Piet Verdonschot, Alterra Beekbodemverhoging The Netherlands

Comparison of recovery processes between water categories

Synthesis of WISER WP6.4

piet.verdonschot@wur.nl

Department of Freshwater Ecology

meeting Tallinn 23-26th January 2012

Piet Verdonschot, David Angeler, Sandra Brucet,

Richard Johnson, Martin Kernan, Bryan Spears

Objectives WP6.4

•  The nature and impact of (multiple) stressors (degradation)

•  Processes and features of recovery for all WFD

organism groups

To compare between water categories:

Globalisation

0 2 4 6 8

10 12 14 16 18

num

ber o

f inh

abita

nts

(10

) 6

health + flood protection

conservation + environment

integration + restoration

local

regional

global

national

Population growth

H2O

20th century

21st century emerging ecology stream/ditch/pool

catchment

Development in Water Management

scale of problems and solutions

Restoration = understanding the DPSIRR-chain

Driver

State Pressor

Recovery

Lahn bei Ludwigslust©A. Lorenz

Restoration

Impact Response

Hydromorphological degradation

Degradation

Driver-Pressure-State-Impact Degradation

climate / global change

loss of riparian zone

turbidity siltation

species diversity

run off discharge dynamics

water level current

dynamics

agricultural land use

population growth & demands

temperature

nutrient / substances

surplus bank / profile

change

urbanisation

eutrophication acidification toxification

warming

industry Global to supra regional scale

(sub)Catchment scale

Site to habitat scale

Response-Recovery: Measures Source and effect oriented measures

climate / global change

loss of riparian zone

turbidity siltation

species diversity

run off discharge dynamics

water level current

dynamics

agricultural land use

population growth & demands

temperature

nutrient / substances

surplus bank / profile

change

urbanisation

eutrophication acidification toxification

warming

industry source oriented:

legislation

source and effect oriented: legislation + external measures

effect oriented: internal measures

Degradation over water categories

•  Drivers and pressures are the same in lakes, rivers and estuarine and coastal waters

•  Drivers, pressures and stressors should be tackled at the global to catchment scale. Causal target and cost-effective.

Passive restoration!

•  Source oriented > external > internal measures. Active restoration!

Conclusions

Entry of sediments

Hydraulic impact

Shading

Flow variation

Erosion-sedimentation

(C)POM input

Meandering

Connectivity

Dry-wet gradients

Bed variation

Cross profile variability

Installing

riparian

buffer

# EPTCBO # Trichoptera

Pelal pref. [%]

Hyporhithral [%] Metarhithral [%]

Rheo-Index

EPT [%] Fauna-Index

Driver Pressure/stressor reduction

Response Recovery

Recovery: Concepts Example: Riparian buffer restoration

Example: Riparian buffer restoration  

FI FI FI FI FI FI

PB PB PB PB PB

MP MP MP MP MP

BI BI BI BI BI

riparian buffers

shelter

nutrient concentration

(P/N)

fine sediment

temperature

food/energy supply

LWD

flow diversity

depth variability

bank structures

shading

1

2

4

6

7

16

13

32

30

44

4438

34

10

12

39

49

3

11

14

channel structures

927

47

22

habitat complexity/quality

28

45

41

42

8

24

26

25

18

21

19

37

36

40

20

POM input/retention

5

15

33

35

50

51

52

53

46

29

43

34

33 32

31

23

17

48

Com

posi

tion/

abun

danc

e

Div

ersi

ty

Sen

sitiv

ity/

tole

ranc

e

Bio

mas

s

Age

stru

ctur

e

Pro

cess

/fu

nctio

n

Restoration State Recovery

positivepositivenegativenegativeneutralneutral

Type of relationshipType of relationship

> 9 References> 9 References

7-9 References7-9 References

4-6 References4-6 References

3 References3 References

< 3 References< 3 References

Strength of relationshipStrength of relationship

increase decrease

in-/decrease

Example: Recovery concepts

Conclusions

•  Available Concepts: Rivers yes, Lakes no, Marine no

•  Degradation ≠ Restoration; still some knowledge can be extracted

•  Knowledge progress on recovery is limited and qualitative

Needs

•  Well designed BACI monitoring of restoration (few stressors)

•  Monitoring over a long time after

•  Quantified knowledge on thresholds

02468

1012141618

sewage

waste…

eutroph.oxyge…oil spillfish…TB

Tm

ine…pulp m

illphys.…land…m

ars…coast…lagoo…dyke…dredg…sand…sedim

…fish…

Prop

ortio

n of

lit.

refe

renc

es

n=51

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

wat. lev.m

an.

zoop.introd.

flushing

macrop

hyte int.

dredging

inc.hab.…

hypo.oxy. P

capping

fishstocking

fishrem

oval

ext.load…

Po. o

f lit.

refe

renc

es

N = 68

Recovery: Measures Number of reviewed projects

De-eutrophication (n=168) + …

Lakes

Rivers

No info on other stressors

hydromorphology

eutrophication

mixture

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

habitats buffers weir/dam remeandering

Prop

ortio

n of

lit.

refe

renc

es

N = 260

Marine

Multiple stress is poorly understood

05

101520253035404550

BACI BA CI other space-f-time

time ser.

Pro

porti

on o

f lit.

refe

renc

es

rivers lakes marine

Recovery: Data availability and processing Data types

•  in rivers > experiments •  in lakes > time series

0102030405060708090

Hydrology

Morphology

Water

chemistry

Riparian &

Floodplain

Algae (incl.diatom

s)

Macroinverte

brates

Fish

Flagshipspecies

% p

ositi

ve r

espo

nse

Recovery: Successes Positive responding indicators (if analysed!)

Rivers (n=63)

Reitberger et al. (2010)

0102030405060708090

P N N:P

Chl-a

Chl-a:P

Chl-a:Zoo

Secchi

fish

algae

zooplankton

macrophytes

% p

ositi

ve r

espo

nse

Lakes [eutrophication] (n=35)

Jeppesen et al. (2005)

66% 64% 50% 33%

Marine ?

Recovery: Biological Quality Elements Number of lit. references using a BQE

01020304050607080

Fish

Inverts

Macrophytes

(Macro) A

lgae

Birds

ZooplanktonP

ropo

rtion

of l

it. re

fere

nces

rivers lakes marine

Each water category has its own favourite BQE

Recovery: Time scale

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-1 2-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 >20

Pro

porti

on o

f lit.

refe

renc

es

Years

rivers lakes marine

Very few long term monitoring series!

Recovery: Time scale Estimated full recovery times

Rivers Lakes Marine Bacterioplankton <18 Phytoplankton 2-20 Macroalgae 14->22 Zooplankton 1-17+ Meiofauna months Macroinvertebrates 10-20 mths-20 Macrophytes 2-40+ 2-20 Riparian veg. 30-40 Fish 2-10+ 1-20 Birds 2-21+ 15-70 Biological recovery needs up to 70 years!!!

Recovery: Failure or delay in response Causes of failure/delay

•  Not all stressors tackled

•  Upstream stressors

•  Internal loads

•  Dispersal barriers

•  Too small scale

•  Non-native species

•  Time to recover

•  Climate change

•  Management, maintenance

•  No monitoring

Recovery: Shifting baselines/thresholds Example: Nervion estuary

Borja et al. 2010

Alternative states or overlooked stressors?

For sure: moving baselines!

fishes

macrophytes

macro-invertebrates algae

Recovery response 105

104

103

102

101

100

10-1

10-2

10-3

spat

ial s

cale

(m)

100 101 102 103 104 105 106

temporal scale (days)

1 day 1 year 100 year 1000 year

1 km

1 m

1 mm grain

microhabitat

habitat

reach

section

catchment

after Frissell et al. 1986

Recovery: Effects of biological interactions

Increase restoration success

colonisation & ‘maturation’ of ecosystem

Recovery: Impacts of climate/global change Distrubution of Bullhead (rivers) and Pike (lakes)

Cottus gobio Esox lucius

remain extinct

colonise

Recovery: Conclusions •  Knowledge on recovery is still very limited and needs quantification

•  Goals of restoration must focus of resistance/resilience of whole systems

•  Measures – Ecological recovery; still often mismatch

•  Multiple stress needs attention, and maintenance/recurring management

•  Appropriate spatial and temporal scale? Local scale is too small!

•  Recovery needs time, have patience

•  We need early warning indicators for recovery

•  We need long term monitoring

•  Recolonisation is often underestimated (need re-introduction?)

•  Redefine targets (moving baselines due to CC) and quantify thresholds

•  Remember: Passive > Soft Active > Hard Active Restoration

Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Recovery: Conclusions

Phosphate, Nitrogen

N N P

P P,N

© pv

Recovery: the way ahead Science and practitioners join forces

Legislation for sustainable use

Landscape spatial planning: Buffers to reduce external loads

In – water body restoration Passive restoration Active restoration

Together we can make the puzzle…

Woody zones: functional buffers Grassy zone: usable buffers

Low impact uses: landscape plannning High impact uses: sustainable legislation

Water body restoration