Rivers on the Edge
6 mins, WWF-UK
When we think about great freshwater ecosystems globally, most people don't think about the United Kingdom. The Yangtze of China is probably closer to most visions of a great river, or perhaps from a wild perspective Lake Baikal of Russia or the Colorado river as it passes through the Grand Canyon. But there is also great beauty and wonder in small places — streams and ponds — that may lack grandeur but are no less moving or important. The chalk streams of southern England and northern France are precisely such places.
My own research has taught me two lessons about small freshwater ecosystems: (a) they are often critical parts of the landscape and reservoirs of biodiversity, and (b) they have less wiggle room in terms of climate shifts in precipitation, air temperature, and so on. Mostly the latter point is true precisely because they're small, which makes them sensitive to changes in runoff, groundwater, and human use. Sadly, these small systems are also among the least protected type of ecosystem: out of sight, out of mind.
Last September, I was fortunate enough to go visit the Itchen river, one of these amazing chalk streams. The delicate, tresslike vegetation waved slowly at me as I stood on an old stone bridge near a twelfth-century grain mill. Swans and trout moved lazily through the water, ignoring my presence. The scene was almost elfin in its delicacy and crystalline beauty. I think this video captures some of this very well.
The video below was put together by colleagues in the UK to highlight the beauty and challenges of these ecosystems. Climate change is less prominent as an issue in the video, but the focus near the end of the video on water use efficiency is actually quite important as a climate adaptation strategy for these ecosystems. Such small streams will be highly sensitive to any increase the frequency or severity of droughts, and human withdrawals from these rivers will make these droughts even more sensitive. Given that in England most of these streams are in the greater London area, you can imagine the water pressure. Thus, by reducing the water abstraction pressures on the chalk streams, we can effectively keep more water in the rivers and help to buy them a little more time.
You can see the embedded video below or or watch it on the YouTube site.
Enjoy! About 6 minutes.
6 mins, WWF-UK
When we think about great freshwater ecosystems globally, most people don't think about the United Kingdom. The Yangtze of China is probably closer to most visions of a great river, or perhaps from a wild perspective Lake Baikal of Russia or the Colorado river as it passes through the Grand Canyon. But there is also great beauty and wonder in small places — streams and ponds — that may lack grandeur but are no less moving or important. The chalk streams of southern England and northern France are precisely such places.
My own research has taught me two lessons about small freshwater ecosystems: (a) they are often critical parts of the landscape and reservoirs of biodiversity, and (b) they have less wiggle room in terms of climate shifts in precipitation, air temperature, and so on. Mostly the latter point is true precisely because they're small, which makes them sensitive to changes in runoff, groundwater, and human use. Sadly, these small systems are also among the least protected type of ecosystem: out of sight, out of mind.
Last September, I was fortunate enough to go visit the Itchen river, one of these amazing chalk streams. The delicate, tresslike vegetation waved slowly at me as I stood on an old stone bridge near a twelfth-century grain mill. Swans and trout moved lazily through the water, ignoring my presence. The scene was almost elfin in its delicacy and crystalline beauty. I think this video captures some of this very well.
The video below was put together by colleagues in the UK to highlight the beauty and challenges of these ecosystems. Climate change is less prominent as an issue in the video, but the focus near the end of the video on water use efficiency is actually quite important as a climate adaptation strategy for these ecosystems. Such small streams will be highly sensitive to any increase the frequency or severity of droughts, and human withdrawals from these rivers will make these droughts even more sensitive. Given that in England most of these streams are in the greater London area, you can imagine the water pressure. Thus, by reducing the water abstraction pressures on the chalk streams, we can effectively keep more water in the rivers and help to buy them a little more time.
You can see the embedded video below or or watch it on the YouTube site.
Enjoy! About 6 minutes.
Produced by my colleagues at WWF-UK.