Linking the restoration of rivers and riparian zones/wetlands in Europe: Sharing knowledge through case studies

Gumiero, Bruna; Mant, Jenny; Hein, Thomas; Elso, Josu; Boz, Bruno

doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.12.103

Cited by 110 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Steiger et al 2005;Corenblit et al 2007;Osterkamp and Hupp 2010;Gurnell et al 2012;Gumiero et al 2013). In an ecosystem perspective, the riparian zone works as a functional linkage between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (channel shading, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riparian vegetation as indicator of channel adjustments and environmental conditions: the case of the Panaro River (Northern Italy)

et al. 2015

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Disturbances affecting flow and sediment transport regimes (e.g. dams, diversions, gravel mining, weirs, bank reinforcements, climate changes) can promote riverbed degradation and channel narrowing, and thus influence vegetation dynamics and composition. This study investigates the relationships and feedbacks between channel adjustments and riparian vegetation dynamics by combining an analysis of morphological channel changes with a wider phytosociology analysis of existing vegetation within the river corridor. These relationships were illustrated by using the case study of the Panaro River (located in the Northern Apennines, Italy), being a representative case of a deeply incised and narrowed river. More specifically we analyzed: (1) the relations between landforms and distributional patterns of vegetation types and characteristic plant species (index species): these provided information about the hydrogeomorphic condition of fluvial landforms and about channel adjustments; (2) the distance of riparian vegetation conditions from expected conditions as a consequence of human impact, based on the fact that each species and vegetation type has a given tolerance for specific disturbance regimes or stresses. Although some expected relations between landforms and vegetation types were found, we recorded significant deviations from the typical correlation pattern existing between morphology and vegetation, and this could be used to infer the intensity and the typology of human disturbances. In particular, the index species can indicate present ecological conditions and on past channel evolution. With this knowledge it might be possible to develop botanical recovery models in the future and, even more importantly, enable the recognition of the differences between temporal and spatial diversity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riparian vegetation as indicator of channel adjustments and environmental conditions: the case of the Panaro River (Northern Italy)

et al. 2015

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“…This is primarily due to the Restoration programs, if applied as they are designed, have shown themselves to be productive for achieving their objectives (Jenkinson et al, 2006;Rydgren et al, 2013;Wortley et al, 2013). Projects in Europe and North America have all shown successful results at the preliminary stages, in the first 5 to 10 years of the restoration program (Furukawa, 2013;Gumiero et al, 2013), if the restoration management plan has been followed. One major issue with restoration programs is the long-term projections of the restoration programs, which are usually not reached or assessed.…”

Section: Nakdong Estuary and Eulsukdo Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned: The Eulsukdo Wetland Restoration Program

Lineman¹,

Do²,

Kim³

et al. 2014

Journal of Environmental Science International

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Restoration is the process of reducing or reversing damage to an ecosystem so that it can function in its original manner. However, many restoration programs do not achieve this. In the Nakdong Estuary, the largest migratory nesting site in the center of the East Asian-Australasian flyway, an estuarine barrage was constructed in the 1980s that required site restoration following its completion in 1987 and the expansion of several large industrial complexes(Noksan and Jangrim) and a residential development(Myeongji). The goal of the restoration was to restore the function of the wetland to its pre-disturbance state. To achieve this, a restoration program was designed consisting of three stages. The first stage (1993)(1994)(1995), saw the construction of three artificial wetlands(Shinhori, Daemadeung, and Eulsuk), the second (2003)(2004)(2005) involved the dredging and returning of farmed lands to their natural state, and the third(2008-2012) focused on the rehabilitation and vegetation development of the wetlands. However, the project has not achieved all of the desired goals, and it is an example of the lapses in ecological restoration following anthropogenic disturbance. Issues that resulted in an incomplete restoration included the timing of the stages, noncompliance with the restoration plan, not directly monitoring the restoration or continuing the monitoring following completion of the development project, and the political subversion of the restoration plan. For the success of the restoration plan, it is necessary to avoid mistakes such as inconsistent monitoring, unequal levels of stakeholder involvement, and political interference.

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“…Santa Marina del Rey r inning-water dam ( Gumiero et al, 2013;OUero, 2010). In this social context, this type of restoration actions has been employed much less often than needed, and its effectiveness in restoring riparian vegetation has not been frequently assessed (Gonzalez et al, 2015).…”

Section: Res-6mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dismantling artificial levees and channel revetments promotes channel widening and regeneration of riparian vegetation over long river segments

Martínez-Fernández

González

López-Almansa

et al. 2017

Ecological Engineering

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Longitudinal structures manipulation can re-activate channel migration and thus restore flood-dependent riparian plant communities in human-constrained floodplains. However, it has been rarely implemented over long restored river segments and has been infrequently assessed while taking into account river conditions prior to restoration. This study describes the morphological and vegetation response to this type of restoration in a project completed in 2012 along a 21.6 km river segment in the Orbigo River (NW Spain). Land cover changes and channel planform evolution in the restored segment were compared with a downstream non-restored (control) segment and to an upstream unregulated (reference) segment before (2011) and shortly after (2014) the restoration implementation. Riparian vegetation was surveyed in 18 gravel bars of the three river segments four years after restoration completion (2016). The restored segment presented the largest increase of active channel area. Rejuvenation of landforms predominated over transition toward mature stages (succession) in the restored and the reference segment, while succession predominated in the control segment. The sinuosity and braiding indexes in the restored segment increased much more than in the reference and, especially, than in the control segment. Riparian plant communities that colonized gravel bars in the restored segment resembled those found in the unregulated segment and slightly differed from that found in the non-restored segment. Withinsegment variability was much higher, indicating the dependence of riparian plant communities on local processes. Although positive, our results showed that the high stability of floodplain areas in the human-constrained rivers of industrialized societies limits the short-term effectiveness of longitudinal structures manipulation as a restoration strategy. We also showed that assessments using relatively simple aerial photointerpretation and vegetation surveys in pioneer habitats can illustrate trajectories in river restoration projects shortly after their completion. Long-term monitoring of the geomorphic trajectory and associated plant communities, however, will help define the timing of future additional interventions to assure the natural resilience of riparian habitats.

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Linking the restoration of rivers and riparian zones/wetlands in Europe: Sharing knowledge through case studies

Cited by 110 publications

References 28 publications

Riparian vegetation as indicator of channel adjustments and environmental conditions: the case of the Panaro River (Northern Italy)

Riparian vegetation as indicator of channel adjustments and environmental conditions: the case of the Panaro River (Northern Italy)

Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned: The Eulsukdo Wetland Restoration Program

Dismantling artificial levees and channel revetments promotes channel widening and regeneration of riparian vegetation over long river segments

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