Restoration of estuarine nature: luxury or essential building blocks for a sustainable future. Lippenbroek as an example Prof. Dr. Patrick Meire University of Antwerp Ecosystem management research group, Chair of Integrated Water Management

2 Intro Nature Harbour Ecology Economy ? This conflict is clearly unsustainable, but unfortunately worldwide still very common!

3 Conceptual framework The world consists of many different ecosystems, each characterised by complex interactions between organisms and with the abiotic environment.

4 Conceptual framework Each ecosystem is characterised by a certain carrying capacity for specific organisms.

5 Conceptual framework The carrying capacity depends on: -The amount of food and water, -The possibility to hide, nest, …. -The general conditions (eg climate) -….

6 Conceptual framework Carrying capacity (CC) of an ecosystem (river basin, estuary or coastal sea,…) is the possibility to sustain a certain amount of human activities

7 Conceptual framework The development of man and its civilization over thousands of years was characterized by a gradual increase of the carrying capacity of our environment due to changes to our environment

8 Time Number of people

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10 Droughts Floods Pollution health Notwithstanding many billions of euro’s have been spend on watermanagement over a very long time span, society is still confronted with major floodings, droughts, water quality problems etc. Habitat loss overexploitation global change

11 Carrying capacity Ecosystem services

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13 Salmon mousse with corn salad Fillets of Norman Sole with puree of potatoes Jaffa-fondant cake

14 Ingredients 1cornsalad 2coriander leaves 3celery leaves 4shallots 5cucumber 6lemon 7black pepper 8 olive oil  olives 9smoked salmon 10 sour cream  cows Ingredients 11fillets of sole 12 broth of fish  different species 13 white wine  grapes 14mussels 15shrimps 16mushrooms 17 flour  wheat 18 eggs  chickens 19lemon 20parsley 21potatoes Ingredients 22 sugar  sugarbeet 23cacao 24maizena 25walnuts 26oranges Salmon mousse on cornsalad fillets of Norman Sole with puree of potatoes Jaffa-fondantcake + aperitif, coffee, etc.  at least 30 species necessary!!

15 IngredientsPrice/kg/L 1cornsalad 12 € 2coriander leaves 1,5 € 3celery leaves 1 € 4shallots 1,5 € 5cucumber 1 € 6lemon 2 € 7Black pepper 15 € 8 olive oil  olives 8 € 9smoked salmon 25 € 10 sour cream  cows 2,5 € IngredientsPrice/kg/l 11fillets of sole 30 € 12 broth of fish  different species 2 € 13 white wine  grapes 5 € 14mussels 10 € 15shrimps 20 € 16mushrooms 4 € 17 flour  wheat 1 € 18 eggs  chicken 0,20 € 19lemon 2 € 20parsley 5 € 21potatoes 1 € Ingredients 22 sugar  sugerbeet 1,5 € 23cacao 7 € 24 ma ï zena1 € 25walnuts 6 € 26 oranges 2 €

16 1 Day 2 days 19 days 6 days 28 days Sole

17 During different growth phases, the sole needs different types of food From phytoplankton to worms, shells and crustaceans. Ecosystem services

18 Plankton Cyclops DaphniaBosmina

19 MOLLUSCA slijkgaperstrandgaper

20 ANNELIDA

21 ARTHROPODA vlokreeftje

22 The diet of an average juvenile sole and schrimp consists of about 25 species, when adult sole needed more than 70 different prey species to get at that stage! All these species have specific requirements to the environment where they occur and need in their turn other species to feed on! Also different habitats are needed during the lifecycle Ecosystem services

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24 Products with a high market value (eg Sole) are dependent on species WITHOUT market value and on specific habitats as well without market value

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29 Ecological functioning versus Economy “Goods and services” (Costanza et al., Nature 1997)

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31 As we goggle at the fluttering financial figures, a different set of numbers passes us by. Last Friday, Pavan Sukhdev, the Deutsche Bank economist leading a European study on ecosystems, reported that we are losing natural capital worth between US$2 trillion and US$5 trillion every year as a result of deforestation alone. The losses incurred so far by the financial sector amount to between US$1 trillion and US$1.5 trillion. Sukhdev arrived at his figure by estimating the value of the services — such as locking up carbon and providing fresh water — that forests perform, and calculating the cost of either replacing them or living without them. The credit crunch is petty when compared to the nature crunch.

32 Ecosystem services Nature Harbour Ecology Economy Ecosystem services

33 Conclusion 1 The carrying capacity of the earth for men is based on the “provisioning services” that we increased due to many different management activities. These services are, however, completely dependent on the supporting and regulating services and these deteriorated due to the human activities.  The consequences are much more far reaching than just the loss of habitat and species There is a clear link between ecosystem services and the economy

34 ? Will this difference depent On how we are able to Manage ecosystem Goods and services?

35 What does this mean for the Schelde?

36 Antwerpen Gent Vlissingen BELGIUM THE NETHERLANDS WESTERSCHELDE ZEESCHELDE

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,4 20, Year Surface (ha) % intertidal area total surface% intertidal

39 40 km Van Braeckel et al Changing tidal characteristics

40 Drainage of Polder water Increase of high waters Subsidence of the land increased risk of flooding now 1 in 70 year in Antwerpen 4 meter ES from past to present

41 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  biodiversity  habitat for rare species or for global population  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water water regulation and protection against flooding -Risks of flooding has increased significantly -  present management: Sigmaplan / Deltaplan -Heightening of dikes -Controlled inundation areas -Storm surge barrier

42 Slope , current speed   marsh erosion  Continuing habitat loss

43 Coastal squeeze

44 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  biodiversity  habitat for rare species or for global population  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water protection against erosion -Many dikes are not protected by marshes, -  present managament: Reinforcement of dikes with stones and other forms of hard engineering

45 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  biodiversity  habitat for rare species or for global population  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water sediment trap -Due to a lack of sedimentation areas, extremely high rates -  present managament: Dredging (up to ton DW.y -1 removed from the area) NO link to sediment management in basin

FreshBrackish Marine Expected number of species

47 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  habitat for rare species or for global population  biodiversity  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water trophic-dynamic regulations of populations habitat for resident and transient populations important habitat for global population nursery migration route -  severely impacted -  present management: “classical nature management” -Juridical measures -Species oriented measures -Vegetation management -  no impact at all on major problems like water quality

IMPROVING WATER QUALITY?

less nutrients but more algae Hypothesis: suppression of algal blooms Distance to mouth (km)

NEW PROBLEMS? Distance to mouth (km) FREQUENT DSI DEPLETION

51 diatoms DIATOMS

52 Eutrophication Phaeocystis sp. blooms: “foam algae” Gonyaulax sp. blooms Toxic “red tides” ES from past to present

53 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  habitat for rare species or for global population  biodiversity  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water Primary productivity -Reduced -No management

54 Percentage of the load that reaches the North Sea 1974 Billen et al Soetaert & Herman, Cox et al. in prep. 48% t 77% % RISK OF EUTROFICATION, POLLUTION

55 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  habitat for rare species or for global population  biodiversity  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water regulation net transport contaminants to North Sea regulation net transport of nutrients to North Sea -Strongly reduced! -Present management Reduction of imissions by environmental legislation  no link to processes  univariate approach

56 VigorOrganisationResilience Supporting services  primary productivity  nutrient cycling  water cycling  habitat for rare species or for global population  biodiversity  nursery function  migration route  soil formation Regulating services  Air quality regulation  climate regulation  Water purification and waste treatment  Regulation of transport of nutrients and contaminants  disease regulation  pest regulation  pollination  Trophic-dynamic regulation  Waterregulation (protection against flooding)  Erosion regulation and sediment trap  Maintaining habitat structure and features (eg. tidal characteristics)  natural hazard regulation Provisioning services  fresh water  clean air  Food  Fiber  Fuel  genetic resources  biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals  ornamental resources  fresh water

57 Increase of energy in the system  Tides and discharge from the basin  Organic material (chemical energy) Capacity of the systeem to cope with this has been strogly reduced (the resilience of the systeem decreased)  Further h abitat loss/degradation  Further loss of species  LOSS OF ECOSSTEM SERVICES ES from past to present Conclusions

Measure New Measure New Problem Problem New measure ??? Present management is an endless vortex leading to a further decrease of the carrying capacity of the system from both an economic and ecological point of view.

59 Environmental management is more or less like changing an aircraft to increase the size without adapting the motors! It is obvious that this will result in a crash…. An aircraft is however seen as a system in which each part has its function and each part is adapted to that function, taking into account the overall performance of the system! This system approach is needed for our own environment!

60 An integrated strategy Requires: -Understanding of ecosystem services -Quantification of ES

61 HT LT Role of marshes Tidal flat Exchange between marsh and pelagic 150 – 300 ton BSi 100 – 200 ton Si Struyf et al. 2005

62 An integrated strategy Requires: -Understanding of ecosystem services -Quantification of ES  determine conservation objectives! What biodiversity we need to have (structural approach)? Which and how much services the ecosystem must deliver (functional approach)?

63 Ecosystem services can be: -A volume of water that can be stored on marshes (  safety) -Amount of primary production needed to sustain the nursery function -Retention of nutrients -Buffering tidal energy -recreation -=  This are different ways to express a carrying capacity of the system An integrated strategy

64 Tidal marsh mudflats Shallow water Service : Primary Production Si regeneration Pelagic habitat River Zm/Zp Phyto plankton Organic Load/ Si Regulation of nutrients biodiversity Habitat function Regulation of nutrients

65 Final CO:  Max (surface S1,..Sn; F1,…,Fm)  Habitat quality Habitat1Habitat1 Conservation Objectives (CO) Species 1 population Surface S1 habitat quality density Function 1 habitat quality volume Surface F1 unit

66 Understanding and quantification of ES Formulation of objectives The calculation of habitats surface needed Measures to maintain or restore habitats An integrated strategy

67 Ketenisse Marsh restoration

Pilot study Lippenbroek

Lippenbroek 1: Ring Dike 2: FCA dike 3: Inlet sluice 4: Outlet sluice Management scenario Lippenbroek 10 ha of tidal nature developping since March 2006 Pilot project Lippenbroek

70 Ecology: - Introducing estuarine ecosystem - Tidal regime in area - Two times a day! Ring DikeLowered FCA dike FCA estuary Outlet polder Concept FCA - CRT safety, ecology and a new ecosystem Safety: - Lowered dike stretch - Critical tides: whole storage capacity - Only few times/year! ‘New’ ecosystem: Lippenbroek since March 2006! - Area below high water level - Separate in- and outlet sluices at different heights: First CRT in the world with neap-spring tide cycle! Ring DikeLowered FCA dike CRT estuary Outlet Inlet polder

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Pilot project Lippenbroek 10 ha of tidal nature developping: May 2008

Introducing macrotidal regime  Reduction of high water level by 3 meter  No reduction of spring – neap variation

74 Water Quality measurements 3/7/2006 instreamoutstream

75 Water Quality measurements 3/7/2006

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77 Managed realignment

78 Required surface of different habitats The integrated approach Tidal habitats Non tidal habitats

79 Spatial distribution of CO-Schelde: The integrated approach

Structure Function Return to pristine situation is impossible. Sustainable solutions: Restoring functions Managed realignment? - Elevation often not suitable - Not always compatible with safetyplan Flood control area: restoring safety Controlled reduced tide: restoring ecology Schelde: solutions?

81 conclusions Ecosystems deliver services to society: -Ecosystem services But are therefore dependent on the presence of species and habitats and their performance.  not delivering these services has a high cost for society

82 Ecosystem services determine the carrying capacity of the system for human use! Improving the estuarine functioning will also improve the possibilities for recreation A network of nature education centers along the estuary might also be crucial to inform the public about ecosystem services and create in this way the necessary public support for restoration measures

83 Thanks for your attention