TY - JOUR
T1 - Multifunctional floodplain management and biodiversity effects
T2 - a knowledge synthesis for six European countries
AU - Schindler, Stefan
AU - O’Neill, Fionnuala H.
AU - Biró, Marianna
AU - Damm, Christian
AU - Gasso, Viktor
AU - Kanka, Robert
AU - van der Sluis, Theo
AU - Krug, Andreas
AU - Lauwaars, Sophie G.
AU - Sebesvari, Zita
AU - Pusch, Martin
AU - Baranovsky, Boris
AU - Ehlert, Thomas
AU - Neukirchen, Bernd
AU - Martin, James R.
AU - Euller, Katrin
AU - Mauerhofer, Volker
AU - Wrbka, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, The Author(s).
PY - 2016/6
Y1 - 2016/6
N2 - Floodplain ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and supply multiple ecosystem services. At the same time they are often prone to human pressures that increasingly impact their intactness. Multifunctional floodplain management can be defined as a management approach aimed at a balanced supply of multiple ecosystem services that serve the needs of the local residents, but also those of off-site populations that are directly or indirectly impacted by floodplain management and policies. Multifunctional floodplain management has been recently proposed as a key concept to reconcile biodiversity and ecosystem services with the various human pressures and their driving forces. In this paper we present biophysics and management history of floodplains and review recent multifunctional management approaches and evidence for their biodiversity effects for the six European countries Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and the Ukraine. Multifunctional use of floodplains is an increasingly important strategy in some countries, for instance in the Netherlands and Hungary, and management of floodplains goes hand in hand with sustainable economic activities resulting in flood safety and biodiversity conservation. As a result, biodiversity is increasing in some of the areas where multifunctional floodplain management approaches are implemented. We conclude that for efficient use of management resources and ecosystem services, consensual solutions need to be realized and biodiversity needs to be mainstreamed into management activities to maximize ecosystem service provision and potential human benefits. Multifunctionality is more successful where a broad range of stakeholders with diverse expertise and interests are involved in all stages of planning and implementation.
AB - Floodplain ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and supply multiple ecosystem services. At the same time they are often prone to human pressures that increasingly impact their intactness. Multifunctional floodplain management can be defined as a management approach aimed at a balanced supply of multiple ecosystem services that serve the needs of the local residents, but also those of off-site populations that are directly or indirectly impacted by floodplain management and policies. Multifunctional floodplain management has been recently proposed as a key concept to reconcile biodiversity and ecosystem services with the various human pressures and their driving forces. In this paper we present biophysics and management history of floodplains and review recent multifunctional management approaches and evidence for their biodiversity effects for the six European countries Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and the Ukraine. Multifunctional use of floodplains is an increasingly important strategy in some countries, for instance in the Netherlands and Hungary, and management of floodplains goes hand in hand with sustainable economic activities resulting in flood safety and biodiversity conservation. As a result, biodiversity is increasing in some of the areas where multifunctional floodplain management approaches are implemented. We conclude that for efficient use of management resources and ecosystem services, consensual solutions need to be realized and biodiversity needs to be mainstreamed into management activities to maximize ecosystem service provision and potential human benefits. Multifunctionality is more successful where a broad range of stakeholders with diverse expertise and interests are involved in all stages of planning and implementation.
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Flood protection
KW - Green infrastructure
KW - River Regulation
KW - River restoration
KW - Water framework directive
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84973163990&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10531-016-1129-3
DO - 10.1007/s10531-016-1129-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84973163990
SN - 0960-3115
VL - 25
SP - 1349
EP - 1382
JO - Biodiversity and Conservation
JF - Biodiversity and Conservation
IS - 7
ER -