For the first time ever, uniform freshwater experiments are being carried out across Europe. During the course of this year, a start will be made on a series of experiments in streams along the coast from Sweden to Spain. At the same time, a continental series of experiments will start in lakes between Sweden and Turkey. The experiments are part of a European research project examining nature’s reactions to climate change. The experiments were devised and designed by Alterra, part of Wageningen UR. Alterra itself will run the stream experiments planned in the Netherlands and Germany.
Large-scale field experiments of this kind have never been attempted before. The ‘trans-Europe’ approach is also new: every country is carrying out exactly the same experiments and recording exactly the same data. The experiments focus on three of the main factors in climate change that affect water: changes in temperature, water flow and nutrients. As part of the stream experiments, in 2011 and 2012 by-passes will be constructed to allow sections of streams to stagnate and dry up. This is designed to measure the effects of summer droughts.
European framework project
The creator of the freshwater experiments is Piet Verdonschot, freshwater ecologist at Alterra. Verdonschot has been conducting national and international research into streams and climate change for many years. The project for which this experiment was devised is a European framework project (KP7), entitled Adaptive strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change on European Freshwater Ecosystems (REFRESH). ‘Here at Alterra, we have a great deal of knowledge about the effects of climate change on freshwater throughout Europe,’ says Verdonschot. ‘Up until now, most of our European research is carried out via measurements and models. But I wanted to exclude the unpredictable and circumstantial factors that often occur when monitoring in practical projects, so that we could generate uniform results that will be mutually comparable. Field experiments are the best way to achieve this. It is not common practice these days as it is relatively expensive and difficult to implement structurally on a large scale. But it is, however, vital if we want to achieve reliable results.’
The structure that is now being used will provide all the countries taking part with exactly the same information, thereby enabling the researchers to make accurate comparisons. The project will ultimately result in a system that will allow water managements to take effective measures to protect their freshwater areas from climate change. The framework project is being carried out by 25 European research institutes.
More information
Website REFRESH