Integrated ecological assessment of the Drini i Bardhë River basin based on biological quality elements: preliminary studies
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Date
2026-07-21
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Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski"
Abstract
This preliminary study evaluated the ecological condition of selected river sections in the Drini i Bardhë basin, Kosovo. Marked spatial variation was observed: Burim–Istog, Drelaj, and Jasiq–Erenik showed comparatively high ecological quality, whereas downstream and urban-influenced sections had lower diversity and poorer condition. Nutrient enrichment and wastewater effects were evident at several sites. Of the 19 sites with complete classifications, 21.1% were in good, 26.3% in moderate, 47.4% in poor, and 5.3% in bad status. The findings confirm the value of biological quality elements for Water Framework Directive-oriented assessment in Kosovo and emphasize the need for standardized georeferencing, seasonal
replication, quantitative fish records, and complete site-level datasets.
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Keywords
biological quality elements, ecological status, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, fish fauna, Water Framework Directive