ES10 - Recreational opportunities

An oxbow lake is an ancient meander that was cut off from the river, thus creating a small lake with a U form. Reconnecting it with the river consists in removing terrestrial lands between both water bodies, therefore favouring the overall functioning of the river by restoring lateral connectivity, diversifying flows and cleaning the river section of the present oxbow for a better water retention during floods. 

Recent literature...

Green roofs are multi-layered systems that cover the roof of a building with vegetation and/or green landscaping over a drainage layer. There are two types of green roof: 

• Extensive green roofs cover...

According to the Convention on Wetlands (1971), a wetland is an area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. 

Wetlands play a crucial role in regulating the global climate and are natural biofilters for pollutant removal, nutrient...

Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops’ species simultaneously in the same field. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilised by a single crop. Examples of intercropping strategies are planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade...

Green cover, cover crops or catch crops refers to crops planted in late summer or autumn, usually on arable land, to protect the soil, which would otherwise lie bare during the winter, against wind and water erosion.  Green cover crops also improve the structure of the soil, diversify the cropping system, and mitigate the loss of soluble nutrients. Green cover crops are good...

Basins are areas for storage of surface runoff that are free from water under dry weather flow conditions.  Basins are bodies of water designed to store surface runoff. They play a critical role in stormwater management by reducing flood risk and improving water quality. The performance of basins is highly site-dependent and often requires upstream source control to function effectively. There are three main types of basins: retention,...

Buffer strips and hedges are natural or semi-natural vegetated features integrated into agricultural and semi-urban landscapes to enhance ecological and hydrological functions.

Buffer strips are areas of natural vegetation cover (grass, bushes or trees) at the margin of fields, arable land, transport infrastructures and water courses. They can feature various combinations of vegetation, from simple grass to mixtures of grass, trees,...

The optimal sowing date is one of the most important and cost-effective field management practices that affect crop development, nutrient uptake, grain yield, technical quality, and nutritional value. Although it does not require additional inputs, adjusting the sowing date can serve as an efficient and affordable strategy to improve yields under different climatic conditions.

Early sowing refers to sowing up to six weeks before the...