After successful completion of the course, students are able to

• To understand the interplay between flow, sediments and biota that create river shape, morphology and support ecological functions
• To identify the main ecological functions of fluvial systems
• To assess the ecological status of a river based on biotic and abiotic parameters

1. Introduction: relevance, examples and summary of required pre-knowledge
2. Review of open channel flow hydraulics, extended concepts for rivers
3. Review of Sediment Transport: sources and fate of sediments
4. Review of Transport and Mixing Processes: Basics of water quality and reactive modelling
5. Fluvial Geomorphology 1: River planform and cross-sectional shapes
6. Fluvial Geomorphology 2: River Morphodynamics
7. Fluvial Geomorphology Exercise: Assessment of the morphologic status of a river, case-studies
8. Fluvial Biogeomorphology and Ecological Functions 1: Longitudinal, lateral and vertical connectivity of rivers
9. Fluvial Biogeomorphology and Ecological Functions 2: Vegetation as key component in rivers
10. Fluvial Biogeomorphology and Ecological Functions Exercise: Assessment of the ecologic status of a river, case-studies
11. Guest Lecture 1: to be specified (planned: case studies of a larger river system)
12. Guest Lecture 2:  to be specified (planned: current research in biogeomorphology)

Lecture, self-study, calculation of examples, discussion of projects, guest lectures

Covid-19 format:

The lectures are made available in full as ppt slides with comments.

The lecture ppt slides are made available with comments in the associated TUWEL course. The slides are therefore the only necessary course documents (no script).

Oral examination based on a technical discussion with examples of rivers (photos, data) and analysis of the processes. Examination in either German or English.

COVID 19:

If access to Karlsplatz is not yet possible, the oral exam will be held in an individual ZOOM meeting. Dates for this can be selected and entered independently in the TUWEL.

Es gibt vorerst kein Skriptum zur Lehrveranstaltung.

Successful completion of the lectures (VO) Technical Hydraulics (222.564) and Mixing and Transport Processes (222.586) is a prerequisite.