Team Landscape Systems
Links to projectsites:
www.biobio-indicator.org
www.ebone.wur.nl
www.landscape-ecology.org
www.earthobservations.org/geobon.shtml
www.ruimtevoorderivier.wur.nl (only available in Dutch)
www.aardkunde.nl (only available in Dutch)
Working with landscape quality
| Projectmanager |
Arjan Koomen |
| Contracting Authority |
National Government |
| Objectives |
A new strategy for spatial policy focusing on responsibilities for provinces and county’s introducing questions if and how these new responsibilities are being incorporated |
| Duration |
2006 |
| Information |
arjan.koomen@wur.nl Start: Finish: |
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Ecological Networks
Information: Rob Jongman Start: Finish:
Projects to develop the Pan European Ecological Network and stimulate development of Ecological Networks as a new Conservation Planning Strategy with projects in Europe and Argentina. (more information ecological networks) |
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BioHab EU FP5
Information: Rob Jongman Start: Finish:
Project for surveillance and monitoring of European Habitats The objective is to describe the methodology appropriate for coordinating information on habitats in order to obtain statistically robust estimates of their extent and associated changes in biodiversity. The system consists of a spatial stratification system over Europe and a system for collecting data all over Europe in a uniform way. Further information: http://www.biohab.alterra.nl |
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Pantanal-Taquari, Tools for Decision making in Integrated Water Management
Information: Rob Jongman Start: Finish:
Tools for Decision making in Integrated Water Management (Partners for Water I). The Pantanal in Brazil measures about 250.000 km2 and consists of a number of large rivers in a joint wetland area. At present erosion and silting up make the one of its rivers, the Taquari, into an unstable braiding system causing more or less permanent inundation of 5.000 to 8.000 km2 in stead of periodic flooding. Building a dam have been proposed by different stakeholders and the project was capable of showing the consequences, both positive and negative and the long term problems that this could cause. The ecological and socio-economic situation made it wiser to adapt to the river behaviour. In 2006 president Lula has appointed a Commission to advise on the solutions. Further information see under Alterra Publications. |
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The landscapes of Europe
Information: Rob Jongman Start: Finish:
The landscapes of Europe has been treated in several related projects, from Ecological Consequences of Land use Changes in Europe; (1995) In 2001 the Frontis Workshop: The new dimension of the European Landscape (2001) has been organised. The latest activity has been the PAN project of European cultural landscapes further information: http://pan.cultland.org/cultbase/ |
Floodplain sedimentation and the succession of rare riverine grasslands: implications for conservation strategies
The rare grassland type Medicagini-Avenetum occurs on relatively high sandy ridges on embanked floodplains in the Netherlands. This fysiotope is characterized by nutrient-poor and calcareous soil conditions and a relatively low inundation frequency. Medicagini-Avenetum, which is reported to have occurred more extensively in the past, is generally appreciated because of its abundant colourful flowers in spring. Nowadays, remaining patches of Medicagini-Avenetum seem to degrade slowly, despite local conservation measures. In our research we investigated the geomorphological processes leading to suitable fysiotopes for Medicagini-Avenetum.
It appears that active floodplain sedimentation is a prerequisite for the development of Medicagini-Avenetum. We applied various methods for measuring floodplain sedimentation rates in the field and linked these data to soil analyses and vegetation data. A conceptual model, following from our field research, illustrates the link between vegetation succession and fluvial morphodynamics. Optimum floodplain conditions for Medicagini-Avenetum are shown to be the result of a long landform and substrate evolution, and are only a temporary situation. In natural river systems the inevitable degradation of Medicagini-Avenetum at one place is compensated for by the development of new suitable fysiotopes elsewhere in the river system. With restriction of natural river dynamics, this cyclic process has come to an end. Any conservation strategy for Medicagini-Avenetum should aim at (partial) restoration of natural river morphodynamics, or at least should incorporate a floodplain management mimicking basic geomorphological processes. Our work enabled to identify the locations along the river where conservation of existing Medicagini-Avenetum vegetation should deserve priority on the short term, but also raised awareness that we have to prepare sites for future development. Maps are being made to support nature conservation strategies.
Information:Henk Wolfert, henk.wolfert@wur.nl
Planning a green river as a solution to increasing discharge in an urbanizing area
Future land management in the upper part of the Rhine delta, The Netherlands, will face two problems in the near future. The urban fringes of the two medium-sized cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen will expand strongly, and urban sprawl may be a threat to the quality of the environment. At the same time, more space is needed for the safe discharge of river floods, which are expected to increase in the near future due to climatic change. Since the River Rhine floods of 1993 and 1995, this is a political issue of high urgency. We investigated whether a new, large river by-pass – called floodway in the USA or green river in The Netherlands – will provide a solution to both problems mentioned. Our example was the Mississippi delta, where the Morganza and the Bonnet Carre floodways were constructed following the Great Flood of 1927 to pass floodwaters from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, thus safeguarding the city of New Orleans from flooding.
The planning of such a green river in a cultural landscape will involve major land use changes and many people will be involved in the decision making. Therefore, aims of the study were (1) to indicate possibilities for new types of land use and to visualize the future landscape and (2) to demonstrate the impact on the water levels in the river system during flood events. The results were compared with the effects of retention polders in the same area, which is another option of which examples exist along the Upper-Rhine in Germany.
Compared to the option of retention basin, construction of a green river will be the best in order to stop the present process of urban sprawl, because of the frequent inundations. These inundations will also induce new types of land use contributing to the environmental quality of the urban areas, and will enhance development plans with high quality residences. Realization of the latter may contribute to the financing of the construction of new dikes. Besides we argued that a green river is not only a sufficient but also a robust solution to the increasing river discharges, as it relies on a natural functioning without management procedures, resulting in a much lower risk of failure during floods. We concluded that a green river is a rigorous solution, but deserves the attention of decision makers, because it provides long-lasting opportunities for an environment which is safe and pleasant to live in.
Information: Henk Wolfert, henk.wolfert@wur.nl
FLOODsite - Innovative strategies for flood risk management
Floods from rivers, estuaries and the sea threaten many millions of people in Europe. Flooding is the most widely distributed of all natural hazards across Europe, causing distress and damage wherever it happens. Previous research has improved understanding of individual factors but many complex interactions need to be addressed for flood mitigation in practice. Thus the first round of the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission (2002-2006) includes an “Integrated Project” on flood risk management, called FLOODsite. To achieve the goal of integrated flood risk management, FLOODsite brings together managers, researchers and practitioners from a range of government, commercial and research organisations, all devoted to various, but complementary, aspects of flood risk management. The FLOODsite project covers the physical, environmental, ecological and socio-economic aspects of floods from rivers, estuaries and the sea.
One of the tasks in the floodsite project is the design and ex-ante evaluation of innovative strategies for flood risk management. The objective is to assess the sustainability of different comprehensive strategic alternatives for flood risk management in different situations by trying the approach in three pilot studies (Elbe for fluvial and Scheldt and Thames for estuarine/coastal) and in view of uncertainties of physical (climate), demographic and economic developments. More specifically:
- To explore which strategic alternative for flood risk management suits a certain physical situation (coast, river, etc.) best;
- To explore the effectiveness/ vulnerability of different flood risk management strategies coherent with different management styles (related to world-views as distinguished in social science) with regard to an uncertain future (by assessing different scenarios of future development);
- To draw conclusions on ‘the best practice/ strategy’ for different situations (contributing to Theme 5).
WUR, together with WL | Delft Hydraulics and TUD, is involved in the definition of criteria for evaluation of strategic alternatives from a sustainability point of view and the assessment of strategies for the Scheldt.
Information:Henk Wolfert, henk.wolfert@wur.nl
Large rivers, safety and nature: state of the art 2005
In 2005, the yearly published Nature Balance focused amongst others on the developments along the large rivers in the Netherlands. We made a concise description of the effects of river rehabilitation measures, an inventory of the governmental funding for nature rehabilitation purposes, as well as an analysis of the policy implementation progress.
Especially fish populations benefit from rehabilitation measures, but also other riverine species and habitats show improvements. Rehabilitation projects make the floodplains easier to access. The results are highly appreciated, not only by visitors, but also by the local inhabitants provided that some of the historical landscape features are preserved.
Yearly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management together spent 26.4 million euro on the average on nature along the large rivers, 54% of which is used for the purchase of land, 34% for the restoration of terrain conditions and 12% for nature management. The restoration of terrain conditions is stagnating for some years now, due to the high costs of removal of polluted sediments and to the tedious planning procedures. The new Room for Rivers policy – emphasizing safety against flooding as well as landscape quality – will result in almost the same riverine habitats as the older NURG River Rehabilitation Program and will thus form a new impetus for nature rehabilitation.
Further growth of natural vegetations into floodplain forests is expected to be a threat to safety in the future: solving this problem needs more attention in floodplain management schemes. Finally, it is indicated that attuning policies and plans to the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitat Directives and the Water Framework Directive, requires a not too rigid pre-arrangement of those involved as well as a shared vision on the river system as a whole.
Information: Henk Wolfert, henk.wolfert@wur.nl