Minimizing the climate footprint of river restoration

Most rivers are highly degraded ecosystems.

Two very common restoration measures are the construction of wetlands and the removal of dams, with great benefits for water quality and biodiversity.

However, both measures entail the expansion of macrophytes, i.e. aquatic and semi-aquatic plants, which can be strong greenhouse gas sources, but also sequester carbon.

The footprint of macrophyte expansion on climate is unknown, since it results from the complex interplay of environmental conditions, plant traits and microbial processes.The purpose of this research is to create new knowledge that enables practitioners to design river restoration projects that maximize benefits for biodiversity and water quality at minimal climate footprint.

To this end, we seek to 1) establish novel Climate Functional Types (CFTs) of macrophytes, 2) quantify the effect of macrophyte biodiversity on the overall climate footprint, and 3) measure the climate footprint of river restoration projects using new airborne gas flux technology, and including belowground organic carbon sequestration.

Stage 2 will aim to building a tool that helps practitioners to design river restoration projects with minimal climate footprint.Close collaboration and targeted dissemination activities will ensure that the research is responsive to the realities and needs of stakeholders, and that the results reach practitioners without delay, thus enabling river restoration that benefits biodiversity, water quality and climate.