Proposal abstract

We propose to apply an emerging technology in artificial intelligence, Qualitative Reasoning (QR), to long-term investigations of stream ecosystems. Our consortium of ecologists and information technologists from 14 European countries and Brazil will develop a cost-effective, reliable and efficient technology to forecast biological, chemical, and physical stream parameters. Understanding structural, functional, ecological, and socio-economic factors of stream ecosystems will support integrated management and catchment planning to improve restoration and recovery.

Stream ecosystems have tremendous socio-economic and ecological value, yet have suffered many negative impacts. For these reasons, the European Union focuses much effort on establishing an integrated water management policy. Our project is a contribution to the objectives of protection and preservation of the aquatic environment, secure supply of drinking water, restriction of natural disasters (drought, floods), conservation of natural habitats, trans-boundary watercourses, environmental cooperation in the Danube–Black Sea region, and legislative accession strategy for Central and Eastern European countries.

This is the first initiative to develop QR models of stream ecosystem restoration and recovery. QR simulation models operate via a framework that captures and organises expert knowledge and causal reasoning. These models will support researchers and managers throughout Europe to understand behaviour of these complex systems. Simultaneously, this project will develop ecological curricula to teach ecological concepts to university students and applied users to increase ecological awareness and promote sustainable development.

The work plan of this project includes development of advanced software to support our collaborative approach. Ecological partners will develop QR models on specific problems, share them in a library of model fragments, and involve applied users for integrated model building.

List of consortium: