Restoration strategies for river floodplains along large lowland rivers in Europe
Open accessAbstract
1. Most temperate rivers are heavily regulated and characterised by incised channels, aggradated floodplains and modified hydroperiods. As a consequence, former extensive aquatic/terrestrial transition zones lack most of their basic ecological functions. 2. Along large rivers in Europe and North America, various floodplain restoration or rehabilitation projects have been planned or realised in recent years. However, restoration ecology is still in its infancy and the literature pertinent to river restoration is rather fragmented. (Semi‐) aquatic components of floodplains, including secondary channels, disconnected and temporary waters as well as marshes, have received little attention, despite their significant contribution to biological diversity. 3. Many rehabilitation projects were planned or realised without prior knowledge of their potential for success or failure, although, these projects greatly contributed to our present understanding of river–floodplain systems. 4. River rehabilitation benefits from a consideration of river ecosystem concepts in quantitative terms, comparison with reference conditions, historical or others, and the establishment of interdisciplinary partnerships. 5. We present examples from two large European rivers, the Danube and the Rhine, in which the role of aquatic connectivity has been extensively studied. The Danube delta with its diversity of floodplain lakes across an immense transversal gradient (up to 10 km) serves as a reference system for restoration projects along lowland sections of large rivers such as the Rhine in the Netherlands.
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The methodology used here should be broadly applicable to evaluation of long-term changes in systems used by migrating salmonids along the West Coast of North America and beyond.
“The methodology used here should be broadly applicable to evaluation of long-term changes in systems used by migrating salmonids; i.e., along the West Coast of North America and beyond (Bidlack et al. 2021;Bond et al. 2018;Buijse et al. 2002;Opperman et al. 2010).”
From Shallow-Water Habitat in the Lower Columbia River Estuary: A Highly Altered System (2024) · cites this paper as Buijse et al. 2002
The available passages contain bibliographic metadata (labeled Abstract, no page) and the paper’s title, but no substantive discussion of the proposed methodology. Searches for migrating salmonids, the West Coast, and applicability to long-term evaluation returned no relevant passage from our copy, so the claim cannot be assessed from it. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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Synthesizing U.S. River Restoration Efforts
Bernhardt, E. S., Palmer, M. A., Allan, J. D., Alexander, G., Barnas, K., Brooks, S., Carr, J., Clayton, S., Dahm, C., Follstad-Shah, J., et al. (2005) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1109769 · Cited by 1,903 · see citing works
Shallow-Water Habitat in the Lower Columbia River Estuary: A Highly Altered System
Templeton, W. J., Jay, D. A., Diefenderfer, H. L., & Talke, S. A. (2024) · Estuaries and Coasts · doi:10.1007/s12237-023-01229-3 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“The methodology used here should be broadly applicable to evaluation of long-term changes in systems used by migrating salmonids; i.e., along the West Coast of North America and beyond (Bidlack et al. 2021; Bond et al. 2018; Buijse et al. 2002; Opperman et al. 2010).”
- Authors
- BUIJSE, A. D., COOPS, H., STARAS, M., JANS, L. H., VAN GEEST, G. J., GRIFT, R. E., IBELINGS, B. W., OOSTERBERG, W., & ROOZEN, F. C. J. M.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Corresponding author
- BUIJSE, A. D.
- Venue
- Freshwater Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2002-04
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 889-907
- ISSN
- 0046-5070 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2427
- OpenAlex
- W1998656148
- Cited by
- 375
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 12.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.wur.nl
- Locations
- Freshwater Biology (publishedVersion)
- KNAW research portal (Royal Academy of Art and Sciences (KNAW)) (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Keywords
- lowland rivers, river regulation, aquatic connectivity, floodplain lakes, Danube Delta, Rhine River, secondary channels, temporary water bodies, marshes, reference conditions, restoration success
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