Water Management Supporting the Delivery of Ecosystem Services for Grassland, Heath and Moorland

Abstract

Abstract:In the present era, permanent grasslands and other grazed habitats, i.e., moorlands and heath, are appreciated as avant la lettre green infrastructure (GI) resources, providing a wide range of ecosystem services, the delivery of many of which require water management to be in place. This paper discusses the role of water management and, in particular, that of drainage. We contend that controlled drainage and drainage-irrigation systems can contribute to the sustainable use of grasslands and associated habitats in the European Union. We present examples from a range of habitats in several EU Member States and attempt to identify the contemporary (short-term) costs as well as the short-term revenues covering these costs. Options for enhancing the role of the Green Infrastructure in Europe to achieve sustainable land use by including all "permanent grassland" are discussed.

Impact of groundwater regimes on water balance components of a site with a shallow water table

“…Nature protection groups' demand for higher water levels in spring and less drainage is aimed at a better use of the water storage in these areas, especially in regions with low precipitation and high water demand for evapotranspiration during the summer months (Ritzema et al . , ). The idea is to provide a buffer for the decrease in water levels in spring and early summer.…”

“…Additionally, problems may increase if climate changes occur in the next few decades, as current scenario results suggest (Dietrich, Steidl, & Pavlik, 2012;Dorau, Gelhausen, Esplor, & Mansfeldt, 2015;Schaller, Kantelhardt, & Drosler, 2011). Nature protection groups' demand for higher water levels in spring and less drainage is aimed at a better use of the water storage in these areas, especially in regions with low precipitation and high water demand for evapotranspiration during the summer months (Ritzema et al, 2016). The idea is to provide a buffer for the decrease in water levels in spring and early summer.…”

Coping with Climate Change in a densely Populated Delta: A Paradigm Shift in Flood and Water Management in The Netherlands

“…To retain water upstream and thus to reduce water shortage and downstream flooding, real-time control structures can be installed to utilize the storage that is available in the canals and streams in the upstream part of a (sub)catchment (Van Overloop, 2006). For all three hydro-ecological zones, controlled drainage shows promise as a tool for improving the balance between various types of land use, not only between differing types of agricultural use, but also between agriculture and nature, an often delicate balance between the conflicting drainage requirements of these two land uses (Ritzema et al, 2016). In the light of the predicted changes in rainfall patterns and intensities, a system that combines controlled drainage with weather forecasting also looks promising, both for water managers and farmers: for water managers to reduce peak discharges after heavy rainfall events and for farmers to restrict outflow when a drought period is predicted.…”

Smart Water Management towards Future Water Sustainable Networks

“…Finally, in order to evaluate the financial effort and savings obtained in this reference systems (RS) network, the investment required in the monitoring and water losses control in a correlation model case (CMC) was estimated, and, as a consequence, the losses level presented a significant reduction towards sustainable values in the next nine years. Since the pressure control is one of the main issues for the reduction of leakage, an estimation of energy production for Portugal is also presented.Water 2020, 12, 58 2 of 13 water plays in sustainable development has become increasingly recognized; the management of water resources and the provision of services related to water continues to be minor in the scale of public perception and government priorities of several countries [4]. This lack of water resources is currently satisfied by the water transfer between basins, the desalinization, the regeneration of waste water, and the exploration of wells [5].…”

“…Water 2020, 12, 58 2 of 13 water plays in sustainable development has become increasingly recognized; the management of water resources and the provision of services related to water continues to be minor in the scale of public perception and government priorities of several countries [4]. This lack of water resources is currently satisfied by the water transfer between basins, the desalinization, the regeneration of waste water, and the exploration of wells [5].…”