KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

MACIEJ ZALEWSKI

University of Lodz Center for ecological studies (Poland)

Ecohydrology as trans-disciplinary tool for river restoration

The river is an “open ecosystem” which dynamic is dependent on hydrological oscillations and pulses of the organic matter as far as pollutants from the catchment. This in turn depends on climate, geomorphology of basin, ecosystem characteristic, urbanization, industrial pollutions, agriculture practice and river valley habitat modification. The key for efficient restoration of the ecological processes, which maintain biodiversity, is systemic approach based on understanding of interplay between all these components.
The three principles of Ecohydrology can be seen as a framework for river restoration.

  1. Hydrological – quantification of hydrological processes and land cover patterns in basin scale.
  2. Ecological – determination on the basis the first principle, the potential to enhance river ecosystem robustness.
  3. Ecotechnological principle – provides know-how, (dual regulation) for enhancement river robustness – biocenosis by hydrology, and vice versa, shaping the biota, the hydrology – mostly water – can be improved.
The Ecohydrology as trans-disciplinary science provides new tool for IWRM, focusing on "engineering harmony" between society and freshwater ecosystems by use of ecosystem properties as complementary tools to technical solutions.