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The Stream and Beyond: Reinstating Natural Functions in Streams and Their Floodplains

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Restoration of Lakes, Streams, Floodplains, and Bogs in Europe

Part of the book series: Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management ((WECM,volume 3))

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Abstract

Stream restoration has moved from in-stream habitat restoration to reinstating an intact stream-floodplain system. This approach restores not only the dual stream-riparian habitats, but influences the whole stream system – water quality improves, and discharge fluctuations are dampened. Water quality in downstream water bodies also benefits – a waterlogged meadow can eliminate nitrate and lock iron in solid state, and phosphorus can be retained in a flooded meadow. While traditional stream management tended to minimise the retention capacity, ecologically-reasoned management should maintain a good retention capacity for particulate and dissolved organic matter – the main food source for invertebrates. Stream quality can be described in five dimensions: water quality, discharge, in-stream physical variation, longitudinal continuity, and mutual stream-floodplain hydrological contact. Prudent weed cutting has proved a most suitable and cost-efficient tool in the re-establishment of lost salmonid and invertebrate habitats. The inherent disturbance capacity of running waters should be acknowledged: prudent stream management should fully utilise the running waters self-regenerative capacities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Agency of Forest and Nature (retired), Watercastle Old School Research Station, 38 Kirkensgaardvej, DK-7620, Lemvig, Denmark

    Bent Lauge Madsen

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  1. Bent Lauge Madsen
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Correspondence to Bent Lauge Madsen .

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  1. Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507, Praha 6, 161 06, Czech Republic

    Martina Eiseltová

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Madsen, B.L. (2010). The Stream and Beyond: Reinstating Natural Functions in Streams and Their Floodplains. In: Eiseltová, M. (eds) Restoration of Lakes, Streams, Floodplains, and Bogs in Europe. Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9265-6_10

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