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A Risk-Based Ecohydrological Approach to Assessing Environmental Flow Regimes
Glenn B Mcgregor1, Jonathan C Marshall2, Jaye S Lobegeiger2
1Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, GPO Box 5078, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia. glenn.mcgregor@dsiti.qld.gov.au.
Environmental Management
|March 29, 2017
Summary
Developing new environmental flow assessment methods is crucial for protecting river ecosystems. This risk-based ecohydrological approach addresses deficiencies in current strategies, ensuring long-term ecological sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Ecohydrology
- Riverine Ecology
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Water resource development significantly alters river flow regimes, impacting ecosystem health.
- Existing environmental flow assessment methods in Queensland have deficiencies, hindering effective water policy and legislation.
- Current approaches often overlook non-flow threats, the frequency of flow events, and appropriate spatial scales for ecological outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel risk-based ecohydrological approach for environmental flow assessment.
- To address the limitations of existing methods in managing riverine ecosystems under flow alteration.
- To provide a robust framework for water planning decisions supporting ecological sustainability.
Main Methods:
- Identified ecosystem values linked to desired ecological outcomes.
- Quantified flow-dependencies through monitoring and research.
- Utilized ecological modeling to assess flow-related responses over historical periods.
- Evaluated relative risks of different flow management scenarios at relevant spatial scales.
Main Results:
- The developed approach is sensitive to flow alteration and incorporates broader ecosystem requirements.
- Ecological modeling quantified flow-related responses, enabling risk assessment of management scenarios.
- The method overcomes deficiencies in existing approaches regarding non-flow threats, flow event frequency, and spatial scale.
Conclusions:
- The risk-based ecohydrological approach provides a robust foundation for water planning decisions.
- This method enhances the ability to protect and restore riverine ecosystems by considering multiple factors.
- Case studies illustrate the practical application and benefits of the new assessment framework.
Keywords:
Chelodina longicollisEcologically sustainable developmentEnvironmental valuesPseudomugil signifierTrade-offsWater planningMore Related Videos
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