1. Ecohydrological Approach to Ecosystem Restoration
Prof. Dr. Paul J. DuBowy
Ecohydrology Associates, LLC
Lovell, Wyoming USA

5. Basic → Applied

7. Outline Ecohydrology as the Ecosystem Driver Restoration Concepts
Measuring Success

8. What is Ecohydrology?
Ecohydrology is a scientific concept applied to environmental problem-solving.
Ecohydrology provides the tools to deal with aquatic ecosystems degradation.
Ecohydrology is based on a holistic approach to aquatic ecosystems that integrates hydrology and biology for finding the most adequate solutions for the benefit of society and ecosystems.

9. Ecohydrology

10. Ecohydrology 2
Using ecosystem properties as a management tool enhances carrying capacity of ecosystems against human impact.
This approach is supported by a profound knowledge of ecosystems functioning, as a basis for coupling the interplay between hydrologic and ecological factors, in order to increase ecosystems robustness and resilience to anthropogenic impacts.

11. Ecohydrology Fundamentals
Three Principles
Hydrology and Hydraulics
Fluvial Geomorphology
Biogeochemistry
Example Applications
Flood Control, Navigation and Dredging
Nutrients and Treatment Wetlands
Ecosystem Management and Restoration

12. Hydrology and Hydraulics
vertical
river stage/lake level
lateral
areal extent/inundation
Hydraulics
longitudinal
flow/velocity

13. Hydraulics Manning’s Equation: v = kn/n R2/3 S1/2
v = cross-sectional average velocity (ft/s, m/s)
kn = (English units) and kn = 1.0 (SI units)
n = coefficient of roughness
R = hydraulic radius (ft, m) = A/P
A = cross sectional area of flow (ft2, m2)
P = wetted perimeter (ft, m)
S = slope (ft/ft, m/m)

14. Hydrology and Hydraulics
Why important?
how water moves through an aquatic system
influences the physical, chemical and biological properties of aquatic systems
Abundance
Duration
Flow paths
Flux
Seasonal distribution

15. Hydrology is the Driver the rest is just details

16. Factors Affecting Hydrology
(change)
Climate
precipitation (rainfall/snowfall)
evapotranspiration
long-term hydroperiod (periodic wet-dry cycles)
Geomorphology
landform (floodplain, depression, etc.)
slope (angle)
Soil stratigraphy/permeability
Regional connectivity (surface, subsurface)
Vegetation/wildlife/humans

17. Inputs and Outputs Precipitation (net; Pn ) Evapotranspiration (ET)
Surface flow (Si, So )
Groundwater (Gi, Go)
Tides/Seiche (T)

18. Overall Hydrologic Budget
V/t = Pn + Si + Gi – ET – So – Go  T
PnV; SiV; GiV; TiV
ETV; SoV; GoV; ToV
Residence Time
t = V/Q [t-1 = Q/V]

20. Model Hydrology Pn ET
dV/dt Si So T Gi Go

21. Estuarine Hydrology Pn ET
dV/dt Si So T Gi Go

22. Low Tide
High Tide

23. Organic Flats HydrologyPn ET
dV/dt Si So Gi Go

24. Quaking Bog (Alaska)

25. Everglades – “River of Grass”

26. Tropical Peatlands

27. Organic Flats Bogs, Everglades, Tropical Peatlands
Precipitation driven
Flat topography→Slow outflow of surface water
Organic matter accumulation (peat)
Raised elevation of wetland
Low pH (acidic)
Nutrients bound to sediments→Nutrient-poor ecosystems
Insectivorous plants

28. Lacustrine Hydrology Pn ET
dV/dt Si So Gi Go

29. Closed Basin Systems

30. Lago Titicaca
Pn 47%
ET91%
dV/dt
Si 53%
So 9%
Go ?
Gi <1%

31. Lake Levels
Cross et al. 2001

32. Climate Change–Titicaca
Pn
ET↑
dV/dt
Si 
So ↓
Go ?
Gi <1%

33. Model Titicaca Level Decreasesin
Cross et al. 2001

35. Riverine Hydrology Pn ET
dV/dt Si So Gi Go

38. Climate Change
2012
2011

39. Fluvial Geomorphology Erosion/deposition (aggradation/degradation)
Long-term storage
Sediment transfer
Upland
Upland valley
Floodplain valley
Large river
Erosion
Erosion/deposition (aggradation/degradation)
Deposition
from Church 2002

40. Hydraulic Processes
It is in low-gradiant reaches where we observe dynamic processes such as island and sandbar development and side channel and chute creation due to the continual removal and settling of alluvial material.
Islands, sandbars and paleochannels are not static – alluvium is continually reworked by hydraulic processes and moved downstream, leading to temporal patterns of channel morphology.

41. Balance of Dynamic Forces
Rosgen
Rosgen
(Sediment Load) × (Sediment Size) ∝ (Stream Slope) × (Stream Discharge)

43. Biogeochemistry Oxidation (aerobic)  Reduction (anoxic)
Organic N  NH3  NH (ammonification)
NO3-  NO2-  NH (nitrification)
NO3-  N2O  N2 (denitrification)
Organic P  SOP  PO4-3  HPO4-2  H2PO4-  insoluble inorganic P (complexes with Ca, Fe, Al; adsorption on clay/organic particles)
CO3-2  HCO3-  CO2  C(H2O)  CH4 (carbonate-bicarbonate system) (methanogenesis)
SO4-2  S-2 ( H2S) (sulfate-sulfide system)

44. Excess Nutrients

45. Hydrology is the Driver

46. Treatment Wetlands

47. Fundamentals of Restoration
“Ecologists have learned much about ecosystem structure and function by dissecting communities and examining their parts and processes. The true test of our understanding of how ecosystems work, however, is our ability to recreate them.” J. J. Ewel, 1987

48. What is Restoration?
Put it back to the way it was in the Good Old Days
original “mint” condition
Restoration
Put it back as much as possible
substitute/compromise where necessary
Rehabilitation
Correct the problem
“custom” restoration
Reclamation/Remediation
SMALL
SCALE
LARGE

49. Restoration Factors
Science
Art
Black Magic
Luck

50. Original Ecosystem Ecosystem Function Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Restoration
Degraded Ecosystem
Environmental Alteration
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

51. Original Ecosystem Ecosystem Function Degraded Ecosystem
Miss River Conference
Original Ecosystem
Replacement (Reclamation/
Remediation)
Rehabilitation
Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Neglect (Stochastic Events)
Neglect
Ecosystem Structure
Bradshaw, 1984

52. Original Ecosystem
Non-linear Response
Ecosystem Function
Existing Conditions
Ecosystem Structure

53. Function
Function/Structure
Structure
(Biological Lag)
Time

54. Dynamic Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

55. Degradation
Function/Structure
Restoration
Time

56. Restoration vs. Rehabilitation
Original Ecosystem
Rehabilitation
Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

60. “I’m not trying to recreate the ancient ecosystem. That is gone
“I’m not trying to recreate the ancient ecosystem. That is gone. I’m trying to create biodiversity.”
– D. Tallamy

61. Restoration vs. Replacement
Original Ecosystem
Replacement (Reclamation/
Remediation)
Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

65. Rehabilitation vs. Replacement
Original Ecosystem
Replacement
Rehabilitation
Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

66. Rehabilitation vs. Replacement
Original Ecosystem
Human Benefits
Ecosystem Benefits
Degraded Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Ecosystem Structure

69. Monticello Dam/Lake Berryessa

70. Glen Canyon Dam

71. l/s
85000 l/s

72. l/s
l/s

73. Impacted River Systems
Bengawan Solo
Nillson et al. 2005

74. Simulation Models

75. Replacement
Rehabilitation
Restoration

76. Environmental Sustainability
If you build it, they will come…

78. Restoration Objectives
Enhance Ecosystem Function and Structure
environmental sustainability
Establish Achievable Goals
benchmark Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) to appropriate reference sites
recognize that engineering design and socioeconomic concerns must also be addressed

79. Ecosystem Factors Environmental Design Recognition Understanding
drivers, stressors, and attributes
Understanding
Integration
Environmental Design

81. Getting the Water Right
Quantity
Quality
Timing
Distribution

82. Hydrological Restoration
Plugging ditches
Locating and removing subsurface tile lines
Channel reestablishment
Levee/dike removal/construction
Water control structures

87. Restoration Analysis
Most complex aspect of restoration program and phase with longest duration.
While hydrological restoration can be accomplished in a short time frame (few months or years), restoration of the biological components of an ecosystem is a relatively slow process.
Trends can and should be analyzed in an ongoing effort that will also be critical to success of adaptive management phase of project.

88. Long-term Process

89. Assessment Objectives
Determine if restored wetland ecosystem (river channel and floodplain, estuarine system, etc.) meets hydrological criteria outlined in design report and plan evaluation.
Determine if carefully selected biological and ecological attributes have been restored (project evaluation).
Modify system management to improve the restoration process based on analysis completed under #1 and 2. This process is called Adaptive Management.

90. Why Long-term Monitoring?
Function
Function/Structure
Structure
Authorized Monitoring
Time

91. Conclusions
Hydrology is the principal ecosystem driver in all aquatic systems.
Not all aquatic systems have the same hydrology–Know your hydrology!
It is imperative to recognize the hydrological characteristics of the aquatic ecosystem under study and to use the appropriate tools (computer programs, on-ground structures, etc.) to facilitate management or restoration of the system.

92. Paul J. DuBowy, Ph.D.
Ecohydrology Associates, LLC
P.O. Box 816
Lovell, Wyoming USA