Fashioning river futures: The use of evolutionary trajectories to assess what is realistically achievable

Fashioning river futures: The use of evolutionary trajectories to assess what is realistically achievable

Fashioning river futures: The use of evolutionary trajectories to assess what is realistically achievable (11622)

Gary J Brierley ¹ , Kirstie A Fryirs

The University of Auckland, Auckland City, New Zealand

The ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ asserts that what we measure against in environmental assessments is dependent upon the condition/state of ecosystems at a particular timeframe of reference. Although initially conceived in relation to measures of biodiversity, here we show how this concept can be used to frame shifting terms of reference that define geomorphic constraints upon what is realistically achievable in river rehabilitation. We contrast applications of shifting baselines in relation to two approaches to shaping river futures. First, re-restoration is viewed as an extension of engineering-based command and control perspectives that strive to ‘fix’ a river in place by locking it into a particular image based upon historical reference conditions. Second, ecosystem approaches to river rehabilitation use understandings of evolutionary trajectories to determine and work towards the best achievable condition for any given river system, allowing the river to self-heal whenever possible. We explore the use of the river evolution diagram (developed as part of the River Styles framework) as an approach to scope prospective river futures. Implications for monitoring and adaptive management are highlighted.

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Brierley, G.J

Gary Brierley is a river geomorphologist whose work focuses on the use of the science to guide management applications. Following his undergraduate training at Durham University in England, he completed his MSc and PhD at Simon Fraser University in Canada. His PhD work developed an approach to river characterisation that has been subsequently extended through co-development of the River Styles framework with Kirstie Fryirs (Macquarie University, Sydney). His career has included appointments at the Australian National University, Macquarie University and the University of Auckland. His recent research has focussed on the use of river science to guide management practices in areas such as ecosystem management, river conservation/rehabilitation and integrated catchment management. His work extends into areas of environmental justice and governance frameworks to support more effective management practices. Since 2007 Gary has undertaken extensive research atop the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in western China. He has published over 120 publications in refereed journals or book chapters. His books include “Geomorphology and River Management: Applications of the River Styles Framework” (Brierley and Fryirs, Wiley, 2005), “River Futures: An integrative scientific approach to river repair” (Brierley and Fryirs, Island Press, 2008) and “Geomorphic Analysis of River Systems: An approach to Reading the Landscape” (Wiley, 2013).

Fashioning river futures: The use of evolutionary trajectories to assess what is realistically achievable (11622)

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Brierley, G.J

Fryirs, K.A

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