Towards a harmonized monitoring of water provisioning, regulating and purifying services in urban forests

Transcription

1 Towards a harmonized monitoring of water provisioning, regulating and purifying services in urban forests Urša Vilhar, Andrej Verlič, Daniel Žlindra & Primož Simončič

2 Outline Introduction Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being Materials and methods Linking ecosystem services to indicators A review of core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests An assessment of indicators availability and feasibility in a case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Results Conclusion

3 Introduction Ecosystem Services & Human Well-being Urban forests provide important ecosystem services, closely related to human well-being: Interception and storage of rainfall and runoff, Moderating stream flow, Storage and recycling of nutrients, Protection from erosion, Support a healthy aquatic systems, Capacity of self-repair

4 Ecosystem Services & Human Well-being MEA, Ecosystems and Human Well-Being

5 Ecosystem Services & Human Well-being MEASURE BY ECOLOGISTS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES VALUE BY ECONOMIST UTILIZE BY DECISON - MAKERS (Nahlik et al. 2012) MEA, Ecosystems and Human Well-Being

6 Materials and methods Linking Ecosystem Services to indicators and parameters Ecosystem Procesess / Functions Indicators Parameters Provision of Ecosystem Services MEA, Ecosystems and Human Well-Being Vilhar U., Simončič P. 2013

7 Materials and methods Linking Ecosystem Services to indicators and parameters Indicator A variable, which provides aggregated information on a certain phenomenon The most cost effective Comparable within the monitoring network Providing results for users and stakeholders Parameter Data/numbers used to quantify the respective indicator Ecosystem Procesess / Functions Indicators Parameters Provision of Ecosystem Services Vilhar U., Simončič P. 2013

8 Materials and methods Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests A review of 7 monitoring programs, projects or directives: 1. LTER-Europe, European Long-Term Ecosystem Research Network; 2. EnvEurope Project, Life Environment Project LIFE08 ENV/IT/000339; 3. International Co operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests); 4. International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems (ICP IM); 5. Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy. Water Frame Directive 2000/60/EC; 6. European Environmental Agency (EEA) core set of indicators; 7. World meteorological organization (WMO) - Guide to hydrological practices.

9 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Ljubljana the capital city of Slovenia Boljša slika! Area: 275 km 2 Population Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Population density / km 2 Forest cover: 41 % Peri-urban flood plain forest

10 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Indicators Available 1 not available 2 high costs 3 free Easy to establish / feasible 1 - hard (LAB analysis, modeling, long-term monitoring) 2 - medium (inventory, automated sensors) 3 - easy to asses (remote sensing, single measurement) 10

11 Results Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater 11

12 Results Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions 80 water quality and quantity indicators Surface streams Lakes Groundwater 12

13 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Forest cover» Crown density, cover percentage» Tree species composition» Distribution of growth classes» Basal area» Albedo» Leaf area index» Vertical and horizontal stand structure» Forest regeneration, ground vegetation» Beginning and end of growing season 13

14 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Precipitation quantity» Throughfall quantity» Stemflow quantity» Snowpack (amount / duration)» Canopy interception» Transpiration» Bulk deposition» Throughfall deposition» Stemflow deposition» Snow deposition» Total atmospheric deposition 14

15 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Litterfall» Coarse woody debris» Soil depth» Rooting depth» Soil infiltration capacity» Degree of soil compaction» Soil texture» Parent material type» Soil carbon and nitrogen» Nutrients» Acidity, exchange characteristics» Heavy metals» Soil contamination by pesticides» Soil physical characteristics» Organic layer mass» Bulk density» Stone content» Leaching by the runoff» Lateral emissions» Soil erosion» Soil temperature» Soil water chemistry» Soil water content» Soil water retention capacity (FC, PWP) 15

16 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Water discharge/level» Chemical properties» Physical properties» Optical properties» Total suspended solids» Organic matter» Fluoride» Water color» Hydrobiology of streams» Specific pollutants» Priority substances» Other substances 16

17 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Instantaneous discharge» Physical properties» Chemical properties» Oxygen saturation, concentration (profile)» Metals» Fluoride» Transparency» Water color» Hydrobiology of lakes» Organic matter» Ice cover» Specific pollutants» Priority substances» Other substances 17

18 Core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests Ecosystem function or process Forest stand interactions Canopy interactions Soil interactions Surface streams Lakes Groundwater» Groundwater chemistry» Groundwater level» Groundwater recharge» Groundwater physical properties» Organic matter» Microbiology» Pesticides in groundwater» Other hazardous substances» Risks of contamination of surface and groundwater from contaminated sites 18

19 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Indicators: 80 Easy to establish / Feasible Available 1 not 2 high costs 3 free Sum 1 - hard medium easy Sum

20 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Indicators: 80 Easy to establish / Feasible Forest stand interactions 1. Albedo 2. Leaf area index Canopy interactions 1. Transpiration 2. Throughfall deposition 3. Stemflow deposition Available 1 not 2 high costs 3 free Sum 1 - hard medium easy Sum Soil interactions 1. Litterfall 2. Degree of soil compaction 3. Soil carbon and nitrogen 4. Nutrients 5. Acidity, exchange characteristics 6. Heavy metals 7. Soil contamination by pesticides 8. Leaching by the runoff 9. Lateral emissions 10. Soil erosion 11. Soil water chemistry 20

21 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Indicators: 80 Easy to establish / Feasible Available 1 not 2 high costs 3 free Sum 1 - hard medium easy Sum Canopy interactions 1. Stemflow quantity 2. Canopy interception Lakes 1. Instantaneous discharge Soil interactions 1. Soil temperature 2. Soil water content 3. Coarse woody debris 4. Rooting depth 21

22 Conclusions Linking ecosystem services to indicators and parameters Storage capacity of the forest ecosystem for water and nutrients Nutrient regulation Water purification, referring to the capacity of the forest ecosystem to purify water

23 Conclusions A review of core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests 7 monitoring programs, projects or directives, assessing water quality and quantity variables 80 water quality and quantity indicators

24 Conclusions Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Indicators: not available / hard to establish 16 Indicators: not available / medium or easy to eastablish 7

25 Outlook to the future Assessment of selected core water quality and quantity indicators in urban forests in Ljubljana Benchmark definitions of selected indicators Long-term harmonized monitoring of selected indicators for water provisioning, regulating and purifying services in urban forests Acknowledgement by decision and policy makers

26 Acknowledgments The study was part of: EMoNFUr Project Establishing a monitoring network to assess lowland forest and urban plantation in Lombardy and urban forest in Slovenia (LIFE10 ENV/IT/000399) Program group Forest biology, ecology and technology, financed by Ministry of Education, Science and Sport

27 Thank you!

28 Case study in an urban forest in Ljubljana Water protection areas in urban forests 3% 1. level of protection 7% 2. level of protection 21% 3. level of protection Decree on water protection areas for the water body of the Ljubljana Basin aquifer (Ur. l. RS, No. 115/07, 9/08, 65/12); Decree on water protection areas for the water body of the Ljubljana Marsh aquifer (Ur. l. RS, No. 120/04, 7/06, 1/12).