| Description: |
In the face of climate change, cities have started to restore their degraded small-water bodies (streams and ponds) or build new aquatic ecosystems which can be regarded as aquatic nature-based solutions (aquaNbS). Aimed at helping to adapt cities to climate change, these freshwater habitats pro-vide numerous services and functions related to water-cycle, stormwater, flooding and microclimate regulation, while providing aesthetic and recreational values, and supporting local biodiversity – which in turn underpins the services provided. Still, urban aquaNbS such as infiltration ponds, constructed wetlands, rewilded urban streams, are frequently neglected in biodiversity monitoring, and are thus not systematically monitored. However, to ensure their long-term ecological success and functioning, there is an urgent need to evaluate their biodiversit y and ecological functionality. This report provides practical information and guidelines for developers, planners and designers of how to monitor biodiversity and functioning of urban aquaNbS. The report is based on research results and experiences from the project “Bringing nature back – biodiversity-friendly nature-based solutions in cities (BiNatUr)” in five European cities (Antwerp, Berlin, Helsinki, Lisbon and Poznań) where a moni-toring framework targeting aquaNbS biodiversity and functioning metrics was developed and used. The report gives guidelines for conducting in-situ monitoring on hydromorphological conditions, vege-tation (both terrestrial and aquatic), microbial communities, macroinvertebrate communities, hydro-logical processes and water quality. In addition, the report gives examples on how such collected data can be analyzed and used as an indicator for ecohydrological quality and biodiversity values of urban aquaNbS. By using research-based monitoring methods and indicators, it is possible to support the design, imple-mentation and long-term maintenance of restoration interventions and aquaNbS, and to enhance their comprehensive management ... |