European Traditional Irrigation in Transition Part Ii: Traditional Irrigation in Our Time-Decline, Rediscovery and Restoration Perspectives

Leibundgut, Christian; Kohn, Irene

doi:10.1002/ird.1825

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In all dry inner Alpine valleys lateral subsurface water redistribution leads to higher soil moisture and ET only in proximity of the streams (Extended Data Figure 5), but it cannot outweigh the low precipitation over the entire valley. These conditions render irrigation necessary to sustain vegetation productivity during summer in these areas 42 . This becomes even clearer during the 2003 drought, when very low soil moisture (Extended Data Figure 5) led to increased water stress and reduced ET for all vegetation types in the valleys 43 .…”

Section: Blue Vs Green Water During An Exceptionally Dry and Warm Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

More green and less blue water in the Alps during warmer summers

et al. 2020

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Climate change can reduce surface-water supply by enhancing evapotranspiration in forested mountains, especially during heatwaves. We investigate this "drought paradox" for the European Alps using a 1212-station database and hyper-resolution ecohydrological simulations to quantify blue (runoff) and green (evapotranspiration) water fluxes. During the 2003 heatwave, evapotranspiration in large areas over the Alps was above average despite low precipitation, amplifying the runoff deficit by 32% in the most runoff-productive areas (1300-3000 m above sea level). A 3 °C air temperature increase could enhance annual evapotranspiration by up to 100 mm (45 mm on average), which would reduce annual runoff at a rate similar to a 3% precipitation decrease. This * Corresponding author 2 suggests that green water feedbacks-often poorly represented in large-scale model simulations-pose an additional threat to water resources, especially in dry summers. Despite uncertainty in the validation of the hyper-resolution ecohydrological modelling with observations, this approach permits more realistic predictions of mountain region water availability. Although relatively small in size, the European Alps (hereafter "Alps") contribute a disproportionally large amount of water, especially during summer, to four major European rivers 1 , in the basins of which reside more than 170 million people 2. For this reason, they are referred to as "the water towers of Europe" 3. At the same time, water scarcity and droughts in central Europe are becoming more frequent 4. The summer droughts of 2003, 2010, 2015 and 2018 have raised concerns about the vulnerability of the European water budget to climate change 2,5 as these events have affected more than 17% of the European population with an annual economic impact exceeding € 6.2 billion between 2001 and 2006 6. Temperature in the Alps is increasing at a fast pace 7 , relative humidity is generally decreasing 8 , evapotranspiration (ET) is increasing 9 , Alpine glaciers are shrinking and the distribution of snow is shifting to higher elevation 10 , while climatic extremes are becoming more frequent 11. The complex topography, the interactions between water and vegetation and the multiple processes shaping the water cycle in mountainous areas hinder the quantification of the different water budget components in traditional large-scale climate change impact assessment studies 12. For example, climate change can shift the partitioning of water fluxes in the hydrosphere and biosphere moving blue water (runoff and streamflow) into green water (ET) 13,14. Quantifying how these fluxes change with elevation, seasonally, and interannually is an important and challenging scientific question. Large uncertainties are associated with the vegetation response to water stress 15,16. Studies in different parts of the Alps have found contrasting impacts of droughts on vegetation 17 , spanning 3 from increased mortality in dry inner-Alpine valleys 18 to enhanced productivity in wet pre-Alpine hills 19. These discrepan...

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Section: Blue Vs Green Water During An Exceptionally Dry and Warm Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

More green and less blue water in the Alps during warmer summers

et al. 2020

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“…Short-term flooding of the meadows via irrigation and drainage ditches twice to three times a year was done to use the fertilization effect of the stream water and to achieve an elongation of the vegetation period [9]. With World War II followed by the need for massive food production and the development of mineral fertilizers in 1950, most irrigation systems were abandoned, and meadows were transformed to crop land [10]. Today, only a few actively traditionally irrigated water meadows exist [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Water Meadows: A Sustainable Management Type for the Future?

Buhk¹,

Schirmel²,

Gerlach³

et al. 2019

Irrigation in Agroecosystems

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Traditional meadow irrigation techniques were once widespread throughout Europe and served as a method of grassland intensification before the era of mineral fertilization. Close to Landau (Palatinate), Germany, there are several hectares of traditionally irrigated water meadows that are irrigated twice a year in parts since the medieval age or irrigation has been reinitiated since the 1990. In a research project "WasserWiesenWerte", we analyzed the ecological and socioeconomic value of meadow irrigation. We compared extensively to semi-intensively used meadows with fertilizer application between 0 and 80 kg N/ha per year which were either irrigated or nonirrigated. The results were very motivating. Biomass production is increased by about one-third with irrigation. At the same time, several species groups did not decrease in frequency and diversity in the meadows under irrigation. In contrast, some especially rare species seemed to even profit. Ditch structures turned out to be especially important refuges for sensible meadow species and added a large quantity of additional species to the landscape diversity. We propose that the revitalization of traditional irrigation techniques should be considered when extensively managed grassland-especially hay meadows-are prone to either intensification or abandonment.

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“…In recent decades, interest in water meadows has been growing again, primarily among ecologists and landscape historians (Cook et al 2003;Baaijens et al 2011). Several regions have restored water meadow as has been noted and listed by Leibundgut and Kohn (2014b). A landmark publication by Leibundgut and Vonderstrass (2016) describes a number of water meadows that have been restored and reused.…”

Section: The Rediscovery Of Water Meadows In the Twentieth Centurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Meadows as European Agricultural Heritage

Renes¹,

Centeri

Eiter³

et al. 2019

Adaptive Strategies for Water Heritage

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From the Middle Ages until the twentieth century, water meadows in Europe were primarily irrigated to improve their productivity and to lengthen the growing season. They were water management systems designed to collect and use water and to discharge it: water had to be kept moving. This chapter presents a general overview and a history of research on European water meadows. It also examines examples from the sandy landscapes of northwestern Europe, from Slovakia, and Norway. Three main types of water meadows are distinguished: simple dam systems, more elaborate catchworks, and highly developed bedworks. Of these, bedworks were technically and organizationally the most complex; they were also the most costly in construction and maintenance. Most water meadows were abandoned in the twentieth century; in many places, however, their traces can still be

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European Traditional Irrigation in Transition Part Ii: Traditional Irrigation in Our Time-Decline, Rediscovery and Restoration Perspectives

Cited by 21 publications

References 41 publications

More green and less blue water in the Alps during warmer summers

More green and less blue water in the Alps during warmer summers

Traditional Water Meadows: A Sustainable Management Type for the Future?

Water Meadows as European Agricultural Heritage

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