Wetlands are a link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and due to their ecotone character are distinguished by high biodiversity, productivity and intense processing of matter. This key position enables wetlands to reduce influences coming from the land as well as to export and sustain biodiversity and water quality in both – adjacent aquatic and terrestrial environments. Wetlands can be seen as the moving boundaries between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and, by that, perform a certain buffer capacity for environmental changes (concept of buffer zones). It has been recognized that these areas offer a diversity of functions and therefore, being extremely important in the conservation of the biological diversity.In consequence, recent actions like wetland restoration and sustainable water management schemes were designed, aiming to protect, conserve and restore extensive wetland areas. However, the process is problematic, the integration of different disciplines and the link with management organizations being only partially operative. Till now the wetland management measures undertaken are mainly of hydrological character, because the interaction of other factors (i.e. between species or at community level) is less clear. The next step would be to integrate and extend efforts in order to improve our knowledge about wetlands biodiversity, functions, services, economic value, and to offer useful scientific tools to the decision makers for a sustainable management of these areas.The aim of the proposal is to initiate a network of scientists and wetland managers for improving wetland management by using an integrated scientific approach based on the role of biodiversity for ecosystem services. The preparation of a proposal for a research project can be one of the results of the established network. The core aim of the network is to investigate and elucidate the role of biodiversity for water quality and other ecosystem services, thus, leading to potential answers how ecosystem functions can improve water quality and nature conservation issues related to WFD and human uses. |
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Project Partners:
Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Department of Biology, J.J. Strossmayer Univ. of Osijek, Croatia
Institute for Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy
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Wasser Cluster Lunz