Farmland bird populations have experienced severe declines across Europe and elsewhere. Agricultural intensification is believed to be a main factor behind these declines, with losses of non-cropped features, such as farmland ponds, identified as a key driver. Since the 1950s, many European farmland ponds have been in-filled or, through lack of management, become terrestrialised. Restoring terrestrialised farmland ponds has been shown to significantly increase the abundance and
Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICWs) are potentially effective tools in the effort to restore aquatic ecosystems, and also they incorporate multiple co-benefits. An ICW was constructed in Norfolk, UK, to address the degradation of a stream and lake receiving treated effluent from a small Sewage Treatment Works (STW). Results demonstrated that: (1) nutrient concentrations significantly reduced from the ICW influent to the effluent (percentage reductions: total phosphorus [TP]: 78%, orthophosphate: 80%, total oxidised nitrogen [TON]: 65%, nitrate: 65%, nitrite: 67%, ammoniacal nitrogen: 62%), and mean dissolved oxygen concentrations increased (influent mean: 6.4 ± 1.4 mg l −1 effluent mean: 17.8 ± 3.3 mg l −1 ), (2) there were non-significant reductions in nutrient concentrations in the receiving stream (percentage reductions: TP: 23%, orthophosphate: 23%, TON: 26%, nitrate: 26%), with the exception of ammoniacal nitrogen (127% increase) and nitrite (76%) after ICW commissioning, and (3) mean in situ avian species richness increased from 10 to 27 species. Thus, the ICW substantially reduced nutrient concentrations, and had in situ conservation benefits. It is recommended that appropriately designed ICWs should be implemented widely and statutory authorities should ensure: 1) best-practice maintenance and 2) final effluent monitoring at both the STW and at the ICW outflows.
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