Process orientated research on the self purification capacity of heavily modified streams in the Weinviertel/Lower Austria and South Moravia: Development of guidelines for sustainable restoration measures in order to improve water quality (ProFor)
Abstract
Due to the high agricultural land use, most stream reaches in the northern part of Lower Austria are heavily modified and carry high amounts of nutrients. Together with the low precipitation in the region, this leads to a marked confinement of the streams’ integrity and to a bad ecological status. The aim of the proposed three-year project PROFOR (2008-2011) is to identify management options for such heavily modified low order streams which have the potential to influence the self-purification of these streams positively and to restore good water quality according to the EU Water Framework Directive. The project focuses on biogeochemical processes which are linked to stream structures and river bed morphology and which can, thus, be influenced by restoration measures. For the study, characteristic stream reaches of different hydro-morphological features and degrees of modification, from semi-natural over restored to heavily modified reaches, will be selected. Nutrient loading and transformation patterns will be investigated at catchment (point vs. non-point sources), reach (four-dimensional nutrient transport and uptake patterns) and micro scale (individual uptake and release processes) and will be linked within functional models. Based on these results, a Catalogue of restoration measures for small water bodies in agricultural landscapes will be developed.
Nährstoffbelastung Nährstoffbelastung Nährstoffbelastung Nährstoffbelastung Nährstoffbelastung Sanierungsmaßnahmen Sanierungsmaßnahmen
Publikationen
Project staff
Susanne Muhar
Ao.Univ.Prof.i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Susanne Muhar
susanne.muhar@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-81210
BOKU Project Leader
01.03.2009 - 31.12.2011
BOKU partners
External partners
Wassercluster Lunz - biologische Station GmbH
Thomas Hein
partner