Descripción del proyecto
Predecir la calidad del agua dulce en regiones ecológicas europeas
La calidad del agua en ríos y arroyos depende en gran medida del suelo que recorre las orillas de las zonas ribereñas. Dentro de esas zonas, la capa fuente dominante (DSL, por sus siglas en inglés) contiene el flujo de agua y la composición química de las substancias geológicas y biológicas del material hídrico. El proyecto RIPARIONS, financiado con fondos europeos, tiene como objetivo establecer un conjunto de datos sobre la actividad de la DSL en zonas ribereñas del Mediterráneo y de ecorregiones templadas mediante la adopción de los métodos de un modelo teórico en curso para las ecorregiones del norte de Europa. Comprender la DSL ayudará a predecir el impacto de las actividades humanas y el cambio climático en la calidad del aire europeo. También ofrecerá a los administradores de tierras y los ecologistas los medios para identificar las zonas que necesitan protección.
Objetivo
Science-based, sustainable management is needed to preserve the diverse and essential services provided by freshwaters. In natural and semi-natural areas, up to 90% of the total river length is in headwaters (i.e. small streams). Water quality in these “lungs of the landscape” is controlled primarily by soils adjacent to streams, i.e. riparian zones (RZs). Within RZs, the dominant source layer (DSL), a localized hotspot, contributes most of the solute and water fluxes to streams. However, the relative importance of DSL hydrological and biogeochemical processes controlling freshwater quality varies across ecoregions. The overall aim of RIPARIONS is to develop a unified knowledge framework based on DSL hydrological and biogeochemical functions across Europe to predict material transfer from soils to surface waters and consequent effects on water quality. Specifically, RIPARIONS will extend the DSL conceptual model developed in the boreal ecoregion by testing its applicability in two contrasting (sub-humid and a semi-arid) Mediterranean catchments. First, DSLs will be identified via hydrological site characterization using digital elevation models and on-site measurements. Biogeochemical investigations will link DSL processes and stream solute processing to assess stream water quality. Modelling of climate change impacts on DSL position and subsequent effects on future water quality will be assessed. Finally, a synthesis and integration of this work with previous and ongoing work in boreal and temperate sites will create a unified framework predicting RZ function and water quality across European ecoregions based on the DSL concept. While the Water Framework Directive mandates protection of RZs to maintain ecological status of rivers, it does not state how to manage them. RIPARIONS will fill this gap by identifying hotspots of water movement/processing within RZs (i.e. DSLs) that are the most influential for freshwater chemistry, and thus the most in need of protection
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
76131 Karlsruhe
Alemania