CNR-IRSA activities related to INHABIT

MacrOper.ICM software allows the classification of ecological quality based on benthic macroinvertebrates in all Italian river types. The classification is compliant with the requirements of European an national legislation on river monitoring in Italy, i.e.: the Water Framework Directive (WFD: EC 2000/60), the DM 260/2010 (so called ‘Classification Decree’), the DM 56/2009 (‘Monitoring Decree’) and DM 131/2008 (‘Typization Decree’). MacrOper.ICM software has been developed as support for MacrOper Classification System. MacrOper.ICM software can:

• Easily calculate the metrics based on benthic invertebrates requested for river classification;
• Run the classification based on benthic macroinvertebrates for all Italian water body types according to WFD.
• Obtain a quality class directly comparable with those obtained in other European countries.
• Classify sites including both individual samples and different samples.
• Import (taxalist) and export (metrics, quality classes and calculation options) information using user friendly interface.
• Run, if necessary, taxonomic adjustment of input taxalist, saving the new version of the data.

In order to derive the correct values of the biological metrics and the resulting classification, the following options are required:

• the biological sample must be collected according to a standard procedure;
• information on abundance of collected taxa must be recorded;
• taxa must be identified to Family level, or Family / OU (Ephemeroptera) (for rivers sampled with artificial substrates);
• taxalist must be complied in text format;
• investigated water body has to be assigned to a specific river type.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: v. 1.0.5 of MacrOper.ICM is online.

Free download is available after registration to accredited users.

Go to MacrOper.ICM download page

The link below open a download page for two INPUT and OUTPUT files (invented data).

MacrOperICM_IN_OUTfiles.zip

Files marked with _SA refer to samples collected with multi-plate Artificial Substrates (i.e. non wadable rivers). Files marked with _G refer to samples collected in ‘Generic’ mesohabitat; to use the same test file (IN) for Pool or Riffle mesohabitat replace P or R to G in the column.

The MacrOper.ICM user guide is available in Italian here.

Note for the use of the software: if taxonomical adjustment for unrecognized data is requested during data input, it is recommended to re-input the adjusted file – generated by the software itself – for calculation. This step is needed for some operational systems do not recognize automatically the adjusted file.

Further information related to MacrOper.ICM and supporting file will be available on this webpage (or linked webpages) once available.