Engineers have shaped the environment across the centuries in order to improve the quality and safety of human life. The unrestrained invasion of nature led to significant environmental problems, for this reason nowadays engineering projects should be based on ecological concepts to protect our environment. This paper presents an integrated methodology that involves GIS tools, hydraulic numerical models, and landscape metrics to investigate ecological consequences caused by river restoration activities. The combined use of these different tools represents a bridge to connect the field of engineering with ecological techniques. The proposed method was tested to predict and assess the influence of a river restoration plan on a reach of the Orco river located in the northwest of Italy. Morphological alterations were simulated to reconnect remnant meanders and provide water to the floodplain, enhancing the ecological value of riparian ecosystems. The application of the hydraulic model permitted to evaluate the distribution of water inside the study area before and after the restoration plan. Thereafter, spatial configuration and temporal dynamics of the landscape structures were quantified using landscape metrics. The increase of patch density (PD) by 9% and edge density (ED) up to 10% highlights that restoration activities lead to a new configuration characterized by a higher level of fragmentation and heterogeneity. The characteristics of versatility, repeatability, and the possibility to predict the outcomes of a specific plan make the proposed method a useful tool that could help decision-makers to manage the territory while safeguarding natural ecosystems.

工程师们在整个世纪中塑造了环境，以改善人类生活的质量和安全性。不受限制的自然入侵导致了严重的环境问题，因此，当今的工程项目应基于生态概念来保护我们的环境。本文提出了一种综合方法，涉及GIS工具，水力数值模型和景观指标，以调查由河流恢复活动引起的生态后果。这些不同工具的组合使用代表了将工程领域与生态技术联系起来的桥梁。测试了所提出的方法，以预测和评估河流恢复计划对位于意大利西北部的Orco河段的影响。模拟了形态变化以重新连接残留的曲折河道，并为洪泛区提供水，从而提高了河岸生态系统的生态价值。水力模型的应用允许在修复计划前后评估研究区域内的水分布。此后，使用景观度量对景观结构的空间配置和时间动态进行量化。斑片密度（PD）增加9％，边缘密度（ED）增加高达10％，这突出表明，恢复活动导致了一种新的配置，其特征是碎片和异质性更高。多功能性，可重复性，