ACTION A.2: Evaluation of the suitability of the trout habitat
This action aims to assess the suitability of the trout habitat by analyzing the environmental characteristics, comparing them with those reported in the literature, identifying the possible critical issues. The environmental characteristics include the evaluation of chemical-physical and microbiological parameters, the analysis of the substrate and the determination of river connectivity. Therefore the action will be structured in three sub-actions:
A2.1 Evaluation of chemical-physical and microbiological parameters
A2.2 Evaluation of the substrate size
A2.3 Determination of river connectivity
The analysis of all these factors will allow an assessment of the rivers’ vocation to host native trout populations. These activities are essential to optimize the conservation of the species with the activities planned in A5. In fact, it is known that the poor quality of the water, a wrong substrate or a reduced fluvial connectivity can both limit the achievement of the reproduction sites and the fertility and the hatching rate, as eggs, larvae and first stages are particularly sensitive to these factors.