Broad-scale ecosystem services of European wetlands—overview of the current situation and future perspectives under different climate and water management scenarios

Abstract

Editor D. KoutsoyiannisCitation Okruszko, T., Duel, H., Acreman, M., Grygoruk, M., Flörke, M. and Schneider, C., 2011. Broad-scale ecosystem services of European wetlands-overview of the current situation and future perspectives under different climate and water management scenarios. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56 (8), 1501-1517. Abstract An appropriate hydrological regime within a wetland is essential to maintain its goods and services. This regime is related to the source of the water, which differs for particular kinds of wetlands. This paper presents an overview of the ecosystem services of European wetlands, based on a representative sample of 102 protected wetlands larger than 5000 ha, and the implications of hydrological alterations caused by future climate and socioeconomic changes. Six major ecosystem services of wetlands were assessed namely: biodiversity in terms of plants and animals, biomass production, nutrient removal, carbon storage and fish production. Data showed that, on average, four services were present in each wetland. The impact of climate change, water management and land-use change was examined under different future scenarios. Major potential changes in hydrological regime (i.e. precipitation, groundwater recharge and river flow) were quantified up to the 2050s using simulated runoff and river flow data of the WaterGAP model driven by the climate input of two different general circulation models (GCMs), IPCM4 and MIMR. Thresholds of hydrological change that would endanger each ecosystem service were identified. The impacts of future scenarios were distributed across Europe with potential threats to ecosystem services of European wetlands resulting in the loss of between 26 and 46% of all identified ecosystem services in 2050. The models and scenarios suggest that the most significant loss of ecosystem services is likely to occur in Central Europe (Hungary, Germany, France, Belarus, Poland). In general, the most fragile services (the largest number lost) are projected to be those connected to the surface water dynamics-mostly the services of wetland birds and fish spawning. Ecosystem services dependent on groundwater dynamics and water balance changes are seemingly more buffered against the expected hydrological stress.Key words wetlands; climate change; hydrology; ecosystem services; water management Les services écosystémiques à grande échelle des zones humides européennes: aperçu de la situation actuelle et perspectives sous différents scénarios climatiques et de gestion de l'eau Résumé Un régime hydrologique approprié des zones humides est essentiel pour maintenir leur valeur et leurs services. Ce régime est lié à l'origine de leurs eaux, qui est particulière pour chaque zone humide. Cet article présente un aperçu des services des écosystèmes des zones humides européennes, fondé sur un échantillon représentatif de 102 zones humides protégées de plus de 5000 ha, et les implications des modifications hydrologiques causées par le climat futur et les évolutions socio-économiques. ...

How Much for Water? Economic Assessment and Mapping of Floodplain Water Storage as a Catchment-Scale Ecosystem Service of Wetlands

“…One can conclude that numbers (cubic meters and Euros) presented are in fact underestimated in the catchment scale. It is likely that the natural flood regime and the floodplain itself, left as an area for a natural flood processes, would provide much more valuable ecosystem services, i.e., serving as a refuge to rare birds [18] (bringing tourists and thus income), biotope for protected plant species (biodiversity) and productivity [27], serving as carbon sinks (reduction of CO 2 & CH 4 emissions), increasing self-purification of river waters and nutrient removal from the floodplain, and acting as a desirable habitat for fish spawning [28]-in general a diverse portfolio of ecosystem-based profits [29]. Therefore, we consider the role of flooded floodplain broader and much more positive than just agricultural damages (that can be calculated on the basis of regional economic indicators for agricultural production [30], which is claimed by the local farmers and authorities as the ultimate factor resulting from the floodplain function and negatively inducing regional development).…”

Projected novel eco-hydrological river types for Europe

“…Examples of how flow alteration can change river ecosystems can be found in the literature (for example, Lamouroux et al, 2006;Souchon et al, 2008;Poff and Zimmerman, 2010;Feld et al, 2014). Ecosystem services, such as food provision and recreation, of major European floodplains (Okruszko et al, 2011) are particularly vulnerable. This assessment was part of the European Union (EU) project entitled SCENES (water SCenarios for Europe and for NEighbouring States), which investigated the future of freshwater resources up to the 2050s in 'Greater' Europe (defined as EU countries and neighbours i.e.…”

“…The natural flow regime paradigm (Poff et al, 1997) argues that the dynamic character of the natural flow regime of a river-characterised by its magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, and rate of change-is central to sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem integrity (Lytle and Poff, 2004). Modifications to the flow regime alters riverine, riparian and floodplain habitats that can lead to loss of ecosystem services (Okruszko et al, 2011) and there may be limits to hydrological change beyond which significant (or unacceptable) ecological alteration takes place (Richter et al, 1996;Bunn & Arthington, 2002).…”

Managing Protected Areas in Central and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change

“…Although climate change has already been recognised as a challenge for European wetlands, with regard to their hydrology (Acreman 2012; Okruszko et al 2011;Winter 2000), ecology (Keddy 2010), agriculture (Hardig et al 1997) and even tourism (Wall 1998), the management of protected wetlands still faces a fusion of problems regarding the definition and implementation of effective, climate-changeorientated conservation and adaptation strategies. In cases of broad wetlands, such as the Biebrza Valley (NE Poland; Fig. 14.1), environmental and socio-economic management problems are often related to hydrological processes and a chain reaction of ecosystems and stakeholders to (climate-change induced) the temporal alteration of groundwater levels, flood frequency and duration of regular floods and their volume Coastal zone, as a boundary between sea and land is the most dynamical and sensitive area, which comprises a great variety of natural ecosystems and resources (Palazov and Stanchev 2006).…”