Faunistic bioindication in riparian river habitats. General concept and methodologies proposed for a long-term monitoring of the riparian zones in Switzerland - This article presents a general concept for faunistic bioindication in riparian river habitats and other natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Theoretical basis and standardized methodology are proposed for long-term monitoring of the riparian systems. The partition of the global complexity is advised through a multi-level ecological approach, analysing exclusive species (taxonomic level), species composition (community level), and functional species (functional level). Integrated analyses of flora and fauna are important to create pragmatic and reproducible models of the ecosystem functioning for a long term monitoring. The aim is the switch from a compartmental multidisciplinary to a systemic and synergic approach.