A novel multi-objective model calibration method for ecohydrological applications

The reliability and applicability of hydrological models within ecohydrological frameworks are major concerns. Two multi-objective model calibration strategies were formulated to achieve a balanced representation ecologically relevant hydrologic indices. approaches employed: 1) performance-based method constraining the targeted indices 2) an unconstrained signature-based explicitly incorporating into multiple objective functions. Both successful in representing most selected ±30% relative error acceptability threshold while yielding consistent runoff predictions watershed. strategy was preferred since it showed lower dispersion near-optimal Pareto solutions when based on water balance Flow Duration Curve characteristics. Still, overall low flow magnitude timing, rise fall rates, duration frequency extreme flows limited terms interannual variability due structural inadequacies.