Assessing the societal benefits of river restoration using the ecosystem services approach

摘要: The success of river restoration was estimated using the ecosystem services approach. In eight pairs restored–unrestored reaches and floodplains across Europe, we quantified provisioning (agricultural products, wood, reed for thatching, infiltrated drinking water), regulating (flooding drainage, nutrient retention, carbon sequestration) cultural (recreational hunting fishing, kayaking, biodiversity conservation, appreciation scenic landscapes) separate habitats within each reach, summed these to annual economic value normalized per reach area. We used locally available data literature, did surveys among inhabitants visitors, a range methods (market value, shadow price, replacement cost, avoided damage, willingness-to-pay survey, choice experiment) provide final monetary service estimates. Total significantly increased in restored (difference 1400 ± 600 € ha−1 year−1; 2500 − 1100, p = 0.03, paired t test). Removal one extreme case not affect this outcome. analysed relation between delivered with floodplain catchment characteristics after reducing 23 variables four principal components explaining 80% variance. Cultural correlated positively human population density, cattle density agricultural N surplus catchment, but fraction arable land or forest, slope, mean discharge GDP. Our interpretation is that landscape flood risk alleviation are function wealth, areas where dairy farming prime form agriculture.