DONG Zhe-ren, ZHANG Ai-jing, ZHANG Jing (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China)

Abstract: Rating systems of river ecological conditions can act as a technical method to quantify the river ecological restoration objectives. Originated from the selection and construction of river reference system with ecological status of natural rivers, the ecological index matrix and index valuation standard are proposed based on the degree of deviation from the reference system. The ecological index matrix consists of 10 ecological indices in 4 aspects, i.e. the characteristics of biology, hydrology, and water quality and river geomorphology. On account of the dynamic characteristics of the river ecosystem succession, the connotations of rating systems were discussed, and the applications of rating systems of river ecological conditions to determine the ecological restoration objectives, identify critical stress factors and assess river health were researched.

Key words: river ecological restoration, quantitative objection, ecological condition, rating system, rule of index valuation, stress factor, river health, ecological succession

Published in: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 44, No. 10, 2013