Integrated water management: a new concept. From treating of symptoms towards a controlled ecosystem management in the Dutch delta

Saeijs, H.L.F.

doi:10.1016/0169-2046(91)90118-6

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The present, national Dutch approach of integrated water management, of which ditch management is a part, aims at managing water systems (or land systems where water is an essential part) together with the associated lakes and riverbeds, shores and groundwater as one complete unit in relation to human interests. It is carried out to meet present standards with regard to quantity and chemical and ecological quality (Third Water Policy Plan 1989;Saeijs 1991). Thus, not only water quantity standards have to be met, as in the past, but also water quality and ecological standards of landscape elements associated with the water systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of mechanical harvesting regimes on the aquatic and shore vegetation in water courses of agricultural areas of the Netherlands

Best

1994

Vegetatio

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It was demonstrated that a mechanical harvesting regime can influence the species composition of ditch vegetation at the community level. This effect, however, was very small compared with those of other factors such as the between-site and the within-site spatial variation, and several soil and water quality parameters. Cutting in November had the largest effect, in that it caused the greatest extremes in species cover. The vegetation was composed of 136 plant species. The semi-aquatic and aquatic species were less numerous than the terrestrial ones (52 versus 84). The total number per vegetation type and site ranged from 5 to 49; that of persistent plant species, from 4 to 22. Only 16~o of the species was significantly influenced by the mechanical harvesting regime. The significant effects of the mechanical harvesting regime on plant species were related to plant-inherent factors. Mechanical harvesting repeated within a year, on one hand, opened up the vegetation, 1) freeing sites for colonization of new species, 2) improving the light climate for seedlings which had already colonized; on the other hand, it exhausted (carbohydrate) reserves of solitary species. Mechanical harvesting once a year in November had a contrasting effect in that it caused suffocation of the shore vegetation in spring by the not yet decomposed plant material harvested in autumn. The highest species richness was attained for the aquatic vegetation: on sand by cutting three times per year (in May, July and September), and on peat by cutting once a year (in November); and for the shore vegetation: on sand once a year (in May) and two times per year (in May and July), and on peat once a year (in May or November).

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of mechanical harvesting regimes on the aquatic and shore vegetation in water courses of agricultural areas of the Netherlands

Best

1994

Vegetatio

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It reached a wide audience, partly due to the ecological calamities evoked by the Delta Works. The (eco)systems approach advocated in this document represented a new perception proposing water as an integral part of an ecosystem in relation with its community (Saeijs, 1991) Important reasons explaining why the ecological perspective resonated in the water management regime was the involvement of a growing number of biologists. During the construction of the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, one of the most prestigious dams, the Environmental Department of the Delta Dienst had grown into a group of over one hundred biologists and confronted the regime with the consequences of its practices (Bosch & Van der Ham, 1998).…”

Section: The Emergence Of Ecological Orientationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards transition management of European water resources

Brugge

Rotmans

2006

Integrated Assessment of Water Resources and Global Change

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Global change fundamentally changes the nature of water-related problems. We will illustrate this by showing how perceptions of the water-problems in the Netherlands have shifted in the past four decades. The nature of water-related problems changed from a technical problem' to a so-called 'persistent' problem, characterized by plurality, uncertainty and complexity. Although integrated water resource management (IWRM) has been advocated to cope with this type of problem, the complexity of the transition process towards such a water management regime is often underestimated. Therefore, transition management is needed in the water sector. Transition management theory is presented and applied to the Dutch case. Transition management strategies are suggested that would reinforce this transition. Comparison between the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and transition management indicates that the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) in its current form is not sufficiently stimulating an innovation climate.

show abstract

“…This undertaking comprised a complex of huge dams and sluices that divided the Dutch delta into smaller compartments (Saeijs 1991). Yet, even before the last part of the Deltaworks was finished, in 1997, it became clear that these changes had a large, and partly undesirable, environmental impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Management Strategies Against Toxic Microcystis Blooms In The Dutch Delta

Verspagen

Passarge

Joehnk

et al. 2006

Ecological Applications

115

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. To prevent flooding of the Dutch delta, former estuaries have been impounded by the building of dams and sluices. Some of these water bodies, however, experience major ecological problems. One of the problem areas is the former Volkerak estuary that was turned into a freshwater lake in 1987. From the early 1990s onward, toxic Microcystis blooms dominate the phytoplankton of the lake every summer. Two management strategies have been suggested to suppress these harmful algal blooms: flushing the lake with fresh water or reintroducing saline water into the lake. This study aims at an advance assessment of these strategies through the development of a mechanistic model of the population dynamics of Microcystis. To calibrate the model, we monitored the benthic and pelagic Microcystis populations in the lake during two years. Field samples of Microcystis were incubated in the laboratory to estimate growth and mortality rates as functions of light, temperature, and salinity. Recruitment and sedimentation rates were measured in the lake, using traps, to quantify benthic-pelagic coupling of the Microcystis populations. The model predicts that flushing with fresh water will suppress Microcystis blooms when the current flushing rate is sufficiently increased. Furthermore, the inlet of saline water will suppress Microcystis blooms for salinities exceeding 14 g/L. Both management options are technically feasible. Our study illustrates that quantitative ecological knowledge can be a helpful tool guiding large-scale water management.

show abstract

Integrated water management: a new concept. From treating of symptoms towards a controlled ecosystem management in the Dutch delta

Cited by 19 publications

References 4 publications

The impact of mechanical harvesting regimes on the aquatic and shore vegetation in water courses of agricultural areas of the Netherlands

The impact of mechanical harvesting regimes on the aquatic and shore vegetation in water courses of agricultural areas of the Netherlands

Towards transition management of European water resources

Water Management Strategies Against Toxic Microcystis Blooms In The Dutch Delta

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About