Preservation of Selected Ecosystem Services in the Floodplains of the Naryn River (Kyrgyzstan): Introducing the ÖkoFlussPlan Project (original) (raw)
Related papers
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2022
Conservation and restoration of riparian forests are important for strengthening river banks and preserving biodiversity as well as for mitigating impacts of climate change. Increasing temperature and climate variability, flooding and drought, alteration of the intensity of precipitation and melting glaciers in high mountain areas affect the physical condition of natural resources as well as natural hazards. Climate change might cause larger and potentially hazardous summer floods. The temporary storage of floodwaters in the floodplain areas reduces the flood risk downstream. In this paper, the current state of natural resources and the benefits of mountain floodplain forests is investigated. The satellite imagery was used to study the landscape changes for mapping the investigation areas. The assessment of changes is necessary for the further development of restorative plan for floodplain rivers. The results provide information on options for management and provide assistance to th...
2020
In this paper, to study the floodplains along the Naryn River they have been selected two investigation areas in the distance and nearby of settlements, in case Emgek-Talaa and Ak-Tal villages of Naryn region in Kyrgyzstan. We analyse anthropogenic impacts on these areas and ecosystem services provided by floodplain forests in a comprehensive way including ecosystem structures. Floodplain areas deliver multi-functional services as forest, pasture land, habitats of plant and animal species, and also as resting place for local people. The methodology contains exploration of the study the landscape changes of the investigation areas by using remote sensing and GIS. The climatic conditions for the investigated area, as well as the magnitude and frequency of annual, monthly and daily water discharge of surface runoff and also groundwater level of the Naryn River were investigated. Increasing temperature and climate variability, flooding and drought, alteration of intensity of precipitati...
Bulletin of the Karaganda University. “Biology, medicine, geography Series”, 2021
The article provides information on the current state of the oak forests of the Ural River floodplain (West Kazakhstan) based on the analysis of forest inventory materials (as of 01.01.1992 and 01.01.2016) and field surveys. The study of the dynamics of the oak forests (Quercus robur L.) is timely and relevant due to the important ecological role of the oak forests as the most resilient among floodplain forests, and the need to preserve their biological diversity near the south-eastern limit of the natural distribution range. Over a 24-year period, the area of the oak forests decreased by 98.7 hectares (4 %). During the study there has been a decrease in the stand density and site productivity, as well as the predominance of mature stands reproduced through re-sprouting. Pure oak forests or oak forest with an insignificant admixture of Ulmus laevis Pall., Populus alba L. and Acer negundo L. are the most common oak forest types. Natural regeneration of Q. robur is unsatisfactory or a...
Sustainability, 2022
This article shows how to restore Central European natural capital effectively. Water in the landscape is primarily sustained by vegetation and soil, most effectively by natural forests and only secondarily by artificial reservoirs. The authors document these facts using a case study from the Želivka River basin (Švihov reservoir), which collects surface water for the metropolitan region of Prague and Central Bohemia. With the Energy-Water-Vegetation Method, the authors demonstrate that the cultural human-changed landscape of the Želivka river basin is able to utilize only about 60% of its solar energy potential. In 1.5% of the territory of the Czech Republic, society annually loses supporting ecosystem services at a level higher than 25% of the annual GDP of the CR 2015. Water retention in the landscape needs to be re-evaluated and addressed in accordance with the thermodynamic principles of life and ecosystem functioning in the biosphere. It is necessary to begin restoring the mos...
2010
Naturally, the floodplains of Central Asian rivers harbour riparian, so-called ‘Tugai’ forests, reeds with Phragmites australis, and shrub communities which form a mosaic depending on the variety of available ground water. In recent decades, these natural ecosystems have been strongly altered anthropogenically or even completely destroyed. In order to restore those ecosystems, knowledge on vegetation, ecosystem dynamics, and natural regeneration processes is essential. In our study, we present results of ecological investigations at the Tarim River. We gathered comprehensive data on soil, vegetation, forest stand age, tree vitality, river course dynamics, and land use and brought it to the landscape level. Thus, recommendations are derived for the maintenance of these floodplain ecosystems, in particular with regard to their biological diversity.
2005
Vegetation units were described in detail and then vegetation mapping performed at a broader scale of the studied Upper Vltava floodplain (Šumava National Park, Czech Republic), and detailed analyses of vegetation and hydrochemical parameters conducted along three cross-sectional transects. Data analysis using multivariate methods showed that the following characteristics appeared to be significantly correlated with the vegetation pattern: mean position of water table; distance from the river; pH, concentration of NH 4 , and content of humic acids in groundwater. Two distinct zones were distinguished in the floodplain: Zone I, under the direct influence of the river; and Zone II, under the prevailing influence of water coming from adjacent upland and/or from upwelling deep groundwater. A diverse mosaic of riparian communities was typical for Zone I, while peatlands characterised Zone II. The high diversity of the floodplain vegetation, and the occurrence of many rare, endangered and phytogeographically important species, indicate the uniqueness of the floodplain within central Europe. The floodplain still exhibits an oligotrophic-mesotroph-ic status, with only very localised human-induced eutrophication, and its protection should be among the priorities of the Šumava National Park.