Evaluating riparian solutions to multiple stressor problems in river ecosystems - A conceptual study

WATER RESEARCH

卷:139

Review

Feld, Christian K.^1,2  Fernandes, Maria Rosario³  Ferreira, Maria Teresa³  Hering, Daniel^1,2  Ormerod, Steve J.⁴  Venohr, Markus⁵  Gutierrez-Canovas, Cayetano^4,6 

[1] Univ Duisburg Essen, Fac Biol, Dept Aquat Ecol, D-45117 Essen, Germany

[2] Univ Duisburg Essen, Fac Biol, Ctr Water & Environm Res, D-45117 Essen, Germany

[3] Univ Lisbon, Sch Agr, Forest Res Ctr CEF, P-1349017 Lisbon, Portugal

[4] Cardiff Univ, Water Res Inst, Biosi 2 Room 6-04, Cardiff CF10 3AX, S Glam, Wales

[5] Leibniz Inst Freshwater Ecol & Inland Fisheries, Dept Ecosyst Res, Justus von Liebig Str 7, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

[6] Univ Barcelona, Dept Evolutionary Biol Ecol & Environm Sci, FEM Res Grp IRBIO, Diagonal 643, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain

关键词: Agriculture;    Aquatic biota;    Fine sediments;    Nutrients;    Riparian buffer;    River management;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.watres.2018.04.014

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Rivers are among the most sensitive of all ecosystems to the effects of global change, but options to prevent, mitigate or restore ecosystem damage are still inadequately understood. Riparian buffers are widely advocated as a cost-effective option to manage impacts, but empirical evidence is yet to identify ideal riparian features (e.g. width, length and density) which enhance ecological integrity and protect ecosystem services in the face of catchment-scale stressors. Here, we use an extensive literature review to synthesise evidence on riparian buffer and catchment management effects on instream environmental conditions (e.g. nutrients, fine sediments, organic matter), river organisms and ecosystem functions. We offer a conceptual model of the mechanisms through which catchment or riparian management might impact streams either positively or negatively. The model distinguishes scale-independent benefits (shade, thermal damping, organic matter and large wood inputs) that arise from riparian buffer management at any scale from scale-dependent benefits (nutrient or fine sediment retention) that reflect stressor conditions at broader (sub-catchment to catchment) scales. The latter require concerted management efforts over equally large domains of scale (e.g. riparian buffers combined with nutrient restrictions). The evidence of the relationships between riparian configuration (width, length, zonation, density) and scale-independent benefits is consistent, suggesting a high certainty of the effects. In contrast, scale-dependent effects as well as the biological responses to riparian management are more uncertain, suggesting that ongoing diffuse pollution (nutrients, sediments), but also sources of variability (e.g. hydrology, climate) at broader scales may interfere with the effects of local riparian management. Without concerted management across relevant scales, full biological recovery of damaged lotic ecosystems is unlikely. There is, nevertheless, sufficient evidence that the benefits of riparian buffers outweigh potential adverse effects, in particular if located in the upstream part of the stream network. This supports the use of riparian restoration as a no-regrets management option to improve and sustain lotic ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free