This document discusses methods for limiting eutrophication in river systems and reservoirs. It begins by noting how human activities have accelerated water outflow from catchments and degraded habitats. This reduces ecosystem productivity, resilience, and increases nutrient loads. The document then presents ecohydrological concepts and the deductive background of the theory. It discusses dual regulation of biota and hydrology and shows examples of constructed ecosystems. It also summarizes experiments on quantifying flood processes and sedimentation. Finally, it discusses the development and implementation of solutions like denitrification walls and biogeochemical barriers to reduce nutrient pollution from agricultural and recreational areas.

1. EKOHYDROLOGICZNE PODSTAWY OGRANICZANIA EUTROFIZACJI W
SYSTEMACH RZECZNYCH I ZBIORNIKACH ZAPOROWYCH
Professor MACIEJ ZALEWSKI
Director European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology PAS u/a UNESCO
Chairman of Department Applied Ecology University of Łódz

2. UNESCO International Hydrological Programme
phase VIII: 2014 -2021

3. Acceleration of water outflow from catchment and habitats degradation
UNESCO
Ecohydrology
Danube
Demosite
(Janauer 2010)

4. What we have done with climate, water and nutrients cycles?
The forecast of water resources limitation in 2025
1/ Water - acceleration the outflow to the
seas from the agricultural and urbanized
land (70%)
2/ Carbon and nutrients - reduction of the
organic carbon amount in the
catchments landscapes in soils and
biomass
3/ Above two processes reduce biological
productivity and resilience of
ecosystems and increase load of the
nutrients and pollutants in to aquatic
ecosystems where they generate
siltation and secondary pollution
0
Global average warming: 2.8°C
Lake Tanganika

6. Tanganika
Lake
NASA Earth Observatory
Gulf of Mexico
Transfer of organic matter and pollutants
to coastal zone

7. Ecohydrological – Process - oriented thinking
Modification of water cycle due to
- Deforestation
- Unification of agricultural
landscape
- Stream channelization
- Impermeable urbanised space
- Storm water and drainage systems
Catchment’s deforestation in Ethiopia Climate change Warta River Poland
Annualevaporation[mm]
D – atmospheric water vapour deficit [hPa]
V – wind speed [ms-1]
R – solar radiation balance [Wm-2]
M = D*V*R/100
- Stream channelization
- Impermeable urbanised space
- Storm water and drainage systems
TerrestrialphaseAcquaticphase
Drying air
Drying air
Drying land
Drying river
Kędziora 2012-2014
Drought area (%) in central Poland
Meanannualdischarge[m3s-1]
WartaRiver

8. (HELCOM, 2011; SYKE, 2011)
Diffuse pollution
Proportion of sources contributing to P and N input into the Baltic Sea

9. The concept of abiotic – biotic regulation continuum , explaining changes in the hierarchy of factors
which determine the structure and dynamics of riverine fish communities at different geographic zones.
( Zalewski & Naiman, 1985)
The deductive background of ecohydrological theory
Model of hierarchy of the regulatory factors as key for process oriented thinking

10. The deductive background of ecohydrological theory is, that the amount of water
determines the amount of carbon accumulated in an ecosystem while
temperature determines the carbon allocation between biomass and soil organic
matter.
The maximum biodiversity and bioproductivity is achieved at highest water
availability and highest temperatures . (Zalewski 2010)

11. DUAL REGULATION
Regulation of biota
by altering hydrology
and regulation of hydrology
by shaping biota
HARMONIZATION
of ecohydrological measures
with necessary hydrotechnical
infrastructure
INTEGRATION
of various regulations acting in a
synergistic way to stabilize and improve
the quality of water resources
REGULATION
ECOHYDROLOGY - THE MAJOR BODY OF THE THEORY
ERCE UNESCO , Poland Zalewski 20011
BIOTA
HYDROLOGY

12. Białowieża National Park
Recultivated spoil heap of
Bełchatów Mine
Constructed ecosystems in
Olentangy River Wetland
Research Park, Ohio
Key approaches in environmental sciences towards sustainability
Process-oriented thinking
Structure-oriented thinking
Zalewski, M. 2013. Ecohydrology: process-oriented thinking towards sustainable river basins.
Ecohydrol. Hydrobiol. 13(2), 97-103

13. FLOOD PROCESSES IN THE PILICA FLOODPLAIN
Digital
Terrain
Model
Quantification of flood sedimentation on the experimental floodplain
MASS OF FLOOD
SEDIMENTS
(1+2)
MASS OF
PLANTS
COMPONENT
(1)
MASS OF FINE-
GRAIN FLOOD
SEDIMENTS
(2)
PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN
FINE-GRAIN FLOOD
SEDIMENTS
[g m-2] [g m-2] [g m-2] [mg P g s.m.
osadu-1]
[mg P m-2]
153,1 68,3 84,8 3,3 202,9
Sedimen
-tation
Kiedrzyńska E., Kiedrzyński M., Zalewski M., 2008. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology, Vol. 8, No 2-4, 281-289.

14. W. L.
(260 cm)
Model of the flooding
for the highest water level
DTM of the 30 km section
of the Pilica River valley
QUANTIFICATION OF FLOOD PROCESSES AND SEDIMENTATION
IN THE VALLEY
RETENTION
Flooding
areas
Sediments
load
TN
load
TP
load
1007 ha 560 tons 8 tons 129 tons
Experimental
river floodplain
Identification
of the flooding areas
in the valley
Retention
of nutrients
and sediments’
load
Kiedrzyńska E. et al. (in preparation).

15. MODELS - CCHE2D
Q=0,23 m/s
wsl= 169,6
Q=1,61 m/s
wsl=171,07 WWQ=161 cm3/s
SSQ=23.3 cm3/s
Oxford – Mississippi USA
United States – Poland
Technology Transfer Project
- mean flow condtitions
- high flow condtitions
Simulation of water
velocity distribution
Suspended and bedload
transport
Magnuszewski, Kiedrzyńska, Wagner, Zalewski. 2005
2D Models to predict,
characterise and better
understand sedimentation
processes on the Pilica River
floodplain
TWO-DIMENSIONAL „CCHE2D” MODELS
Altinakar M., Kiedrzyńska E., Magnuszewski A. 2006. Modelling of inundation pattern at Pilica river floodplain, Poland. In:
Demuth S., et al. (Eds) Climate Variability and Change—Hydrological Impacts. IAHS Publ. 308. 579-585.

16. Molecular biology
for Ecohydrology:
methods for early warning
and
biotechnologies enhancement
Cause-effect analysis
toxigenic cyanobacteria
and physicochemicla parameters of water
Analisys of relationship between
organisms
cyanobacteria/bacteria/cyanophages
•detection of cyanophages degrading cyanobacterial
cells
•detection of bacteria degrading cyanotoxins
mcyA gene, toxic genotype of M aeruginosa
(291 – 297 bp)
16S rRNA Microcystis, mcyA toxic genotype
g91 Myoviridae , 16S rRNA Aeromonas
Early warning
detection of toxigenic (potentially toxic)
strain of cyanobacteria
… for
regulation of processes
towards:
1. Rreversing degradation;
2. Development of cost
efficient measures
3. Enhancing the carrying
capacity of ecosystems
nosZ gene, culturable bacteria, Pseudomonas sp.
New reserach
Gagała et al., Microbial Ecology, 2013,
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0303-3
Mankiewicz-Boczek et al., Environ. Toxicol. 2006, 21: 380-387
Mankiewicz-Boczek et al., Environ, Toxicol. 2011, 26, 10-20
Mankiewicz-Boczek et al., Harmful Algae 2011, 10: 356-365
Gagała et al., Fresenius Environ. Bull 2012, 21(2): 295-303
Ecohydrological biotechnologies
- process optimization
selection and implementation of bacteria
in denitrifying barriers to removal of
nitrate compounds

17. Eksperymenty z udziałem bakterii hodowalnych
Rola mikroorganizmów w dynamice występowania toksycznych zakwitów sinic
Bakterie zdolne do degradacji mikrocystyn
Analiza homologii BLAST wykazała ≥94% podobieństwa do
genu 16S rRNA bakterii Aeromonas veronii w-s-03
sekwencjono
wanie
16S rRNA gene
64 AGCGGCGGACGGGTGAGTAATGCCTGGGGATCTGCCCAGTCGAGGGGGATAACTACTGGA 123
124 AACGGTAGCTAATACCGCATACGCCCTACGGGGGAAAGCAGGGGACCTTCGGGCCTTGCG 183
184 CGATTGGATGAACCCAGGTGGGATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGGCGAC 243
244 GATCCCTAGCTGGTCTGAGAGGATGATCAGCCACACTGGAACTGAGACACGGTCCAGACT 303
304 CCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTGGGGAATATTGCACAATGGGGGAAACCCTGATGCAGCCATGC 363
364 CGCGTGTGTGAAGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAAGCACTTTCAGCGAGGAGGAAAGGTTGGT 423
424 AGCTAATAACTGCCAGCTGTGACGTTACTCGCAGAAGAAGCACCGGCTAACTCCGTGCCA 483
484 GCAGCCGCGGTAATACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTAATCGGAATTACTGGGCGTAAAGCGCAC 543
544 GCAGGCGGTTGGATAAGTTAGATGTGAAAGCCCCGGGCTCAACCTGGGAATTGCATTTAA 603
604 AACTGTCCAGCTAGAGTCTTGTAGAGGGGGGTAGAATTCCAGGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCG 663
664 TAGAGATCTGGAGGAATACCGGTGGCGAAGGCGGCCCCCTGGACAAAGACTGACGCTCAG 723
724 GTGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGAT 783
784 GTCGATTTGGAGGCTGTGTCCTTGAGACGTGGCTTCCGGAGCTAACGCGTTAA-TCGACC 842
843 GCCTGGGGAGTACGGCCGCAAGGTTAAAACTCAAATGAATTGACGGGGGCCCGCACAAGC 902
903 GGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGATGCAACGCGAARAACCTTACCTGGCCTTGACATGTC 962
963 TGGAATCCTGTAGAGATRCGGGAGTGCCTTCGGGAATCAGAACACAGGTGCTGCATGGCT 1022
Sulejów Tresta 2010
05.05.2010
19.05.2010
01.06.2010
16.06.2010
30.06.2010
13.07.2010
04.08.2010
11.08.2010
26.08.2010
17.09.2010
05.10.2010
Aeromonasisolate
B MM
900 bp
800 bp
600 bp
400 bp
300 bp
200 bp
100 bp
500
bp
700
bp
1000
bp
16S rRNA
Aeromonas
(953 bp)
Sulejów Tresta 2010
Mankiewicz-Boczek et al., Environ. Toxicol., wysłano do recenzji

18. 90% podobieństwa do cyjanofaga z rodziny Myoviridae,
szczep Ma-LMM01
g91
14 ACCTAACCAGATTG 1
70 GCTGGAGTATTAGAGTTAMCAAG-AST-T--TCCTCTGTGCCCATCTCTAGCGGCGACCT 15
130 ACATCAGCGTTCGTTTCGGCACTGTAGCCGGTGCAGCCCTCAWTATAGTAGAGGGTAATA 71
Sulejów Reservoir
Amplifikacja genów: 16S rRNA, mcyA, g91
Rola mikroorganizmów w dynamice występowania toksycznych zakwitów sinic
sinice
genotypy
toksyczne
cyjanofagi
sinice
genotypy
toksyczne
cyjanofagi
sinice
genotypy
toksyczne
cyjanofagi
Degradacja komórek sinicowych przez cyjanofagi (gen g91)
Sekwencjonowanie

19. 1 m
1, 3
mbrown
coal
calcium
coal
Manure storage site
before constructing
the ditches
A
C
B
Photo 2. Example from the demonstration site, restoration of a point source of nitrogen – manure
storage site in the village of Jervonice, central Poland
A – manure storing site before constructing the ditch; B- mixed material, brown and calcium coal; C –
underground constructed ditch
before ditches in ditches behind ditches
-400
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
mgNO3l-1
Average
Average +/- SD
Min-Max
Fig. 2. Average nitrate concentration in ground water befor, in and behind
ditch in Jervonice demonstration site.
Denitrification in the catchment can be enhanced
by the increase of an organic carbon content in
the soil
65%
Bednarek et. al. 2014, in press
European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology u/a UNESCO, Lodz, Poland

20. European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology u/a UNESCO, Lodz, Poland
APPLICATION OF MICROBIAL ACTIVATORS – DENITRIFYING BACTERIA
2NO3
- 2NO2
- 2NO N2O N2
main objective
acceleration of activation of the denitrifying ditch and increasing its capacity
nitrite
reductase
nirS or nirK
nitric oxide
reductase
cnorB or qnorB
nitric oxide
reductase
nosZ
Bacterial genes active in denitrification complete process
Amplification of
nosZ gene
Detection of bacterial strains from ditch with coal (J) and ditch with sawdust (U)
J U
J
U

21. (www.geoportal.gov.pl)
Nitrogen
load
from agricultural land
Sulejow Reservoir Denitrification walls
Plants
Recreational facilities
(jetty)
Recreational facilities
(jetty)
Biogeochemical
barriers
Plants
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
3.09.2010
30.09.2010
3.11.2010
9.12.2010
Critical value
marking polluted water
acc. to Nitrates
Directive
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5
3.09.2010
30.09.2010
3.11.2010
9.12.2010
19.01.2011
Critical value
for appearance of
cyanobacterial bloom
(www.geoportal.gov.pl)
Sulejow Reservoir
Phosphorus
loadfrom recreational area
DEVELOPMENT OF SOLUTIONSIDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS
Reduction of nitrogen pollution from diffuse source by enhancement of plant buffering zones with denitrification walls
Reduction of phosphorus pollution from diffuse source by enhancement of plant buffering zones with biogeochemical barriers
Izydorczyk Zalewski, 2011PROJECT: EKOROB

22. European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology u/a UNESCO, Lodz, Poland
Biogeochemical limestone-based barriers
to enhance phosphorus reduction in buffer zone
(Izydorczyk et al. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 2013)
Phosphate
concentration
ingroundwater
[mgPO4/l]
przed za
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Upstream
of barrier
Downstream
of barrier

23. Przed
Poligon demonstracyjny projektu LIFE+ EKOROB
Teraz
Wdrażanie wiedzy, Rekreacja, Edukacja

24. European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology u/a UNESCO, Lodz, Poland

25. Ecohydrology for the City of the future
18,4%
16,1%
6% 6,7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
asthma hay fever
Urban-rural differencesin theprelanence
ofasthmaand hay fever in children
city-center
rural area
Kuna, Kuprys-Lipinska, 2009
y = 0.4626e0.4812x
R² = 0.9857
0
1
2
3
4
5
1-30 31- 70 71-80 81-100
ConcentrationB(a)P
(ng/m3)
Surface impermability (%)

26. LIFE08 ENV/PL/000517
www.arturowek.pl
ZAKWITY GLONÓW I TOKSYCZNYCH SINIC
w zbiornikach rekreacyjnych na terenie miasta Łodzi
Stawy Stefańskiego, 2006
prototyp SSSB* skonstruowany
na rzece Sokołówce,
projekt SWITCH
*Sekwencyjny System Sedymentacyjno-Biofiltracyjny (patent ERCE)
wariantowe rozwiązania SSSB*
skonstruowane na rzece Bzurze
w Arturówku,
projekt EH-REK
Stawy Stefańskiego
Stawy Jana
Stawy Stefańskiego, 2007

27. +38%
Stormwater inflow
in to SBS
Enhanced sedymentation zone
Outflow purified
stormwaters
Ca3(PO4)2↓
Geochemical barirere enhanced by
geotextile curtains
Biofiltration zone
C6H12O6 + 6O2---->6CO2 + 6H2O
Filtering bed
regeneration system
EH: Sequential Sedimentation-Biofiltration System
(Zalewski 2008)
TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS
TOTAL PHOSPHORUS

28. Kiedrzyńska E., et. al. (in preparation).
Limstone zone Coal zone Sawdust zone
1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase
Wetland with macrophytes
3,5 m 3,45 3,50,5 0,50,5
monitoring stations
regeneration system -
Sequential Biofiltering System for improvement efficiency small WWTP
based on sequence of limestone, coal, sawdust and constructed wetlands
Sequential filtration of pollutants Biological treatment of pollutants
Outflow
from WWTP
to the SBS
Outflow
of purified
WW to
the river
I II III IV
Mean TP reduction: 26%
Max. TP reduction 76%
Mean TN reduction: 48%
Max. TN reduction 97%

29. LIFE08 ENV/PL/000517
www.arturowek.pl
VI.2013 V.2013
VI.2013
Sekwencyjny system sedymentacyjno-biofiltracyjny (SSSB)
do przejmowania wód burzowych z ulicy Wycieczkowej
VI.2013

30. LIFE08 ENV/PL/000517
www.arturowek.pl
ECOHYDROLOGY – harmonisation of hydrological and biological
solutions for the freshwater ecosystem improvement
low cost and high effectiveness solution:
(non-invasive, not disturbing the landscape,
sub-surface)

31. LIFE08 ENV/PL/000517
www.arturowek.pl
The final effect of implementation of Ecohydrology for
enhancement ecosystems services in small urban
catchment (Jurczak, Zalewski in prep)
The recent ecological and
recreational ststaus
Good water quality
of recreational lake
SSBS
The Past

32. biomasa chwastow w
pierwszym roku t s m na ha
~
utrata biomasa wierzby na skutek
zachwaszczenia w 1roku %
Biomasa
czynnik 1
czynnik 2
~
gestosc obsady a biomasa
biomasa chwastow
w drugim roku t s m na ha
~
utrata biomasy wierzbyna skutek
zachwaszczenia w 2 roku %
procent utraty
biomasy przez 1 rok
procent utraty biomasy
przez drugi rok
utrata biomasy wierzby na skutek
zachwaszczenia w ciagu 4 lat
wilgotnosc
gleby %
wzrost biomasy a N
przez 4 lata
procentowa ilosc zaatakowanych
sadzonek przez szkodniki
gestosc obsady
ilosc sadzonek na ha
~
srednia miesieczna
temperatura dla Lodzi oC
~
srednie miesieczne
opady dla Lodzi
wilgotnosc
gleby %
~
srednia miesieczna
temperatura dla Lodzi oC
gestosc obsady
ilosc sadzonek na ha
~
pH gleby
a biomasa
pH gleby
~
aktywnosc zwierzyny
a jej ilosc
ilosc sadzonek zaatakowanych
przez szkodniki na ha
~
wspolczynnik wilgotnosci
~
biomasa
zjedzona przez zwierzyne
w kolejnych latach
~
biomasa a
zwierzyna
~
wilgotnosc
a temperatura
~
wilgotnosc a opady
~
poziom wody
a opady
~
fotosynteza
ilosc
zwierzyny
~
przezywalnosc
a sila ssaca gleby
~
sila ssaca
gleby pF
wzrost biomasy a P
przez 4 lata
wzrost biomasy a K
przez 4 lata
przyzywalnosc a poziom wod
gruntowych w ciagu 4 lat
Translation interdisciplinary knowledge in to decision support models
Conversion sewage sludge in to bioenergy,/biomass production module
(Drobniewska Zalewski 2008)

33. Use of biodegradable geofibers for erosion controll
Construction of the sequentional biofiltration system for turbidity,
eutrophication and dioxin toxicity reduction in the Asella BioFarm
Park lake
Dioxin toxicity reduction in
the Asella
BioFarm Park lake
Use of sediments for
bioenergy production
Sedimentation
Stock watering site and use of manure collected at the site
as a fertilizer
Before After
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
Sediment trap Biofiter Lake
toxicity[ngTEQ/kgd.w.]
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
Inflow Lake Otflow
Toxicity[ngTEQ/kgd.w.]
toxicity limit ccording to
SQG
Zalewski, Urbaniak, Negussie 2013
The implementation of the ecohydrology
methods and systemic solutions
for reduction of sedimentation,
eutophication
and dioxin-induced toxicity
in the Asalla BioFarm
Park lake
ETHIOPIA

34. Ecohydrology:
tool for mitigation of intermediate impacts
Photo: E. Kiedrzyńska
%
Ecohydrological
ecosystem
biotechnologies
Environmental technologies
(sewage treatment,
hydroengineering, civil
engineering)
Point-source
pollution
Non-point source
pollution
Natural
background
20
40
60
100
Zalewski 2014
unpublished
Efficiency
80
Nutrient concentration
Catchment
resistance &
resilience
0.03 0.1 1 10 mg P L-1
Photo: T. Kamiński
www.uriuk.com M. PieńkowskiPhoto: M. Koch
Photo: M. Zalewski
Zalewski, 2013
Enhancement of high-energy
consuming environmental engineering
technologies with low-cost
ecohydrology biotchnologies

35. hYDROL
ECOL
ENG
BIOTECH
HYDROLOGY
ECOLOGY
ENGINEERING
BIOTECHNOLOGY
(Zalewski 2013)
INTEGRATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE provides the framework for integration technologies with
ecohydrology and biotechnologies towards harmonization of society needs with ecosystems potential

36. Now I have
understood what
”top down”
means in
Ecohydrology.
http://colliercitizen.fl.newsmemory.com

37. Thank you
The inspiring cooperation of my colleagues from
ERCE PAS u/a UNESCO, Department of Applied Ecology, UŁ
UNESCO Division of Water Sciences and IHP
is highly appreciated and made the introduced projects happened