Description du projet
Prévoir la qualité de l’eau douce dans les régions écologiques d’Europe
La qualité de l’eau des rivières et des ruisseaux dépend en grande partie du sol des zones riveraines le long de leurs berges. Au sein de ces zones, la couche source dominante (DSL) détermine le débit de l’eau et la composition chimique biologique et géologique des matières en suspension dans l’eau. Le projet RIPARIONS, financé par l’UE, entend établir un ensemble de données harmonisées sur l’activité de la DSL dans les zones riveraines des écorégions méditerranéennes et tempérées en adoptant les méthodes d’un modèle théorique en cours dans les écorégions septentrionales de l’Europe. Comprendre la DSL permettra de prévoir l’impact de l’activité humaine et du changement climatique sur la qualité de l’eau en Europe. Elle fournira également aux gestionnaires des terres et aux écologistes un moyen d’identifier les zones qui doivent être protégées.
Objectif
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
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
76131 Karlsruhe
Allemagne