k-means clustering in the multidimensional space defined by the selected metrics. The methodology is validated on an existing dense water temperature network in Haute-Savoie, France. Different configurations of more or less dense network scenarios are evaluated by assessing their ability to estimate water temperature indices at ungauged locations. An optimized network containing 83 sites is found to provide satisfactory estimations for seven ecologically and biologically meaningful thermal indices defined to characterize brown trout thermal habitat. |
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| Keywords: | Monitoring network optimization river water temperature trout habitat |
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