What is DHABSIM?

DHABSIM (Diversity based HABitat SIMulation) is an easy-to-use two-dimensional habitat calculator develop by Professor Masahiko Sekine at Yamaguchi University.  The solver imports geometry, velocity, and depth from other flow calculation solvers implemented in iRIC, and then uses that information to calculate habitat conditions for small to medium sized rivers without using Habitat Suitability Indices for specific fish species. Based on the diversity-based algorithm and the physical flow inputs, the solver outputs a habitat distribution map. The solver can be used to compare a variety of flows, or to project the impacts of potential changes in river discharge or other physical variables.