CASE STUDY #12
Restoration of Flood Meadows along the northern Upper Rhine
Flood-meadows (alliance Cnidion) are one of the most endan- gered plant communities in Central Europe. Many species typi- cal to these meadows are already extinct or close to extinction in the project area. This process was accelerated by intensified drainage, structural changes in agriculture and a series of dry years during the 1970s and 1980s which further accelerated the conversion of the alluvial grassland into arable fields. As a con- sequence, many rare and endangered river corridor plants are restricted to small remnant populations in a few permanently non-intensively managed meadows as well as to the fringe of an extensive system of drainage ditches. In general, flood meadows are of high biodiversiy conservation value. Certain types of these meadows (e. g. alliance Cnidion) are protected by the Fauna Flo-
CASE STUDY #13
Kent Dam River Restoration – Kent, Ohio, USA
A 1999 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study conducted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) identi- fied water quality problems in the Cuyahoga River behind Kent Dam in the City of Kent, Ohio. A feasibility study was conducted to evaluate alternatives to meet water quality objectives in the TMDL report while also addressing concerns raised by the Kent community. It was agreed that the design should modify the Kent Dam/Dam Pool and restore the Cuyahoga to a free flowing reach alongside the dam. The river flows through this channel
to satisfy OEPA aquatic habitat and fish passage criteria, as well as enhancing amenity and recreational values including oppor- tunities for kayak/canoe passage through the stretch of river and bank revegetation upstream of the dam. Construction for the Kent Dam restoration project was completed in early 2004 satisfying all initial OEPA objectives and providing a center of gravity for urban renewal in the town of Kent, Ohio.
Source: Biohabitats,
www.biohabitats.com
ra Habitat Directive of the European Union (92/43/ECC). Due to the distribution patterns of Cnidion-meadows in Central-Europe, Germany has a high responsibility for the conservation of this meadow type. Starting in the mid 80s large areas (ca. 400 ha) along the northern Upper Rhine where left to passive restora- tion with the aim to re-establish riparian forests and species-rich flood plain meadows on former arable land. Even after 20 years the grassland that developed from the former arable land is still characterised by rather common grassland species while species and plant communities typical to river corridors are still missing at most restoration sites. Most likely this is due to seed and dis- persal limitation of many species under present-day conditions along strongly confined rivers in Central Europe.
39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112