Ecological Modelling of River-Wetland Systems: A Case Study for the Abras de Mantequilla Wetland in Ecuador

Gabriela Alvarez Mieles

Research output: ThesisDissertation (TU Delft)

295 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Wetlands are among the most productive environments in the world. Around 6% of the Earth's land surface is covered by wetlands, which are key to preserving biodiversity. Wetlands provide multiple services like a source for water supply and a shelter for numerous species of fauna and flora. Wetlands are therefore of immense socio-economic as well as ecological importance. In this research the focus was on the Abras de Mantequilla (AdM) wetland, a tropical wetland system that belongs to the most important coastal river basin of Ecuador. It was declared a Ramsar site in 2000 and was the South American case of the EU-FP7 WETwin project, which provided the starting point of this thesis. A range of tools and approaches was used to develop a knowledge base for the AdM wetland. The research involved a combination of primary data collection (two fieldwork campaigns), secondary data acquisition (from literature), multivariate analyses, and numerical modelling approaches to explore the characteristics of the wetland system in terms of hydrological conditions, hydrodynamic patterns, biotic communities, chemical and ecological processes and fish-habitat suitability.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
Awarding Institution
  • Delft University of Technology
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Mynett, Arthur, Supervisor
  • Irvine, Kenneth, Supervisor, External person
Award date28 May 2019
Publisher
Print ISBNs978-0-367-34450-4
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Bibliographical note

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Board for Doctorates of Delft University of Technology and of the Academic Board of the IHE Institute for Water Education.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Ecological Modelling of River-Wetland Systems: A Case Study for the Abras de Mantequilla Wetland in Ecuador'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this