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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2021) | Viewed by 14124

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Dr. George N Zaimes

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Guest Editor

UNESCO Chair Con-E-Ect, Department of Forest and Natural Environment Sciences, International Hellenic University, 66100 Drama, Greece
Interests: sustianable management of water resources; management and restoration of riparian areas; climate change and riparian areas; nature-based solutions; ecosystem-based approaches; non-point pollutants; urbanization and riparian areas; conservation practices for soil protection; flood management; drought management; hydrological modeling; watershed management; streams restoration; fluvial geomorphology; ecohydrology; protected areas
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Dear Colleagues,

Semi-aquatic ecosystems are unique as they are ecotones that have characteristics of both the adjacent aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. As ecotones or transition zones, these ecosystems have ecological and biophysical gradients. Their uniqueness leads to high biodiversity and many ecosystem services. This is the reason they have been utilized for thousands of years and why many are heavily degraded. In this Special Issue emphasis will be given to riparian areas, wetlands and deltas. These areas face constant pressure due to many anthropogenic factors and, especially, agriculture and urbanization. Many of the ecosystems have been cleared for agricultural activities while most of the most population lives in or along riparian areas, wetlands and deltas. Their restoration and conservation is a priority worldwide since they are essential for human well-being.

Climate change will have major impacts on riparian areas, wetlands and deltas. Firstly, climate change will increase water scarcity, which means these ecosystems will face more pressures from agriculture and urbanization. Climate change will also alter the hydrologic cycle and the hydrologic regimes, thus altering the functionality and processes of riparian areas, wetlands and deltas. Without incorporating these potential changes and impacts, new plans will not manage the areas sustainably.

This Special Issue is focused on the implications of anthropogenic pressures and climate change on riparian areas, wetlands and deltas, and sustainable management practices. Some of the main topics of interest are:

Potential impacts of climate change on semi-aquatic ecosystems;
Ecohydrology of riparian areas, wetlands and deltas;
Ecosystem-based approaches for their sustainable management;
Nature-based solution examples implemented for the restoration or conservation of these ecosystems;
How the sustainable management of these ecosystem can help meet the Sustainable Development Goals;
Sustainable management of semi-aquatic ecosystems for climate change adaptation.

Contributors from different fields are invited to submit their articles on this topic.

Dr. George N Zaimes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

semi-aquatic ecosystems
sustainable management
riparian areas
wetlands
deltas
restoration
conservation
ecosystem services
Sustainable Development Goals
climate change
anthropogenic impacts
ecosystem-based approaches
ecohydrology
nature-based solutions
climate change adaptation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Legal Issues Concerning the Impact of Anthropogenic Underwater Noise in the Marine Environment

by Yen-Chiang Chang and Xu Zhang

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094612 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2628

Abstract

Anthropogenic underwater noise has an adverse effect on the marine environment. Therefore, it is of essential importance to establish the problem consciousness regarding this issue and then regulate it by the application of laws. In order to achieve the aim of protecting the marine environment through solving the problem of anthropogenic underwater noise, this article will comb through the existing domestic legislation and international agreements for potential solutions. At the same time, lessons can be drawn from major developed countries in order to lay down the rules which can in turn improve the law-making procedure in dealing with anthropogenic underwater noise. In brief, restricting underwater noise is indispensable from the joint efforts of the international community. To solve the noise problem, it is deemed necessary to clarify the precautionary principle, make full use of the existing legal framework, and promote targeted law-making more effectively through different channels and mechanisms. Moreover, adopting government supervision as a necessary guarantee can also help to hit the target. Meanwhile, paying close attention to science and technology progress is also vital for solving anthropogenic underwater noise issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Semi-aquatic Ecosystems)

19 pages, 1140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Riparian Areas of Greece—An Overview

by George N. Zaimes and Valasia Iakovoglou

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010309 - 31 Dec 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2622

Abstract

Riparian areas, especially in the Mediterranean, offer many ecosystem services for the welfare of society benefits from their sustainable management. This study presents different tools used to assess riparian areas of Greece and their results. Riparian areas with different land-uses/vegetation covers along streams or torrents were assessed. The assessment tools were visual protocols, bioindicators, geographic information systems (GIS), vegetation indices, and a model. These tools differ in scale, accuracy, and difficulty of implementation. The riparian areas had Low and Moderate quality in Greece because of agricultural activities and hydrologic alterations. Vegetation appeared more important for the integrity of riparian areas than stream flow (perennial or intermittent). In addition, territorial variables (distance from dam and sea) were more influential compared to climatic variables. Visual protocols and GIS were effective for preliminary assessments. GIS can be applied at a greater scale but was less accurate than the protocols. Bioindicators can provide more cost-effective monitoring than physicochemical water variables. Finally, vegetation indices and models can be used for larger spatial and temporal scales, but require specialized personnel. Overall, riparian areas of Greece seem to be degraded, and monitoring would contribute to the development of a database on riparian areas that should form the basis for sustainable management plans in Greece. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Semi-aquatic Ecosystems)

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17 pages, 3208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Prut River under Climate Change and Hydropower Impact

by Roman Corobov, Antoaneta Ene, Ilya Trombitsky and Elena Zubcov

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010066 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2936

Abstract

Climate change and intensive hydropower development pose serious challenges to the sustainable water supply of natural and social systems. This study’s purpose is to statistically estimate the complex influence of these factors on the Prut River flow. Its methodical approach is based on a comparative analysis of the flow in 1961–1990 and 1991–2018, reflecting the regional climate before and after an intensive global warming onset, and in 1950–1975 and 1980–2017, before and after the construction of the Stanca-Costesti hydropower plant (HPP) on the Prut’s riverbed. The compared statistics include annual, seasonal and monthly averages and trends of climatic and hydrological parameters for each period. Since the 1990s a statistically significant increase has been demonstrated in the basin-wide annual mean, maximum and minimum temperatures, of 1.04, 1.11 and 1.21 °C, respectively. Negative trends of annual precipitation were negligibly small and statistically insignificant in both periods (−2.1 mm and −0.6 mm/year, respectively), with annual totals differing by 1.4 mm. The seasonal transformation and changes of the Prut river flow, showing a small annual increase in the period 1961–1990 and a 1.8% decrease over next decades, are in good agreement with variability patterns of temperature (positive tendencies) and precipitation (negative tendencies). The operation of mean-capacity HPP has no significant impact on the total water discharge downstream, but modifies the seasonal distribution of the river’s streamflow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Semi-aquatic Ecosystems)

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26 pages, 5622 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physical and Hydro-Physical Characteristics of Soil in the Context of Climate Change. A Case Study in Danube River Basin, SE Romania

by Sorina-Simona Moraru, Antoaneta Ene and Alina Badila

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9174; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219174 - 4 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2960

Abstract

The intensification of climate change has led to the degradation of thousands of arable lands through desertification and extreme weather events. The Danube River basin in the Galati-Braila region, SE Romania, is a transboundary area of community and international importance, increasingly affected by drought, water, and wind erosion. Consequently, the aim of this study is to evaluate the main physical and hydro-physical parameters of soils, implied in water storage and with a defining role in erosion intensity, nutrients and toxicants cycle and availability, and crops yield. Soil samples were collected both in the disturbed and undisturbed state, from Smardan, Sendreni, and Vadeni agricultural lands and riparian areas of semiaquatic ecosystems, located in the vicinity of the steel platform of the Galati industrial area. Specific laboratory methods of investigation and formulas were used. Chernozems (CZ), Fluvisols (AS), and Gleysols (GS) of different subtypes and various physico-chemical parameters were identified. The results suggested that CZ are of coarse and medium texture, while AS and GS are medium–fine and fine textured. In correlation with this, bulk density values range from extremely low–low to low–high classes. In relation to soil physical parameters and the content of organic matter, hydro-physical indices show water supply imbalances. Through the approached theme, the study is of practical importance for sustainable management of the soil, agricultural projects, and landscaping. This study provides government authorities and non-governmental organizations an overview of the local and regional soil conditions, so that new measures can be regulated to protect it against irrational use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Semi-aquatic Ecosystems)

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13 pages, 2667 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Riparian Land-Use, Stream Morphology and Streambank Erosion within Grazed Pastures in Southern Iowa, USA: A Catchment-Wide Perspective

by Mustafa Tufekcioglu, Richard C. Schultz, Thomas M. Isenhart, John L. Kovar and James R. Russell

Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6461; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166461 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2228

Abstract

Factors influencing streambank erosion at the field/reach scale include both watershed and riparian land-uses, stream hydrology and channel morphology at the catchment scale. This study assesses the relationship of riparian land-uses, stream morphologic characteristics and catchment scale variables to streambank erosion within grazed riparian pastures in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain. Thirteen cooperating beef cow–calf farms and their catchments ranging from 2.5 to 12.9 km² in the Rathbun Lake watershed in South Central Iowa (USA) were chosen to conduct this study. Results suggest that the integration of stream morphologic characteristics and riparian land-uses at both the reach and catchment scale are necessary to explain the current level of streambank erosion measured at the reach scale. Larger catchment size or catchments with more total channel length were found to experience more bank erosion at the reach scale. A significant positive relationship between percent sand-and-silt in the bank soil and bank erosion rates implies that bank soils with less cohesiveness are more erodible. Catchment-scale assessments of the thirteen watersheds showed that within the 50 m corridor on both sides of the stream, 46 to 61% of riparian area was devoted to agricultural use and only 6 to 11% was in ungrazed perennial vegetation, much of it enrolled in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program. Overall, this and previous Rathbun watershed studies have shown that intensive agricultural use of riparian areas over such extents of time and scale could be directly (in field scale) and/or indirectly (watershed scale) related to excessive amounts of streambank erosion (ranging from 8.6 to 38.3 cm/yr) to receiving streams and lakes leading to their impairment and reduction in ecological services. Exclusion of cattle grazing in the riparian areas along buffered stream lengths (2.1% of the total watershed area) of the Rathbun watershed would reduce this impact. This approach could also be applicable to other similar watersheds with extensive land-use under grazed management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Semi-aquatic Ecosystems)

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