Riparian Landscape Change: A Spatial Approach for Quantifying Change and Development of a River Network Restoration Model

Martin Stieger; Paul McKenzie

doi:10.1007/s00267-024-02025-w

Riparian Landscape Change: A Spatial Approach for Quantifying Change and Development of a River Network Restoration Model

Martin Stieger, Paul McKenzie

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Abstract

Natural river landscapes can be biodiversity hotspots but are one of the most human altered ecosystems with habitats
significantly damaged around the world, and a third of fish populations threatened with extinction. While riparian
ecosystems have been negatively altered by anthropogenic activities, effective planning and restoration strategies can reverse
negative impacts by improving habitat quality. However, restoring rivers requires appropriate data on current riparian health
while also considering priorities for different stakeholders. To address this, a Geographic Information System (GIS) was
used to create a new and transferable restoration priority model based on a section of the river Linth in Switzerland as a case
study. The restoration priority model is founded on connectivity, river condition, national priority species and species
hotspots. Landscape change of the riparian zone was analyzed using aerial imagery and landscape metrics. Almost a quarter of rivers within the study area were considered high or very high restoration priority, with many aquatic species set to benefit from restoration. From 1946 to 2019, the riparian landscape became highly fragmented due to significant growth in impervious surfaces and a concomitant loss of agricultural land. The GIS model provides a tool by which environmental agencies can manage natural features over large scales, while also planning priorities and targeting conservation strategies to the areas of greatest need.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-17
Number of pages	17
Journal	Environmental Management
Early online date	20 Aug 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-024-02025-w
Publication status	Published online - 20 Aug 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Data Access Statement

Aerial images were sourced from: Swisstopo (2022) Kachelung SWISSIMAGE Zeitreise (Bundesamt für Landestopografie swisstopo). Bern: Swisstopo, Available at: https://map.geo.admin.ch/#/map?lang=de&center=2711138.85,1226274.67&z=5&bgLayer=void&topic=luftbilder&layers=ch.swisstopo.swissimage-product_1946;ch.swisstopo.swissimage-product@year=1983;ch.swisstopo.lubis-luftbilder_schwarzweiss@year=1983;ch.swisstopo.swissimage-product.metadata@year=1983;ch.swisstopo.lubis-bildstreifen@year=all,f;KML%7Chttps://public.geo.admin.ch/gkuVFmsoTkCsOTSH6fAniA&catalogNodes=luftbilder,1180,1186,1179&timeSlider=1983 [Accessed 02 January 2022]. Secondary data on river sequence biodiversity, occurrence of species and presence of national priority species were sourced from the FOEN: Schmidt and Fivaz (2013) Fliessgewässerabschnitte mit hoher Artenvielfalt oder national prioritäre Arten, Grundlagendaten für die Planung von Revitalisierungen (Schlussbericht). Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Bern, https://plattform-renaturierung.ch/mediathek/fliessgewaesser-abschnitte-mit-hoher-artenvielfalt-oder-national-prioritaeren-arten/.

Keywords

GIS
River Restoration
Riparian Zone
Restoration Priority Model
Landscape Metrics
Planning

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s00267-024-02025-wLicence: CC BY

Riparian Landscape_AAMAuthor Accepted Manuscript, 3.45 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Natural river landscapes can be biodiversity hotspots but are one of the most human altered ecosystems with habitatssignificantly damaged around the world, and a third of fish populations threatened with extinction. While riparianecosystems have been negatively altered by anthropogenic activities, effective planning and restoration strategies can reversenegative impacts by improving habitat quality. However, restoring rivers requires appropriate data on current riparian healthwhile also considering priorities for different stakeholders. To address this, a Geographic Information System (GIS) wasused to create a new and transferable restoration priority model based on a section of the river Linth in Switzerland as a casestudy. The restoration priority model is founded on connectivity, river condition, national priority species and specieshotspots. Landscape change of the riparian zone was analyzed using aerial imagery and landscape metrics. Almost a quarter of rivers within the study area were considered high or very high restoration priority, with many aquatic species set to benefit from restoration. From 1946 to 2019, the riparian landscape became highly fragmented due to significant growth in impervious surfaces and a concomitant loss of agricultural land. The GIS model provides a tool by which environmental agencies can manage natural features over large scales, while also planning priorities and targeting conservation strategies to the areas of greatest need.",

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Riparian Landscape Change: A Spatial Approach for Quantifying Change and Development of a River Network Restoration Model

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Access Statement

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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