Here we report on a 25-year long-term sequence of measures to return a deteriorated recreational urban lake, Alte Donau in Vienna to acceptable water quality. Metropolitan waters require focused ecosystem management plans and intensive in-lake efforts. We explored physico-chemical conditions, food web from viruses to fish and water birds, the sediments, the littoral zone and the catchment, management and urban planning, and global warming. Several restoration techniques were tested and critically evaluated. The final management plan was based on bi-stable theory. During the recovery phase, numerous surplus adjustments had to be implemented to secure sustainable achievement.
Currently, anthropogenic activities have caused unprecedented destruction of the environment at alarming rates, leading to undesirable alterations in air, land, and water. The process of environment degradation has been accelerated by industrial processes, which result in waste as well as over-consumption of natural resources. The ecological balance has been disturbed, and resources have shrunk. All this has resulted in climate change, which has emerged as a major concern in the 21st century. Changes in the environment are driven by demand for energy, water, and food to raise the standard of living. These are also responsible for climate change, with contributions from deforestation and CO2 emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. The present volume discusses some of the main issues regarding environmental degradation and the causes as well as the impact of climate change, which is impacting the ecosystem. The effects of various pollutants, causes of climate change with case studies on geochemistry and glaciers, etc., and measures to reduce the impact on biodiversity, health, etc. are discussed in detail in its chapters. In a nutshell, this volume discusses in detail the following issues: • Anthropogenic and natural factors in environmental degradation • Climate change history, causes, and threats to abiotic and biotic systems • Case studies on the impact of climate change and living systems • Mitigation and preparedness for the future
The Ecological Bases for Lake and Reservoir Management provides a state-of-the-art review of the range of ecologically-based techniques necessary for the holistic management of lakes and their catchments. Most of the methods, case studies and national policies reviewed are directed towards management of the largest problem - eutrophication - with the emphasis on the multiple-scale approach needed for successful management and restoration. Case studies come from the USA and ten European countries, and range from single lakes through to lake districts and national inventories. Several essays precede the practical chapters with thought-provoking comments on the political, social and economic climate of water management.
This monograph results from the 4th International Austrian-Israeli Technion Symposium cum Industrial Forum under the banner of the Austrian Technion Society initiative Technology for Peace - Science for Mankind, which was held in Vienna, 23 - 25 April 200 I, devoted to Preservation of the Quality of our Water Resources. The Symposium was a cooperative effort with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and Science and Culture, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy and Labor. The program was structured and managed by a joint Program Committee incorporating the editors of this monograph, who are faculty members from the Stephan and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, and the University of Agricultural Sciences (Bodenkultur) of Vienna. The Symposium attracted participation from universities, research institutes, industries, and national authorities from Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Autonomy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, USA, and Uzbekistan. The Symposium topics were of major international interest, and talks were at a high professional level. Therefore, I have gladly accepted the initiative of the Symposium Program Committee to extend and expand manuscripts of special merit to chapters of this monograph, whose title is identical to that of the Symposium. Out of the 39 papers presented at the Symposium, 24 papers were selected for inclusion in this monograph, according to their scientific merit and quality of contribution to the overall subject. Those selected were expanded and subjected to peer review for inclusion in this Volume.
This condensed volume summarizes updated knowledge on the warm-monomictic subtropical Lake Kinneret, including its geophysical setting, the dynamics of physical, chemical and biological processes and the major natural and anthropogenic factors that affect this unique aquatic ecosystem. This work expands on a previous monograph on Lake Kinneret published in 1978 and capitalizes on the outcome of more than 40 years of research and monitoring activities. These were intensively integrated with lake management aimed at sustainable use for supply of drinking water, tourism, recreation and fishery. The book chapters are aimed at the limnological community, aquatic ecologists, managers of aquatic ecosystems and other professionals. It presents the geographic and geological setting, the meteorology and hydrology of the region, continues with various aspects of the pelagic and the littoral systems. Finally, the last section of the book addresses lake management, demonstrating how the accumulated knowledge was applied in order to manage this important source of freshwater. The section on the pelagic system comprises the heart of the book, addressing the major physical processes, external and internal loading, the pelagic communities (from bacteria to fish), physiological processes and the major biogeochemical cycles in the lake.
River Restoration River restoration initiatives are now widespread across the world. The research efforts undertaken to support them are increasingly interdisciplinary, focusing on ecological, chemical, physical as well as societal issues. River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives provides a comprehensive overview of research in the field of river restoration in humanities and the social sciences. It illustrates how, in the last thirty years or so, such approaches have evolved and strengthened within the restoration sciences. The scientific community working in this domain has structured itself, often regionally and circumstantially, to critically assess and improve restoration policies and practices. As a research field, river restoration tackles three thematic axes: Human-river interactions – especially perceptions and practices of rivers, and how these interactions can be changed by restoration projects Political processes, with a particular interest in governance and decision-making, and a specific emphasis on the question of public participation in restoration projects Evaluation of the social and economic benefits of river restoration River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives encompasses these three topics, and more, to provide the reader with the most up-to-date and holistic view of this constantly evolving area. The book will be of particular interest to human and social scientists, biophysical scientists (hydrologists, geomorphologists, ecologists), environmental scientists, public policy makers, design or planning officers, and anyone working in the field of river restoration.
Eutrophication continues to be a major global challenge to water quality scientists. The global demand on water resources due to population increases, economic development, and emerging energy development schemes has created new environmental challenges to global sustainability. Eutrophication, causes, consequences, and control provides a current account of many important aspects of the processes of natural and accelerated eutrophication in major aquatic ecosystems around the world. The connections between accelerated eutrophication and climate change, chemical contamination of surface waters, and major environmental and ecological impacts on aquatic ecosystems are discussed. Water quality changes typical of eutrophication events in major climate zones including temperate, tropical, subtropical, and arid regions are included along with current approaches to treat and control increased eutrophication around the world. The book provides many useful new insights to address the challenges of global increases in eutrophication and the increasing threats to biodiversity and water quality.
This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.
