Dr. Diego Tonolla

Personal profile

Management role

dep. Head, Deputy Head Ecohydrology

Position at the ZHAW

Senior researcher and lecturer

www.zhaw.ch/iunr/oekohydrologie/

Expertise and research interests

- Ecological consequences of hydropower on rivers as well as evaluation of restoration measures, especially concerning hydropeaking.
- Ecology of streams, rivers and floodplains.
- Spatial analysis of flow and bedload dynamic using passive (hydrophones) and active (ADP) acoustic measurements.
- Spatial and temporal analysis of temperature distribution in aquatic ecosystems, especially using thermal infrared (TIR).
- Morphological restoration and conservation of streams and rivers.
- Hydromorphology.

Educational background

2019 CAS in "University Didactics". Zurich University of Teacher Education(PHZH), Switzerland.

2013 CAS in River Restoration. College of Engineering and Architecture, Fribourg, Switzerland.

06/2011 Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.). Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), Germany.

02/2007-06/2011 Postgraduate (PhD student). Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Shallow Lakes and Lowland Rivers, Berlin, Germany, and Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Department of Aquatic Ecology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.

11/2005 Diploma (equivalent to a M. Sc.) in Environmental Sciences. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.

10/2000 – 10/2005 Study in Environmental Sciences. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.

Professional milestones

Since 1/2019 Senior researcher and lecturer ZHAW.

04/2015-12/2018 Research Assistant and deputy head Ecohydrology ZHAW.

03/2012-03/2015 Research assistant and project leader for a program focused on mitigating negative ecological impacts due to hydropeaking at the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Water Division, Berne, Switzerland.

7/2013 Award for the best PhD Dissertation in Freshwater Sciences of the European Federation for Freshwater Sciences (EFFS).

12/2013 Prix de la revitalization de course d’eau de l’État de Fribourg for the outstanding personal work during the „Certificate of Advanced Studies“ (CAS) in river restoration.

Since 5/2013 Faculty Affiliate at the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS), Montana, USA.

Since 3/2012 Guest scientist at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Shallow Lakes and Lowland Rivers, Berlin, Germany.

01/2009-12/2011 Scientific research assistant at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Shallow Lakes and Lowland Rivers, Berlin, Germany.

11/2005-12/2008 Scientific research assistant at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Department of Aquatic Ecology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.

11/2005-02/2007 Several Works for the international project “Rivers of Europe”.

08/2013-11/2003 Internship for the analysis of biodiversity in big, old chestnut trees, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (WSL), Bellinzona, Switzerland.

Membership of networks

• Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Hydrologie und Limnologie (SGHL)
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Limnologie e.V. (DGL)

Projects

• Entwicklung eines Bewertungssystems für eine stressor-spezifische Schwallbewertung / Project leader / Project ongoing
• Monitoring künstliche Hochwasser an der Sarine / Deputy project leader / Project ongoing
• 3D Visualisierung von Fluss- und Landschaftsveränderungen durch Revitalisierungsmassnahmen / Team member / Project completed
• Quantifizierung von Grundwasserexfiltrationen anhand von Isotopenmessungen und WärmebilderIsotopenmessungen und Wärmebilder / Project leader / Project completed
• Fliessgewässermonitoring und Bewertung der Auswirkungen von Restwassersanierungen / Project leader / Project completed
• Entwicklung Modellierungstool über die Auswirkungen der Schwall-Sunk Sanierungen an der Saane / Project leader / Project completed
• Drohnen-gestützte TIR-Erfassung der räumlichen Temperaturheterogenität zur Beurteilung von Thermalrefugien / Project leader / Project completed
• Bestimmung der habitatspezifischen hydraulischen Verhältnisse und Drift in natürlichen Gewässersystemen / Project leader / Project completed
• Biomasse-Verdriftung & Referenzstrecke / Project leader / Project completed
• Thermische Messungen Fliessgewässer / Project leader / Project completed
• Effects of hydropower exploitation on spatio-temporal variability of temperature in downstream rivers / Team member / Project completed
• Verdriftung von Makroinvertebraten infolge von Schwall-Sunk / Project leader / Project completed
• Aquatisch-terrestrisches Auenmonitoring mit Hilfe von Fernerkundung / Aquatic-terrestrial floodplain monitoring using remote sensing / Team member / Project completed
• Success control of a reservoir flushing using remote sensing and photogrammetry / Team member / Project completed
• BAFU Vollzugshilfemodul „Schwall-Sunk – Massnahmen" / Project leader / Project completed
• Drohnenaufnahmen Kleinseen – Pilotstudie am Burgseeli (Kt. BE) / Project leader / Project completed
• Hydroecology and Floodplain Sustainability in Application - HyApp NRP70 / Team member / Project completed

Publications

• Antonetti, Manuel; Hoppler, Luca; Tonolla, Diego; Vanzo, Davide; Schmid, Martin; Doering, Michael,

  2022.

  Integrating two‐dimensional water temperature simulations into a fish habitat model to improve hydro‐ and thermopeaking impact assessment.

  River Research and Applications.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4043

• Tonolla, Diego; Dossi, Florian; Kastenhofer, Olivier; Döring, Michael; Hauer, Christoph; Graf, Wolfram; Schülting, Lisa,

  2022.

  Effects of hydropeaking on drift, stranding and community composition of macroinvertebrates : a field experimental approach in three regulated Swiss rivers.

  River Research and Applications.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4019

• Schülting, Lisa; Dossi, Florian; Graf, Wolfram; Tonolla, Diego,

  2022.

  Flow amplitude or up‐ramping rate? : quantifying single and combined effects on macroinvertebrate drift during hydropeaking simulations, considering sensitive traits.

  River Research and Applications.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3963

• Alp, Maria; Batalla, Ramon J.; Bejarano, Maria Dolores; Boavida, Isabel; Capra, Hervé; Carolli, Mauro; Casas‐Mulet, Roser; Costa, Maria João; Halleraker, Jo Halvard; Hauer, Christoph; Hayes, Daniel S.; Harby, Atle; Noack, Markus; Palau, Antoni; Schneider, Matthias; Schönfelder, Lennart; Tonolla, Diego; Vanzo, Davide; Venus, Terese; Vericat, Damià; Zolezzi, Guido; Bruno, Maria Cristina,

  2022.

  Introducing HyPeak : an international network on hydropeaking research, practice, and policy.

  River Research and Applications.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3996

• Torgersen, Christian E.; Le Pichon, Céline; Fullerton, Aimee H.; Dugdale, Stephen J.; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Giovannini, Floriane; Tales, Évelyne; Belliard, Jérôme; Branco, Paulo; Bergeron, Normand E.; Roy, Mathieu L.; Tonolla, Diego; Lamouroux, Nicolas; Capra, Hervé; Baxter, Colden V.,

  2021.

  Riverscape approaches in practice : perspectives and applications.

  Biological Reviews.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12810

• Doering, Michael; Freimann, Remo; Antenen, Nadine; Roschi, Alexia; Robinson, Christopher T.; Rezzonico, Fabio; Smits, Theo; Tonolla, Diego,

  2021.

  Microbial communities in floodplain ecosystems in relation to altered flow regimes and experimental flooding.

  Science of the Total Environment.

  788(147497).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147497

• Tonolla, Diego; Geilhausen, Martin; Döring, Michael,

  2020.

  Seven decades of hydrogeomorphological changes in a near‐natural (Sense River) and a hydropower‐regulated (Sarine River) pre‐Alpine river floodplain in Western Switzerland.

  Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

  46(1), pp. 252-266.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5017

• Milani, Gillian; Kneubühler, Mathias; Tonolla, Diego; Döring, Michael; Schaepman, Michael,

  2020.

  Characterizing flood impact on Swiss floodplains using inter-annual time series of satellite imagery.

  IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.

  13, pp. 1479-1493.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2020.2980381

• Hauer, Christoph; Holzapfel, Patrick; Tonolla, Diego; Habersack, Helmut; Zolezzi, Guido,

  2019.

  In situ measurements of fine sediment infiltration (FSI) in gravel-bed rivers with a hydropeaking flow regime.

  Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

  44(2), pp. 433-448.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4505

• Linke, Simon; Gifford, Toby; Desjonquères, Camille; Tonolla, Diego; Aubin, Thierry; Barclay, Leah; Karaconstantis, Chris; Kennard, Mark J; Rybak, Fanny; Sueur, Jérôme,

  2018.

  Freshwater ecoacoustics as a tool for continuous ecosystem monitoring.

  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

  16(4), pp. 231-238.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1779

• Milani, Gillian; Volpi, Michele; Tonolla, Diego; Döring, Michael; Robinson, Christopher T.; Kneubühler, Mathias; Schaepman, Michael,

  2018.

  Robust quantification of riverine land cover dynamics by high-resolution remote sensing.

  Remote Sensing of Environment.

  217, pp. 491-505.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.08.035

• Lumsdon, A. E.; Artamonov, I.; Bruno, M. C.; Righetti, M.; Tockner, K.; Tonolla, Diego; Zarfl, C.,

  2018.

  Soundpeaking : hydropeaking induced changes in river soundscapes.

  River Research and Applications.

  34(1), pp. 3-12.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3229

• Auer, Stefan; Zeiringer, Bernhard; Führer, Simon; Tonolla, Diego; Schmutz, Stefan,

  2017.

  Effects of river bank heterogeneity and time of day on drift and stranding of juvenile European grayling (Thymallus thymallus L.) caused by hydropeaking.

  Science of the Total Environment.

  575, pp. 1515-1521.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.029

• Tonolla, Diego; Bruder, Andreas; Schweizer, Steffen,

  2017.

  Evaluation of mitigation measures to reduce hydropeaking impacts on river ecosystems a a case study from the Swiss Alps.

  Science of the Total Environment.

  574, pp. 594-604.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.101

• Bruder, Andreas; Tonolla, Diego; Schweizer, Steffen P.; Vollenweider, Stefan; Langhans, Simone D.; Wüest, Alfred,

  2016.

  A conceptual framework for hydropeaking mitigation.

  Science of the Total Environment.

  568, pp. 1204-1212.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.032

• Robinson, C. T.; Tonolla, Diego; Imhof, B.; Vukelic, R.; Uehlinger, U.,

  2015.

  Flow intermittency, physico-chemistry and function of headwater streams in an Alpine glacial catchment.

  Aquatic Sciences.

  78(2), pp. 327-341.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-015-0434-3

• Tockner, Klement; Tonolla, Diego; Bremerich, Vanessa; Jähnig, Sonja C.; Robinson, Christopher T.; Zarfl, Christiane,

  2022.

  Introduction to European rivers

  .

  In:

  Tockner, Klement; Robinson, Christopher T.; Zarfl, Christiane, eds.,

  Rivers of Europe.

  Elsevier.

  pp. 1-26.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102612-0.00001-8

• Stähli, Severin; Tonolla, Diego; Franca, Mario J.; Robinson, Christoper T.; Döring, Michael; Schleiss, Anton J.,

  2021.

  Künstliche Hochwasser in Restwasserstrecken unter Berücksichtigung von Geschiebevorkommen, hydromorphologischer und ökologischer Indikatoren.

  Korrespondenz Wasserwirtschaft.

  14(8), pp. 492-502.

• Herold, Thilo; Tonolla, Diego; Junghardt, Johann; Helbling, Andreas; Thommen, Markus; Ninck, Lena,

  2019.

  Bestockung und Beschattung : Erfassung an Fliessgewässern.

  Aqua & Gas.

  2019(4), pp. 52-57.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-19442

• Tonolla, Diego; Junghardt, Johann; Antonetti, Manuel; Döring, Michael,

  2019.

  Drohnen-gestützte und terrestrische Wärmebilder zur Beurteilung der Fliessgewässer-Temperatur.

  Aqua & Gas.

  2019(4), pp. 44-50.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-19443

• Gufler, Christa; Döring, Michael; Tonolla, Diego,

  2018.

  Künstliches Hochwasser an der Saane : eine Massnahme zur Förderung eines nachhaltigen Auenmanagements.

  IUNR Magazin.

  2018(2), pp. 32-33.

  Available from: https://www.zhaw.ch/storage/lsfm/institute-zentren/iunr/iunr-magazin-0218.pdf

• Döring, Michael; Tonolla, Diego; Robinson, C. T.; Schleiss, A.; Stähly, S.; Gufler, Christa; Geilhausen, Martin; Di Cugno, Nina,

  2018.

  Künstliches Hochwasser an der Saane : eine Massnahme zum nachhaltigen Auenmanagement.

  Wasser, Energie, Luft.

  110(2), pp. 119-127.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-2040

• Tonolla, Diego; Chaix, Olivier; Meile, Tobias; Zurwerra, Andreas; Büsser, Peter; Oppliger, Silvia; Essyad, Kalid,

  2017.

  Schwall-Sunk – Massnahmen : ein Modul der Vollzugshilfe Renaturierung der Gewässer.

  Umwelt-Vollzug Gewässerschutz

  ; 1701.

  Bern:

  Bundesamt für Umwelt.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-3715

• Hauer, Christoph; Zeiringer, Bernhard; Holzapfel, Patrick; Greimel, Franz; Schmutz, Stefan; Habersack, Helmut; Tonolla, Diego,

  2016.

  Analysen von Sunk und Schwall in Bezug auf das Strandungsrisiko bestimmter Zeigerarten unter Berücksichtigung experimenteller Ergebnisse, numerischer Modellierung und Naturmessungen : Fallbeispiel Alpenrhein [paper].

  In:

  Schwall und Sunk: Forschungsstand und Ausblick: Sonderband.

  Expertentag des Vereins für Ökologie und Umweltforschung, Lunz am See, Österreich, 20.-21. Mai 2014.

  Wien:

  Verein für Ökologie und Umweltforschung.

  pp. 83-116.

  Schriftenreihe für Ökologie und Ethologie.

• Schweizer, Steffen; Schmidlin, Stephanie; Bieri, Martin; Büsser, Peter; Meyer, Matthias; Money, Judith; Schläppi, Sandro; Schneider, Mathias; Tonolla, Diego; Tuhtan, Jeff; Wächter, Kurt,

  2016.

  Die erste Schwall-Sanierung der Schweiz : die Hasliaare als Fallbeispiel.

  WasserWirtschaft.

  2016(1), pp. 10-15.

• Hauer, Christoph; Holzapfel, Patrick; Tonolla, Diego; Habersack, Helmut,

  2016.

  Diskussion hydrologischer, morphologischer und sedimentologischer Kriterien für die Implementierung möglicher Schwall-Sunk-Massnahmen.

  WasserWirtschaft.

  2016(1), pp. 23-28.

• Hauer, Christoph; Holzapfel, Patrick; Tonolla, Diego; Habersack, Helmut,

  2016.

  Hydrologische, morphologische und sedimentologische Analysen als Grundlage für die Konzipierung von Schwall-Sunk-Massnahmen : Fallbeispiel Alpenrhein.

  WasserWirtschaft.

  2016(1), pp. 16-22.

• Schweizer, Steffen; Tonolla, Diego; Bruder, Andreas; Vollenweider, Stefan,

  2015.

  Schwall und Sunk : ein kurzer Überblick.

  WasserWirtschaft.

  2015(6), pp. 15-20.

• Schülting, Lisa; Dossi, Florian; Graf, Wolfram; Tonolla, Diego,

  2018.

  Macroinvertebrate drift response to hydropeaking simulations with varying peak discharge and ramping velocities.

  In:

  12th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2018), Tokyo, Japan, 19-24 August 2018.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

Publications (peer reviewed)

Lorang MS, Tonolla D. 2014. Combining active and passive hydroacoustic techniques during flood events for rapid spatial mapping of bedload transport patterns in gravel-bed rivers. Fundamental and Applied Limnology 184: 321-246. Doi: 10.1127/1863-9135/2014/0552.

Tonolla D, Wolter C, Ruhtz T, Tockner K. 2012. Linking fish assemblages and spatiotemporal thermal heterogeneity in a river-floodplain landscape using high-resolution airborne thermal infrared remote sensing and in-situ measurements. Remote Sensing of Environment 125: 134-146. Doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2012.07.014.

Tonolla D, Lorang MS, Heutschi K, Gotschalk CC, Tockner K. 2011. Characterization of spatial heterogeneity in underwater soundscapes at the river segment scale. Limnology and Oceanography 56: 2319-2333. Doi: 10.4319/lo.2011.56.6.2319.

Tonolla D, Acuña V, Uehlinger U, Frank T, Tockner K. 2010. Thermal heterogeneity in river floodplains. Ecosystems 13: 727-740. Doi: 10.1007/s10021-010-9350-5.

Tonolla D, Acuña V, Lorang MS, Heutschi K, Tockner K. 2010. A field-based investigation to examine underwater soundscapes of five common river habitats. Hydrological Processes 24: 3146-3156. Doi: 10.1002/hyp.7730.

Tonolla D, Lorang MS, Heutschi K, Tockner K. 2009. A flume experiment to examine underwater sound generation by flowing water. Aquatic Sciences 71: 449-462. Doi: 10.1007/s00027-009-0111-5.

Duelli P, Moretti M, Tonolla D, Barbalat S. 2006. Scented traps yield two large lacewing species (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) new to Switzerland. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 79: 25-28.


Book chapters

Tockner K, Uehlinger U, Robinson CT, Siber R, Tonolla D, Peter FD. 2010. European Rivers. In River Ecosystem Ecology, Likens GE (ed). Elsevier Publisher: Oxford; 340-351.

Tockner K, Uehlinger U, Robinson CT, Tonolla D, Siber R, Peter FD. 2009. Introduction to European Rivers. In Rivers of Europe, Tockner K, Uehlinger, U, Robinson CT (eds). Elsevier Publisher: London; 1-21.

Tockner K, Uehlinger U, Robinson CT, Siber R, Tonolla D, Peter FD. 2009. European Rivers. In Encyclopedia of Inland Waters, Likens GE (ed). Elsevier Publisher: Oxford; 366-377.


Not Peer reviewed articles and reports

Schweizer S, Tonolla D, Bruder A, Vollenweider S. 2015. Schwall und Sunk – ein kurzer Überblick. WasserWirtschaft 6: 15-20.

Tonolla D, Acuña V, Uehlinger U, Wolter C, Frank T, Ruhtz T, Tockner K. 2013. Quantification of the spatial thermal heterogeneity of river-floodplain using thermal infrared remote sensing. Extended abstracts of the annual conference of the German Limnological Society (DGL), 2012 (Koblenz). DGL Publisher: Hardegsen; 7-11.

Schweizer S, Schmidlin S, Tonolla D, Büsser P, Meyer M, Monney J, Schläppi S, Wächter K. 2013. Schwall/Sunk-Sanierung in der Hasliaare – Phase 1a: Gewässerökologische Bestandsaufnahme. Wasser Energie Luft 105: 191-199.

Schweizer S, Schmidlin S, Tonolla D, Büsser P, Meyer M, Monney J, Schläppi S, Schneider M, Tuhtan J, Wächter K. 2013. Schwall/Sunk-Sanierung in der Hasliaare – Phase 1b: Ökologische Bewertung des Ist-Zustands anhand der 12 Indikatoren der aktuellen BAFU-Vollzugshilfe. Wasser Energie Luft 105: 200-207.

Schweizer S, Bieri M, Tonolla D, Monney J, Rouge M, Stalder P. 2013. Schwall/Sunk-Sanierung in der Hasliaare – Phase 2a: Konstruktion repräsentativer Abflussganglinien für künftige Zustände. Wasser Energie Luft 105: 269-276.

Schweizer S, Schmidlin S, Tonolla D, Büsser P, Maire A, Meyer M, Monney J, Schläppi S, Schneider M, Theiler Q, Tuhtan J, Wächter K. 2013. Schwall/Sunk-Sanierung in der Hasliaare – Phase 2b: Ökologische Bewertung von künftigen Zuständen. Wasser Energie Luft 105: 277-287.

Bruder A, Vollenweider S, Schweizer S, Tonolla D, Meile T. 2012. Schwall und Sunk: Planung und Bewertung von Sanierungsmassnahmen. Möglichkeiten und Empfehlungen aus wissenschaftlicher Sicht. Wasser Energie Luft 104: 265-272.

Bruder A, Schweizer S, Vollenweider S, Tonolla D, Meile T. 2012. Schwall und Sunk: Auswirkungen auf die Gewässerökologie und mögliche Sanierungsmassnahmen. Wasser Energie Luft 104: 257-264.

Tonolla D. 2011. Acoustic and thermal characterization of river landscapes. Dissertation, Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), Germany. www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/receive/FUDISS_thesis_000000023479.

Tockner K, Tonolla D, Junker B, Heutschi K. 2009. Der Klang der Flüsse. Nationalpark 1: 20-21.

Tonolla D, Tockner K, Junker B, Heutschi K. 2008. The sound of rivers. EAWAG Annual Report: 29.

Tockner K, Uehlinger U, Robinson CT, Tonolla D, Siber R, Peter FD. 2008. European rivers under pressure. EAWAG Annual Report: 31.

Tonolla D. 2005. Characterization of the temporary hydro-system of a high alpine catchment (Val Roseg, Switzerland) by GIS mapping and assessment of morphological features. Diploma thesis in Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.

Moretti M, Tonolla D, Altenburger I, Duelli P. 2004. Biodiversità delle selve castanili del Mont Grand (Soazza, Grigioni). Quaderni Grigionitaliani 73: 355-362.

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