Challenges in Riverine Ecosystem Management

Abstract

This book is dedicated to those interested in the natural and social sciences and elements of governance that will support the sustainable management of rivers and aquatic ecosystems. Since elements of nature and society interact to determine the integrity and trajectory of these systems, they are referred to hereafter as social-ecological systems (SESs). This introduction opens the door to these topics in four steps. It begins by explaining why a book dedicated to river management and science is needed at this point. In the second part, it outlines the history of some of the major developments that challenge the integrity of SESs worldwide. In the third part, it describes several of the principal tools used to study as well as manage SES. Tools to measure the degree of degradation of an SES include indicators of biological integrity, ecosystem health, and resilience. Tools to assess and manage the trajectory of an SES include the DPSIR and adaptive management. The introduction closes by outlining the structure of the book through the progression of its chapters.

Influence of 200 years of water resource management on a typical central European river. Does industrialization straighten a river?

“…The Tisza River in Ukraine and Hungary has shortened by approximately 30% through river training [26]. Therefore, the increased use of fossil energy from 1950 onwards can be linked to rapid river degradation and river pollution in the Western World [27,[29][30][31]. Although sewage systems were introduced, pollution from industry, agriculture and urban areas since the late-nineteenth century has led to long-term changes in river ecosystems [27,32].…”

Influence of 200 years of water resource management on a typical central European river Does industrialization straighten a river?

“…The Tisza River in Ukraine and Hungary has shortened by approximately 30% through river training [26]. Therefore, the increased use of fossil energy from 1950 onwards can be linked to rapid river degradation and river pollution in the Western World [27,[29][30][31]. Although sewage systems were introduced, pollution from industry, agriculture and urban areas since the late 19 th century has led to long-term changes in river ecosystems [27,32].…”

Rediscovering, reevaluating, and restoring Entiatqua: Identifying pre‐Anthropocene valleys in North Cascadia, USA

“…River‐wetland corridors (RWCs) have particularly high ecological values (Cluer & Thorne, 2014), serving as an ecological nexus for biodiversity (Hauer et al, 2016), but they are among the most threatened ecosystems, globally (Wohl et al, 2021). These corridors have been systematically altered by humankind, at increasingly larger scales, for perhaps 7000 years, with no part of the globe being excepted (Brown et al, 2018; Mays, 2008; Sendzimir & Schmutz, 2018; Skidmore & Wheaton, 2022). In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), anthropogenic impacts did not begin in earnest until the arrival of substantial numbers of European and US settlers, during the 19th century.…”