CNR-IRSA activities related to INHABIT

In order to obtain the classification of the ecological quality by means of the MacrOper system the following requirements have to be met:

• information on the abundance of the sampled taxa;
• taxalists to family level, except large rivers where identification to Genus/Family/Operational Unit is required (details in further documents);
• fauna sampled according to a multihabitat proportional technique, except large rivers where sampling with artificial substrates is required in some cases;
• typological attribution of the considered reach (HER, national type/IC type, possible 3^rd level typization when required) according to DM 131/2008.

A minimum number of 6 samples is suggested to perform the classification for a given water body (including one or more sites). Such minimum number is considered in order to calculate a reliable mean value considered to perform the classification. The classification can also be obtained considering a lower number of samples, or even a single sample, but it must be regarded as guidance.