Das Konzept der Ökosystemleistungen

Eine Chance für Integratives Gewässermanagement

authored by

Simone A. Podschun, Julia Thiele, Alexandra Dehnhardt, Dietmar Mehl, Tim G. Hoffmann, Christian Albert, Christina von Haaren, Kai Deutschmann, Christine Fischer, Mathias Scholz, Gabriela Costea, Martin T. Pusch

Abstract

The planning and implementation of management measures to improve the status of freshwaters and the natural flood retention potential of rivers and floodplains (Water Framework Directive, Natura2000, Floods directive) are often challenging due to the various users and diverse legal frameworks involved. The decision-making process could benefit from the assessment and evaluation of ecosystem services (ES) though the complementary knowledge about the effects of management options. ES can be understood as the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being. Research is needed on how the ES concept could be applied in riverine landscapes. Hence, the RESI (River Ecosystem Service Index) project developed a concept and a method for the assessment and evaluation of ES in rivers and floodplains in inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation across both theory and practice. Based on literature and feedback from experts in water management, the project aimed at
defining key conceptual terms (such as offered ES, used ES, and human input) and an ES classification that is adapted to the application on riverine landscapes. For the resulting list of provisioning, regulating and cultural ES, methods for the spatially explicit assessment and evaluation were developed, which are presented here by the example of the regulating ES flood regulation and the cultural ES unspecific interaction with the riverine landscape.
The results and the reflection of the practical relevance of ES show that the ES concept is applicable for river and floodplain management, and at the same time, stakeholders are interested in using it. The application of the RESI in planning scenarios created a crosssectoral basis for communication and knowledge exchange among all stakeholders, which facilitates the development of integrative management options and thus enables solving conflicts of interest.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Environmental Planning

External Organisation(s)

Technische Universität Berlin
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
biota – Institut für ökologische Forschung und Planung GmbH
Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt (LfU Bayern)
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)

Type

Article

Journal

Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung

Volume

62

Pages

453-468

ISSN

0012-0235

Publication date

2018

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.5675/HyWa_2018.6_7 (Access: Open)