River restoration concepts — goals and perspectives

Human activities have been affecting rivers and other natural systems for millennia. Anthropogenic changes to rivers over the last few centuries led to the accelerating state of decline of coastal and estuarine regions globally. Urban rivers are parts of larger catchment ecosystems, which in turn form parts of wider nested, interconnected systems. Accurate modelling of urban rivers may not be possible because of the complex multisystem interactions operating concurrently and over different spatial and temporal scales. This paper overviews urban river syndrome, the accelerating deterioration of urban river ecology, and outlines growing conservation challenges of river restoration projects. This paper also reviews the river Thames, which is a typical urban river that suffers from growing anthropogenic effects and thus represents all urban rivers of similar type. A particular emphasis is made on ecosystem adaptation, widespread extinctions and the proliferation of non-native species in the urban Thames. This research emphasizes the need for a holistic systems approach to urban river restoration.

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Fluvial Geomorphology and River Management

Water ◽

10.3390/w13111608 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 1608

Author(s):

Salvatore Ivo Giano

Keyword(s):

Human Activities ◽

River Restoration ◽

Fluvial Geomorphology ◽

Landscape Evolution ◽

River Management ◽

Special Issue ◽

Fluvial Systems ◽

The Impact

This Special Issue deals with the role of fluvial geomorphology in landscape evolution and the impact of human activities on fluvial systems, which require river restoration and management [...]

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Conservatives and Champions: River Managers and the River Restoration Discourse in the United Kingdom

Environment and Planning A Economy and Space ◽

10.1068/a3637 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 36 (11) ◽

pp. 1929-1942 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

William M Adams ◽

Martin R Perrow ◽

Angus Carpenter

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

River Restoration ◽

The United Kingdom

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How environmental stress leads to alternative microbiota states in a river ecosystem: A new insight into river restoration

Water Research ◽

10.1016/j.watres.2021.117538 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 117538

Author(s):

Jiahui Shang ◽

Wenlong Zhang ◽

Xinqi Chen ◽

Yi Li ◽

Lihua Niu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

River Restoration ◽

River Ecosystem ◽

Insight Into

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A Special Section on Dam Removal and River Restoration

BioScience ◽

10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0653:assodr]2.0.co;2 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 52 (8) ◽

pp. 653 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

DAVID D. HART ◽

N. LEROY POFF

Keyword(s):

River Restoration ◽

Special Section ◽

Dam Removal

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Flow and wake characteristics associated with large wood to inform river restoration

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87892-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Isabella Schalko ◽

Ellen Wohl ◽

Heidi M. Nepf

Keyword(s):

Habitat Suitability ◽

River Restoration ◽

Recirculation Zone ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Turbulence Level ◽

Large Wood ◽

River Ecosystem ◽

Mean Velocity ◽

Physical Model Tests ◽

Channel Center

AbstractWood is an integral part of a river ecosystem and the number of restoration projects using log placements is increasing. Physical model tests were used to explore how the wood position and submergence level (discharge) affect wake structure, and hence the resulting habitat. We observed a von-Kármán vortex street (VS) for emergent logs placed at the channel center, while no VS formed for submerged logs, because the flow entering the wake from above the log (sweeping flow) inhibited VS formation. As a result, emergent logs placed at the channel center resulted in ten times higher turbulent kinetic energy compared to submerged logs. In addition, both spatial variation in time-mean velocity and turbulence level increased with increasing log length and decreasing submergence level. Submerged logs and logs placed at the channel side created a greater velocity deficit and a longer recirculation zone, both of which can increase the residence time in the wake and deposition of organic matter and nutrients. The results demonstrate that variation in log size and degree of submergence can be used as a tool to vary habitat suitability for different fish preferences. To maximize habitat diversity in rivers, we suggest a diverse large wood placement.

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