Monitoring and assessing for river resilience: opportunities and challenges for river science

Abstract

River assessment is the evaluation of river condition using surveys and other direct measures to determine the effects that human activities have on the structure and function of river ecosystems. River bio-assessment has developed into a discipline in its own right, endeavouring to empirically identify river ecosystem deterioration or improvement through the use of sophisticated sampling methods, statistical analyses and reporting tools. River science is an area in which the adoption of resilience is increasing.