Advanced tools for the assessment of the ecological status of Mediterranean temporary rivers during the dry phase: Metacommunity dynamics for the bioassessment of temporary rivers

he main objective of DRY-Guadalmed is to develop advanced tools for the assessment of the ecological status of temporary Mediterranean rivers during the dry phase, including disconnected pools and dry riverbeds, to address existing management challenges and needs. This will be done by (1) applying the metacommunity concept into bioassessment and (2) generating biological, physico-chemical, and hydro-geomorphological metrics appropriate for the assessment of disconnected pools (i.e., using aquatic macroinvertebrates and diatoms) and dry riverbeds (i.e., using terrestrial invertebrates and terrestrial plants). Through 9 objectives, DRY-Guadalmed will provide knowledge and tools to improve bioassessment of temporary rivers that will be transferred to water agencies for their implementation into river basin management plans