Abstract
An integrated methodology has been developed in order to create and validate a stochastic‐dynamic model of ecological integrity. It is based on a series of field datasets of the prevailing biological and environmental variables. The determination of the parameters to be included in the model resulted from a previous conventional multivariate statistical treatment of all collected information. STELLA 5.0® software has been used to develop the simulation models. In order to evaluate the ecological state of the studied ecosystems, multimetric indexes were used. They are ecologically relevant and sensitive to environmental stress agents. Composition, richness, abundance and trophic metrics of benthic macroinvertebrate communities were selected, hence enhancing the importance of pollution control and monitoring in aquatic ecosystems based on ecological integrity indicators. The samples of aquatic macroinvertebrate and the environmental and physico‐chemical data were collected from three sub‐basins of the rivers of Northeast Portugal. After applying the model to these watersheds, the obtained results are encouraging. A statistically confirmed validation was performed and they seem to demonstrate the model's reliability. It also predicted reasonably well (statistically significant) the degradations noticed some 10 years later.
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