Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 28.1
Methods and attributes used to characterize the River Adige and its corridor (from Braioni and
Salmoiraghi, 2007).
Water quality (drinking quality; bathing water quality; biological quality; nutrient and pollutant load).
Morphometric, bathymetric, and sediment-size characteristics of the river bed, banks and flow, expressed as a functional
requirement for the minimum discharge rate for the fish
Salmo trutta trutta
,
Salmo trutta marmoratus
,
Thymallus
thymallus
,
Leuciscus cephalus
,
Barbus plebejus
and of benthic macroinvertebrates using the PHABSIM method (Bovee,
1986; USGS, 2001).
Macrobenthos in microhabitats: variety (number of taxa), density (m
−2
), density EPT taxa (m
−2
), EPT taxa/total taxa,
diversity (H'), homogeneity (H max), J (H'/H max), richness (D) indices, density and biomass of the functional feeding
groups (EPA, 1989; Somerville and Pruitt, 2004).
The hydromorphological quality of the river and riparian areas using the Quality Habitat Environmental Index (EPA, 2006)
and IFF (APAT, 2007) in relation to the minimum discharge rate for sustainable aquatic biota.
The floristic composition of river, riparian and river corridor vegetation.
The potential of river banks and riparian areas to support a high level of biodiversity based on the diversity, richness and
complexity of the fluvial habitats, using the Wild State Index (Braioni
et al
., 2008a).
The potential capacity to filter nutrients and pollutants, based on the complexity of the riparian structures involved in the
fluvial self-purifying process, using the Buffer Strip Index (Braioni
et al
., 2008a).
The Environmental Landscape Quality of the fluvial corridor (expressed as the capacity of an area to change without
losing environmental value), using the Environmental Landscape Index (Braioni
et al
., 2008a).
Italian barbel (
Barbus plebejus
), grayling (
Thymallus
thymallus
) and two Habitats Directive priority
species - marbled trout (
Salmo trutta marmoratus
)
and Lombardy brook lamprey (
Lethenteron
zanandrai
). Benthic macroinvertebrates are also
seriously impoverished - for example, in some
places Plecoptera have almost disappeared. If the
benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities
recorded 30 years ago are used as a baseline
(Braioni, 1994), our conclusion is that present
habitat conditions are incompatible with the
water body achieving 'good ecological status' by
December 2015 as required by the WFD (Council
of the European Communities, 2000).
for educational opportunities, encouraging
sustainable development and leading to the
closer integration of historical and environmental
features of the landscape with local socio-economic
activities and local community needs.
The team which developed the Plan included
agronomists, economists, architects and journalists.
This was beneficial because experts from
several different disciplines and perspectives
could make proposals and also verify and test
assumptions. Key considerations included: (i) the
integration of agricultural and environmental
resources; (ii) the economic sustainability of
management interventions; (iii) a system to ensure
equitable resource-sharing between the different
stakeholders; and (iv) identifying informal meeting
areas for local people. In drawing up the Plan, an
analysis of each activity and its relationship and
impact on other activities and uses in the area was
carried out. This analysis was used to identify ways
of improving compatibility between sometimes
conflicting management activities within the park
area. For each activity the effects on wildlife,
landscape, economic, historical, cultural and social
equity were investigated. Other considerations
included property rights, planning regulations,
funding opportunities and the impact on local
communities affected by the activity. A key aspect
The Environmental Landscape
Plan
Using the ecological and pressure-impact
information described above, a second research
team developed '
The Adige Park: an Environmental
Landscape Plan 2007
'. The Plan contained proposals
for the designation of a protected wild area and a
network of local interest parks (Braioni and Tutino,
2007). The overall aim was to use the river and its
corridor as a central axis connecting different parts
of the city to green open spaces, offering a network
