Mediterranean lakes: lessons
learned from the “new” lake
Karla, Greece
Ifigenia Kagalou
Prof. School of Engineering
Democritus University of Thrace
ikagkalo@civil.duth.gr
The Mediterranean
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Mediterranean climate, with dry subtropical summers, dominates regions from
32 to 40 latitude, north and south of the
Equator.
In Mediterranean regions there is a
segregation of two well-separated
seasons, a wet winter, during which most
of the precipitation is concentrated, and
an arid summer with no precipitation
(Naselli-Flores & Barone, 2005)
13/4/2015
pressures
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Mediterranean regions are concentrated centres
of both human populations ( very earliest
settlements!!!) and agricultural production
Competition for water is among the highest in
the world (Gasith & Resh,1999)
Greater demand coincides with low availability
Unpredictable annual precipitation and limited
water availability during the dry season have
resulted in extensive water infrastructure
development, which complicate efforts to restore
and manage freshwater ecosystems
The Mediterraneans,
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It is well documented the contrast
between the Mediterranean and other
temperate limnosystems, taking into
account climatic variability , water scarcity,
nutrients , demography, e.t.c.
The ‘limnicity’ is quite uneven in Europe (
in Sweden=9%, in Greece 0.5%) more
sensitive in Meds in terms of
eutrophication, accommodating various
uses.
Mediterraneans, problems arisen,
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There has been a growing ”concern” of “non-effective”
management practices
Focused, mainly, on the issue that restoration
depends on a variety of factors particularly on climate
, last years “acts horizontally”
Finally ,there has been a social and politic resistance
concerning water allocation under the light of
protection and conservation purposes.
In Greece, institutional capacity often is inadequate to
develop and apply integrated management plans.
…,
Concern on the so-called “ignore of the local
people participation” and the lack of the
traditional knowledge.
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Finally, there has been an opposition for
applying “good management practices” with
consequences to the ecosystem’s preservation
The value of freshwaters,
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Freshwaters offer diversity from small
ponds and springs to large lakes and huge
floodplain systems.
In this collection, there is a great species
diversity and also interesting relationships
amongst them and with the local people.
Managing of the whole system means
efforts in technical, political, legislative
and ethical issues.
The protected areas
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Freshwater P.A. are widely perceived as “magic
bullets’ against overexploitation, pollution…
The main strategy (EU) for their conservation is
the appropriate management to maintain
essential ecological processes.
This approach should incorporate the
sympathetic actions of the local people
Hydrology: does it affect all functions?
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Low water levels may enhance submerged plant biomass
and coverage in SMLs (Romo et al., 2004; Fernández-Aláez et
al., 2004 ….)
Concentrations of the major ions and nutrients (nitrogen
and phosphorus) vary with water levels (Talling, 2001;
Nöges et al., 2003)
increase of eutrophication during drought periods in the
Mediterranean region (Quintana et al., 1998; Kagalou et
al.,2010)
Drought-induced decrease in water level and increase in
water residence time may provide longer contact with
sediment that may enhance internal release of nutrients,
such as phosphorus (Romo et al., 2005)
Favor cyanobacteria over other algal taxa ( toxicity
risk!!)
…,
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Increase of salinity
drop in water level may cause deterioration of
spawning grounds, and change spawning
behaviour and migration patterns of fish
Dominance of cyprinids
Vulnerability of other species
Top-down control???? Effective???
What happens to Greek lakes???
2009)
(Kagalou & Leonardos
Uses
Fisheries
Recreation
Irrigation
Industrial
Hydro-power
Mang/ment auth.
(No/Yes)
name
Amvrakia
x
Voulkaria
x
Lysimachia
x
Ozeros
x
x
x
x
N
Trichonis
x
x
x
x
N
x
x
N
x
x
x
x
x
N
x
x
N
x
Taka
Tsivlou
Paralimni
x
x
N
x
N
x
N
Yliki
x
Kalodiki
x
x
x
N
N
Y
Volvi
x
x
x
Y
Koronia
x
x
x
Y
Pamvotis
x
x
x
Y
Kastoria
x
x
x
N
Doirani
x
Vistonis
x
Ismaritis
x
Vegoritis
x
x
x
x
Y
Zazari
x
x
x
x
N
Megali Prespa
x
x
Mikri Prespa
x
x
Petron
x
Chimaditis
x
x
x
x
x
N
x
x
N
x
Y
Y
x
Y
x
N
x
x
N
Driver
Pressure
Agriculture
& climate
-intensive agricultural practices in the catchment
area ( N leaching, more water abstraction….)
Livestock&
climate
-farming practices in the catchment area
(sheep/goats farming, poultry farms)
Urbanizatio
n
-urban development
Tourism
-touristic activity focused on the lake
Climate
- All above mentioned
Constructio
n of dikes
- In the hydrological basin
Fish
stocking
-exotic herbivorous and planktivorous species
Response
State
Impact
a
50
share of lakes (%)
share of lakes (%)
60
40
30
20
10
0
>800
200-800
<200
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
d
calcareous
altitude (m)
50
b
50
share of lakes (%)
share of lakes(%)
organic
geology category
60
40
30
20
10
40
e
30
20
10
0
0
<3
3,0-15
Monomictic
>15
Dimictic
Polymictic
mixing type
mean depth (m)
60
45
c
50
40
share of lakes (%)
share of lakes (%)
siliceous
40
30
20
10
f
35
chl-a
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0,5-1
1,0-10
10-100
surface area (km2)
>100
0
high
good
moderate
poor
bad
Global warming reinforces
eutrophication
Moss et al. 2012
Amvrakia
0%
Yliki
Volvi
Zazari
Taka
0
Yliki
Volvi
Chimaditis
Petron
Mikri Prespa
Megali Prespa
Introduced
Zazari
Vegoritis
Ismaris
Vistonis
Doirani
Native
Kastoria
Pamvotis
Koronia
20
18
Kalodiki
Ozeros
Translocated
12
d
10
8
6
4
2
Chimaditis
Petron
Mikri Prespa
Megali Prespa
Zazari
Vegoritis
Ismaritis
Vistonis
Doirani
Kastoria
Pamvotis
Koronia
Volvi
Kalodiki
Yliki
Paralimni
Tsivlou
Lamia
Taka
Trichonis
0
Tsivlou
Voulkaria
Lysimachia
3
Paralimni
20%
16
14
Lamia
40%
Ozeros
Cladocera
Trichonis
100%
Lysimachia
60%
Amvrakia
Macrophyte coverage category
a
Voulkaria
b
Number of species
Cyanophytes
Amvrakia
Chimaditis
Petron
Mikri Prespa
Copepods
Megali Prespa
Amvrakia
Voulkaria
Lysimachia
Ozeros
Trichonis
Taka
Lamia
Tsivlou
Paralimni
Yliki
Kalodiki
Volvi
Koronia
Pamvotis
Kastoria
Doirani
Vistonis
Ismaritis
Vegoritis
Zazari
Megali
Mikri
Petron
Chimaditis
Chlorophytes
Vegoritis
Ismaritis
Vistonis
Doirani
Kastoria
Pamvotis
Rotifers
Koronia
% species contribution
Diatoms
Kalodiki
80%
Paralimni
Tsivlou
Lamia
Taka
Trichonis
Ozeros
Lysimachia
Voulkaria
% species contribution
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
4
c
2
1
Macrophytes??
A limiting factor for
photosynthesis
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Greek lakes shift from the macrophyte dominance state
to the algal dominance state since in many lakes
macrophyte coverage is limited (Papastergiadou et
al.,2010)
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Two lakes in Category3 ( visible plants)
Three lakes in Category2 ( sparse plants)
All the other in Category1 ( no plants)
The study area – the restored lake Karla
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Surface area… 38km2
Volume max….184x106 m3
Catchment area…1171km2
Z max…. 4.5 m
Z mean…..2.0 m
Mean annual air temperature….14.3oC
Mean annual precipitation…….560 mm
In 1962, complete drying of the lake ( 40-180 km2) took
place.
In 1980’s the restoration project started up
Total budget : 245 millions Euros
overview of annual Hydrological budget
Surface runoff
38 x 106 m3
evaporation
38 x 106m3
Inflow from Pinios
67,5x 106 m3
Inflow ditch
16,5 x106 m3
Recharge of aquifier
24x106 m3
Lake Karla
Irrigation
withdrawals
60x106 m3
Overview of the ecological features &
pressures
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NATURA 2000 site
RAMSAR site
Special Protected Area ( birds Directive)
Algal blooms (cyanotoxicity)
Fish mortalities
Inflows predominately drain an
agricultural watershed but also
rural/industrial areas.
With a nutrient rich sediment
But still a preferable bird’s habitat
Regarding at Karla,
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Eutrophication seems to be a multistressor
effect problem
Shallow lake/reservoir systems show a high
variability and the cause- effect relationship is
not so clear.
The “new” artificial lake Karla is a modified
ecosystem ( in terms of typology, WFD) with no
outlet ( acting as a sink of nutrients!!!)
Since there are not yet pristine/reference
conditions the ecological classification becomes
more difficult
Sinivetikaõitsengud
24-26 September 2013
LakeAdmin in Volos
evaluation…
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Taking into account the WFD guidelines, OECD
suggestions, literature data on similar case studies and
our knowledge, it is quite safe to classify the water
status as “poor” or “bad”
The possibility to obtain a “good” ecological status up to
2015, is extremely weak.
…,
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Both nutrients (N,P) are in excess so, who is the limiting
factor for algal biomass??
A strong reduction of the external load should be done.
The improvement of light conditions , shift to clear
phase.
Lake Karla showed a spatial homogeneity while seasonal
trends can be explained , mostly, by the inputs (also
Kagalou & Laspidou 2012)
But, up to day, the black box is the “story of sediment” (
i.e internal loading).
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Survival of the most tolerant species thus destruction of
the microhabitats
Taking into account that…
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In freshwater ecosystems the medium rather the
organisms determine their structure
The food-chain places emphasis on the system
functioning
The unit of a freshwater system is not defined by its
wetter perimeter
What we need?
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Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) “is a process which promotes the
co-ordinated development and
management of water, land and related
resources, in order to maximize the
resultant economic and social welfare in
an equitable manner without
compromising the sustainability of vital
ecosystems”
Our conservation planning
approaches
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Should be concentrated on the system as a
whole, i.e
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Catchment management
Restoration of the water regime in the floodplain
Elimination of the point and non-point pollution sources
Internal loading ( sediment)
Conservation of microhabitats and patches
Including the conservation of biodiversity rather than of
particular charismatic species
Through functional approach may be we’ll achieve species
conservation
Conservation through cultural
identity
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Highlight the value of biodiversity through
- traditional activities
Traditional food related to the Lake’s goods
Establishment of “sign of product origin” of the
PP.
Enhancement of ecotourism attracting not the
“massive tourism” but the special target groups.
Promotion of the cultural identity of the PP.
Support the ethics of the local community
Urgent !!!
INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT –
GOVERNANCE
For the sustainability of the new lake
Community participation (Aarhus Convention)
ACTIONS FOCUSED ON
technical
issues
Ethics ( !!!!!!!)
Legislative issues
The role of local people/stakeholders
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Local communities have important, longstanding relationships with the area
These relationships embrace culture identity,
contributing to the maintenance of biological
diversity
On the other hand, intensified human activities
and life- style cause degradation and loss of
values.
In any-case their needs, aspirations and
attitudes should be considered in a management
process.
Do we have the tool???
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The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims at
establishing “a framework for the protection of inland
surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and
groundwaters”, (Dir. 2000/60/EC, art.1) for all European
Member States.
The WFD adopts a holistic approach for water protection
and management, to be implemented in a 15-year long
process which foresees many actions including:
the development of a River Basin Management Plan
(RBMP) in each European River Basin District (RBD)
Competent authorities need to integrate environmental,
social and economic analyses and involve interested
parties in the formulation of strategies
Up till now,
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Experiences show that the management of
stakeholders’ involvement is still poorly
organised and supported, and so is the
selection of the stakeholders to take part
in the process.
there is a strong need for scientific and
technical support for the meaningful
involvement of stakeholders in planning
and implementation through participation
management.
lessons learned at technical level
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Water Management at catchment scale : a key
issue
Multiple stressors at Meds freshwater
No- linear respond to management practices
Should consider ecosystem flow requirements,
patterns of human demands, spatial and
temporal variation of water availability.
Be careful to flow diversions, dam operations,
interbasin transfers ( !!!!! Thessaly)
lessons at capacity building
Possible strategies:
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strengthen the role of trained professionals acting as
facilitators in the participatory planning process
promote an extended campaign of expertise enabling
policy makers to meaningful undertake participatory
planning (
increase research efforts on developing tools and
methods for the use of mediators (i.e. consultants),
who would then provide external support to decision
makers
there is a strong need for scientific and technical support for
the meaningful involvement of stakeholders in planning and
implementation.
and “what is good
governance”??
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Accountability : ability to hold decisionmakers to account for their actions
Transparency: availability of information
to the public and clarity in regulations and
decisions.
Participation: provide all the opportunity in
decision- making either directly or through
legitimate representatives.
Prerequisite: social learning i.e learn
together manage together!
Thank you