Restore wetlands

Restore wetlands

Category 08. Floodplains/off-channel/lateral connectivity habitats improvement

General description

Wetland restoration refers to measure aiming to restore former wetlands and their specific functions. Wetland restoration refers to measure aiming to restore former wetlands and their specific functions. Wetland restoration aims to reestablish ecological processes and functions in damaged or destroyed wetlands, including the creation of new wildlife habitat, increased flood storage, and the improvement of water quality. Most wetland restoration projects involve simple techniques such as breaking the dikes in order to restore the hydrology of an area. Once the hydrology has been restored, wetland vegetation re-develope and the wildlife can utilize the restored aquatic habitat.

Applicability

Wetland restoration projects are not conceived to create deep water ponds or alter existing natural wetlands. Depressions or low lying areas, and areas that are seasonally wet and generally inappropriate for agriculture, are often good potential restoration sites. Re-opening of unprofitable polders, embanked in the past for agriculture, forestry or fish culture may help to restore river-floodpalin interactions (Buijse et al, 2002). The wetland restoration is complementary with the measure ,,Reconnect backwaters and wetlands”, both aiming to re-vitalize natural processes induces by the river ,,flood pulse” (Junk et al., 1989; Tockner et al., 2000).

Expected effect of measure on (including literature citations):

• HYMO (general and specified per HYMO element)
• physico � chemical parameters
• Biota (general and specified per Biological quality elements)

The expected effect is to restore or enhance the lateral dimension of a river system (riverine-riparian-floodplain) affected by human activities (Ward and Stanford, 1989) and to the re-establishment of the ,,river pulse” (Junk et al., 1989; Molles et al., 1998; Tochner et al., 1998; Schiemer et al., 1999). The evaluation of some implemented projects for wetland restoration showed the recovering of the ecosystem services as support for biodiversity (Marin and Schneider, 1997), nutrient removal (Oosterberg et al., 1998 ; Bachmann et al., 2000; Zockler et al., 2000, Staras, 2000; Schiemer & Reckendorfer, 2004; De Groot el al., 2006; Tudor, 2008).

The post-project assessment of the implemented pilot project Babina in the Danube Delta has showed the re-establishment of a near natural hydro-morphological features as well as the wetland specific aquatic biota: fitoplancton, aquatic vegetation, fish (Cioaca E., 2008; Torok et al. 2008; Schneider et al., 2008; Navodaru et al., 2008).

Temporal and spatial response

The post-project assessment of the implemented pilot project Babina in the Danube Delta has showed the re-establishment of a near natural hydro-morphological features as well as the wetland specific aquatic biota: fitoplancton, aquatic vegetation, fish (Cioaca E., 2008; Torok et al. 2008; Schneider et al., 2008; Navodaru et al., 2008). [1]

Pressures that can be addressed by this measure

• Embankments, levees or dikes
• Alteration of instream habitat

Case studies where this measure has been applied

• Chícamo Life project. Conservation of Aphanius iberus´ genetics stocks ( Murcia ).
• Biodiversity conservation and recovery in the river basin of Asón
• Vreugderijkerwaard - Side channel
• Babina
• Bouxweerd - Artificial pool
• Warta Middle River Valley
• Drava - Kleblach
• Niederwerrieser Weg - Optimisation of the pSCI “Lippe floodplain between Hamm and Hangfort” (LIFE05/NAT/D/000057)
• Oberwerries - Optimisation of the pSCI “Lippe floodplain between Hamm and Hangfort” (LIFE05/NAT/D/000057)
• Ahlen-Dolberg - Optimisation of the pSCI “Lippe floodplain between Hamm and Hangfort” (LIFE05/NAT/D/000057)
• Soest - Optimisation of the pSCI “Lippe floodplain between Hamm and Hangfort” (LIFE05/NAT/D/000057)
• Scheldt - Vallei Grote Nete
• Donau - Aggsbach (LIFE03 NAT/A/000009)
• Lower Traun

Useful references

Backmann J. and Wurzer A. (2000) The Danube: River of life. In: River Restoration in Europe (Eds. H.J. Nijland &M.J.R. Cals), 85-90. RIZA Report 2001.023. Lelystad, The Netherlands. Buijse, A.D., Coops, H., Staras, M., Jans, L.H., Van Geest, G.J., Grift, R.E., Ibelings, B.W.,Oosterberg, W., Roozen, F.C.J.M. (2002) Restoration strategies for river floodplains along large lowland rivers in Europe. Freshwater Biology, 47, 889-907. De Groot R., Stuip M.A.M., Finlayson C.M., Davidson N. (2006) Valuing wetlands: guidance for valuing the benefits derived from wetland ecosystem services. Ramsar technical Report No 3/CBD Technical series No.27. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland & Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, 46 p. Junk W.J., Bayley P.B. & Sparks R.E. (1989) The flood pulse concept in River-Floodplain Systems. Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat.,106, 110-127. Marin G., Schneider E. (1997) Ecological restoration in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve/Romania, ICPDD/Umweltstiftung WWF-Deutschland, 120 p. Molles MC, Crawford CS, Ellis LM, Valett HM, Dahm CN. 1998. Managed flooding for riparian ecosystem restoration. BioScience 48:749-756. Navodaru I., Staras M., A.D. Buijse, Joep J.de Leew (2005) Changes in fish populations in Danube Delta lakes: effects of hydrology and water quality change. Review of results and potential for rehabilitation. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology, vol. 5, No.3, 245-256. Navodaru I., Staras M., Cernisencu I. (2008) evolution of the ihtiofauna-Results of sampling and monitoring. In: Evolution of Babina polder after restoration works (Eds. E. Schneider, M. Tudor and M. Staras). WWF Auen Institute, Germany / Danube Delta National Institute, Romania, 42-46. Oosterberg W., Hanganu J., Menting G., Gridin M. and Tudor M. (1998) Filtering capacity of the Mustaca Reedbed Danube Delta Romania. RIZA workdocument 98.165x, pp46. Schiemer F, Baumgartner C, Tockner K. (1999) Restoration of floodplain rivers: the ,,Danube restoration project”. Regulated Rivers, 15:231-244 (in German). Schiemer, F., Reckendorfer, W. (2004) Das Donau Restaurierungsprojekt - Ökologische Auswirkungen. The Danube Restoration Programme - ecologic consequences. Abhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft, Vienna, pp 34. Schneider E., Tudor M. and Covaliov S. (2008). Water macrophytes and their communities. In: Evolution of Babina polder after restoration works (Eds. E. Schneider, M. Tudor and M. Staras). WWF Auen Institute, Germany / Danube Delta National Institute, Romania, 47-50. Staras M. (2000) Restoration programme in the Danube Delta: Achievements, benefits and constraints. In: River Restoration in Europe (Eds. H.J. Nijland &M.J.R. Cals), 95-102. RIZA Report 2001.023. Lelystad, The Netherlands. Tockner K., Schiemer F., Ward JV. (1998) Conservation by restoration: the management concept for a river floodplain system on the Danube River in Austria. Aquatic Conservation 8: 71-86. Tockner K., Malard F.&Ward J.V. (2000) An extension of the flood pulse concept. Hydrological Processes,14, 2861-2883. Torok L. (2008). Evolution of fitoplancton diversity. In: Evolution of Babina polder after restoration works (Eds. E. Schneider, M. Tudor and M. Staras). WWF Auen Institute, Germany / Danube Delta National Institute, Romania, 29-30. Tudor M. (2008) Nutrient retention. In: Evolution of Babina polder after restoration works (Eds. E. Schneider, M. Tudor and M. Staras). WWF Auen Institute, Germany / Danube Delta National Institute, Romania, p 28. Ward J.V., and J.A. Stanford (1989) Riverine ecosystems: the influence of man on catchment dynamics and fish ecology. In: Proceedings of the International Large River Symposium (LARS) (Ed. D.P. Dodge). Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. 106, 56-64.