Abstract

To assess the current status of surface waters, it is necessary, as a first step, to have a system that includes a set of criteria for classifying and describing each existing surface water body. In this article, a new river typology system for Chile based on the Water Framework Directive of the European Union is shown. This system was created following a top down and a priori approach and was based on an accurate review of scientific literature, interviews and workshops with experts in Chilean aquatic ecosystems. The system consisted of five ecoregions (large areas with homogenous hydrological and climatic conditions) and a set of abiotic criteria with their classes. It was assumed that each abiotic criterion was a control factor for freshwater ecosystems. It is expected that this system will organise knowledge about the biocenosis distribution of the Chilean freshwater ecosystem and also provide an operative tool for water quality monitoring based on biological indicators.