We e xplore the issues relevant to those types of ecosystems containing new combinations of species that arise through human action, environmental change, and the impacts of the deliberate and inadvertent introduction of species from other regions. Novel ecosystems (also termed ‘emerging ecosystems’) result when species occur in combinations and relative abundances that have not occurred previously within a given biome. Key characteristics are novelty, in the form of new species combinations and the potential for changes in ecosystem functioning, and human agency, in that these ecosystems are the result of deliberate or inadvertent human action. As more of the Earth becomes transformed by human actions, novel ecosystems increase in importance, but are relatively little studied. Either the degradation or invasion of native or ‘wild’ ecosystems or the abandonment of intensively managed systems can result in the formation of these novel systems. Important considerations are whether these new systems are persistent and what values they may have. It is likely that it may be very difficult or costly to return such systems to their previous state, and hence consideration needs to be given to developing appropriate management goals and approaches.

/pdf/novel-ecosystems-theoretical-and-management-aspects-of-the-20xgt41pzx.pdf

Novel ecosystems: theoretical and management aspects of the new ecological world order

Fresh water is a renewable resource, but it is also finite. Around the world, there are now numerous signs that human water use exceeds sustainable levels. Groundwater depletion, low or nonexistent river flows, and worsening pollution levels are among the more obvious indicators of water stress. In many areas, extracting more water for human uses jeopardizes the health of vital aquatic ecosystems. Satisfying the increased demands for food, water, and material goods of a growing global population while at the same time protecting the ecological services provided by natural water ecosystems requires new ap- proaches to using and managing fresh water. In this article, I propose a global effort (1) to ensure that freshwater ecosystems receive the quantity, quality, and timing of flows needed for them to perform their ecological functions and (2) to work toward a goal of doubling water productivity. Meeting these challenges will require policies that promote rather than discourage water efficiency, as well as new partnerships that cross disciplinary and professional boundaries.

Entering an era of water scarcity: the challenges ahead.

Human society has used freshwater from rivers, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands for many different urban, agricultural, and industrial activities, but in doing so has overlooked its value in supporting ecosystems. Freshwater is vital to human life and societal well-being, and thus its utilization for consumption, irrigation, and transport has long taken precedence over other commodities and services provided by freshwater ecosystems. However, there is growing recognition that functionally intact and biologically complex aquatic ecosystems provide many economically valuable services and long-term benefits to society. The short-term benefits include ecosystem goods and services, such as food supply, flood control, purification of human and industrial wastes, and habitat for plant and animal life—and these are costly, if not impossible, to replace. Long-term benefits include the sustained provision of those goods and services, as well as the adaptive capacity of aquatic ecosystems to respond to future environmental alterations, such as climate change. Thus, maintenance of the processes and properties that support freshwater ecosystem integrity should be included in debates over sustainable water resource allocation.

The purpose of this report is to explain how the integrity of freshwater ecosystems depends upon adequate quantity, quality, timing, and temporal variability of water flow. Defining these requirements in a comprehensive but general manner provides a better foundation for their inclusion in current and future debates about allocation of water resources. In this way the needs of freshwater ecosystems can be legitimately recognized and addressed. We also recommend ways in which freshwater ecosystems can be protected, maintained, and restored.

Freshwater ecosystem structure and function are tightly linked to the watershed or catchment of which they are a part. Because riverine networks, lakes, wetlands, and their connecting groundwaters, are literally the “sinks” into which landscapes drain, they are greatly influenced by terrestrial processes, including many human uses or modifications of land and water. Freshwater ecosystems, whether lakes, wetlands, or rivers, have specific requirements in terms of quantity, quality, and seasonality of their water supplies. Sustainability normally requires these systems to fluctuate within a natural range of variation. Flow regime, sediment and organic matter inputs, thermal and light characteristics, chemical and nutrient characteristics, and biotic assemblages are fundamental defining attributes of freshwater ecosystems. These attributes impart relatively unique characteristics of productivity and biodiversity to each ecosystem. The natural range of variation in each of these attributes is critical to maintaining the integrity and dynamic potential of aquatic ecosystems; therefore, management should allow for dynamic change. Piecemeal approaches cannot solve the problems confronting freshwater ecosystems.

Scientific definitions of the requirements to protect and maintain aquatic ecosystems are necessary but insufficient for establishing the appropriate distribution between societal and ecosystem water needs. For scientific knowledge to be implemented science must be connected to a political agenda for sustainable development. We offer these recommendations as a beginning to redress how water is viewed and managed in the United States: (1) Frame national and regional water management policies to explicitly incorporate freshwater ecosystem needs, particularly those related to naturally variable flow regimes and to the linking of water quality with water quantity; (2) Define water resources to include watersheds, so that freshwaters are viewed within a landscape, or systems context; (3) Increase communication and education across disciplines, especially among engineers, hydrologists, economists, and ecologists to facilitate an integrated view of freshwater resources; (4) Increase restoration efforts, using well-grounded ecological principles as guidelines; (5) Maintain and protect the remaining freshwater ecosystems that have high integrity; and (6) Recognize the dependence of human society on naturally functioning ecosystems.

/pdf/meeting-ecological-and-societal-needs-for-freshwater-1e2qxo617m.pdf

Meeting ecological and societal needs for freshwater

This chapter provides an overview of global salinization phenomena and investigates the different mechanisms and geochemical processes that are associated with salinization. The overview includes salinization of rivers, lakes, and groundwater from different parts of the world. Special emphasis is given to the distinction between natural processes and anthropogenic forcing that generates salinity, such as wastewater contamination and agricultural runoff. As such, two anthropogenic salinization cycles are introduced – the agricultural and the domestic. The role of the unsaturated zone in shaping the chemical composition of dryland salinization is also discussed. An overview of the effects of salinity on the occurrence of health-related contaminants such as fluoride, oxyanions (arsenic, selenium, boron), radionuclides, trihalomethanes, and fish-kill algae is presented. Some useful geochemical and isotopic fingerprinting tracers are introduced for elucidating the salinity sources. Finally, the chemical and isotopic compositions of man-made ‘new water’ that is produced from desalination are analyzed with implications for predicting the chemical and isotopic compositions of future water resources in the Anthropocene Era.

Salinization and Saline Environments

Economic valuation of environmental services sustained by water flows in the Yaqui River Delta

A major challenge for 21st-century water management is to satisfy growing human demands for water while protecting the aquatic ecosystems upon which regional economies and life itself depend. In arid regions with rapidly growing populations and economies, the task can appear daunting. In this article, we attempt to demonstrate that the unique biological assets of the Colorado River delta-estuary, along with the potential economic benefits of a revitalized and protected delta ecosystem, justify efforts to determine and satisfy the water needs of this threatened aquatic environment. We discuss priorities for delta restoration and demonstrate how a mix of policy and legal reforms, economic incentives, and efficiency investments could help generate water supplies to rejuvenate and maintain a healthier delta ecosystem.

Allocating fresh water to aquatic ecosystems : The case of the Colorado River delta

Science and policy dilemmas in the management of agricultural waste waters: the case of the Salton Sea, CA, USA

https://www.pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2013/02/business_risks_of_water3.pdf

Freshwater Resources: Managing the Risks Facing the Private Sector

Water is an essential input for industries and economies around the world. It is used to cool industrial processes, to dilute contaminants, as a solvent, and as a key ingredient in many products, among other uses. Industrial water use and wastewater discharge can adversely affect nearby communities and ecosystems. For example, improper wastewater discharge can severely pollute recreational water bodies, contaminate drinking water supplies, and make water unusable for other needs. Excessive groundwater pumping increases pumping costs for local growers. Large water withdrawals can also take water away from other uses and exacerbate water-quality concerns by further concentrating contaminants.

Corporate Water Management

Private and Quasi-Private Standard Setting

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