Do investments in water quality and habitat restoration programs pay off? An analysis of the chemical and biological water quality of a lowland stream in the Zwalm River basin (Belgium)

Boets, Pieter; Dillen, Alain; Mertens, Joost; Vervaeke, Bart; Thuyne, Gerlinde Van; Breine, Jan; Goethals, Peter; Poelman, E.

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2021.06.017

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Regarding the effective use of reforestation measures in the Zwalm riparian corridor, our results show clear priorities for their allocation and required intensity. Some headwater regions of the Zwalm River are rather unpolluted and provide habitat for rare fish species and vulnerable macroinvertebrates (Boets et al, 2021; Soresma, 2000). Our optimization results suggest connecting existing forest patches in headwaters and to further expand them downstream.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Riparian reforestation on the landscape scale: Navigating trade‐offs among agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity

Witing

Forio

Burdon

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Stream–riparian networks are subject to multiple human pressures that threaten key functions of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, drive habitat and diversity losses, affect riparian connectivity and cause stakeholder conflicts. Designing riparian landscapes in a way that they can simultaneously meet multiple competing demands requires a clear understanding of existing trade‐offs, and a landscape‐scale perspective on the planning of reforestation measures. This study applied a landscape optimization algorithm for allocating riparian forest management measures in the intensively used agricultural catchment of the Zwalm River (Belgium). We optimized forest allocation to improve stream ecological quality (EPT index), functional diversity (diatoms) and riparian carbon processing (cotton‐strip assay), while minimizing losses in agricultural production potential. Regression models were developed to predict the target indicators for 489 segments of the Zwalm riparian corridor, using spatial variables on three different scales. For each riparian segment, we developed spatially explicit management measures, representing different intensities of riparian reforestation. The allocation and combination of these measures in the riparian corridor were optimized to identify (a) trade‐offs among the target indicators, (b) priority regions for reforestation actions and (c) the required reforestation intensity. The results showed that all target indicators were affected by the area share of riparian forests and its landscape‐scale configuration. Reforestation of the Zwalm riparian corridor could significantly improve indicators for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (e.g. up to +96% for EPT index), but would lead to a strong trade‐off with agricultural production. By optimizing the placement of management measures, we showed how these trade‐offs could be best balanced. The headwater regions of the Zwalm were identified as priority regions for reforestation actions. Facilitating connectivity among and further expansion of existing forest patches in the Zwalm headwaters showed to improve ecosystems with minimized trade‐offs. Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the potential of landscape optimization algorithms to support the management and design of multifunctional stream–riparian networks. We identified riparian reforestation solutions that minimized trade‐offs between specific natural values and societal needs. Our spatially explicit approach allows for an integration into spatial planning and can inform policy design and implementation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…weirs, artificial embankments) negatively affect the overall condition of the river and its tributaries. However, some headwaters of the Zwalm are less polluted and colonized by rare fish species and several vulnerable macroinvertebrates (Boets et al, 2021; Dedecker et al, 2004; Soresma, 2000).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riparian reforestation on the landscape scale: Navigating trade‐offs among agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity

Witing

Forio

Burdon

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…In the study, only two hydraulic factors, flow velocity and water depth are considered, while the factors affecting fish survival are various. Studies show that temperature and fish's life behavior are inextricably linked (King et al 2016), and chemical factors such as ammonia nitrogen concentration and dissolved oxygen also have certain effects on fish habitat quality (Boets et al 2021). In future studies, it should be considered to combine other habitat influencing factors to have a more scientific evaluation of habitat.…”

Section: Deficiency and Prospectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of habitat quality and ecological flow in a regulated waterway

et al. 2022

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Dam control has changed rivers' hydraulic environment and hydrological rhythm; to explore the causes of fish habitat loss and influence of river regulation in such rivers, the downstream curving reaches of Shaying River were cut off. Grass, silver, and bighead carp were selected as the research targets, the impact of waterway regulation and gravel groups effect in target fish habitat were studied using numerical simulation. The results show that the original channel's hydraulic environment is similar to the artificial channel, and the target fish spawning habitat is limited, which is an important reason for the shortage of fish resources in research area. The reconstructed channel can meet the river's navigation demands and improve the channel's flood discharge capacity. The habitat method was used to estimate the minimum and appropriate ecological flows of the target fish at each growth stages in the original and reconstruction rivers. Under the appropriate ecological flow, the weighted usable area (WAU) of juvenile, migratory, and spawning habitats of target fish in the reconstructed river increased by 168, 24, and 580%, respectively, compared to the original channel, while the WAU of adult fish that preferred slow-water environment decreased by 62%, effectively improving the target fish's spawning environment.

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“…This alarming trend is due to multiple pressures on freshwater ecosystems including climate change, habitat loss, overharvesting, alien invasive species introductions, intensive agriculture and water pollution [3]. Despite this overall negative trend, recent efforts have been made to restore freshwater habitats (e.g., [4][5][6]) and to set up large scale river restoration programs (e.g., MERLIN, https://project-merlin.eu/, accessed on 22 December 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flanders (Belgium) is characterized by a high human population density, intensive agriculture, highly fragmented nature, patchiness of land use and scattered housing [5]. Therefore, there are many challenges when it comes to protecting and restoring freshwater habitats and surface water quality of streams, rivers and ponds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Reintroduction of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta fario) in the Upper Scheldt River Basin (Flanders, Belgium): Success or Failure?

Boets,

Dillen,

Auwerx

et al. 2024

Water

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In 2017, the reintroduction of juvenile brown trout in the southwestern part of Flanders (the Zwalm River basin) (Belgium) was initiated. Monitoring during the subsequent years indicated that the released juveniles survived and matured, indicating that sufficient food and good habitat conditions were available. Despite recent fulfilment of free fish migration within the Zwalm River basin and several spawning habitats being present, no natural reproduction of brown trout could be observed. To obtain more insight into the reproduction and maturing of brown trout eggs under natural conditions, an in situ experiment was conducted during 3 consecutive years at 10 different sites within the river basin. The results of our research indicated that egg survival was generally low (<5%). The main causes are most likely a heavy sediment load hampering sufficient oxygen and clean water flow through the redds. In this basin, the sediment load originates mainly from agricultural fields during heavy rain events and consequential run-off. Creating grassy and/or woody buffer strips along watercourses, in combination with changes in agricultural practices, is needed to be able to build up a viable and self-sustaining population of brown trout and also, in a larger context, of other rheophilic fish species.

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Do investments in water quality and habitat restoration programs pay off? An analysis of the chemical and biological water quality of a lowland stream in the Zwalm River basin (Belgium)

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

Riparian reforestation on the landscape scale: Navigating trade‐offs among agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity

Riparian reforestation on the landscape scale: Navigating trade‐offs among agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity

Evaluation of habitat quality and ecological flow in a regulated waterway

The Reintroduction of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta fario) in the Upper Scheldt River Basin (Flanders, Belgium): Success or Failure?

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