Restoring the ecological value of water bodies after anthropogenic perturbation: an ecosystem services approach

Supervisors:
Dr Duncan Cameron (Lead)
Prof. Lorraine Maltby
Dr Helen Moggridge
Dr Jennifer Hodges (TATA steel – industrial partner)

The Water Framework Directive’s (WFD) target is that all European surface waters achieve at least good ecological and chemical status by 2015. The WFD recognises that human society has changed the hydromorphology of the water environment to provide certain functions (e.g. building of reservoirs for water storage and supply, modifying rivers to reduce flood risk etc) and these waters are referred to as heavily modified. The WFD target for heavily modified waters is good ecological potential, which is defined as the best ecology a water body can achieve without compromising what it is used for. But how do we identify the ‘best ecology’ and how do we achieve it?

This project will begin to address these questions and will focus on Bottesford Beck; a heavily modified water body with a quality classification of 'bad potential'. The river has good chemical status but bad ecological status, primary due to the impoverished invertebrate community. There is a strong interrelationship between river invertebrates and the adjacent riparian habitat. Riparian vegetation can reduce the inputs of sediments, nutrient and chemical contaminants to a river, it provides food for detritivores in the form of leaf litter and can reduce instream primary production by shading. Emerging aquatic insects can provide an important subsidy to riparian predators (e.g. birds, bats, spiders). This project aims to improve our understanding of what is leading to the quality classification of 'bad potential' quality for Bottesford Beck and how management of the riparian vegetation zone may help to enhance biological quality.

Key Words: Ecosystem services; restoration ecology; riparian vegetation; water quality; invertebrate diversity; water chemistry

To apply, please complete an online application form which can be found at www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/applying
The closing date is 15th January 2013