Space requirements for multifunctional river landscapes

Austria’s river landscapes have been greatly altered by human activities, especially in the last century, which has had a negative impact not only on ecological functionality, but also on the usability of flowing waters as recreation areas. The highly reduced supply of natural and natural rivers currently requires that water-bound recreational and recreational uses often affect ecologically sensitive areas. Areas newly created by revitalisation measures are often quickly used by recreational seekers, which can lead to conflicts between human use and ecological needs. The aim of the thesis was to bring together these different perspectives in river landscape management. The project therefore primarily explored the question under which spatial and structural conditions river landscapes have the greatest multifunctional potential. A further focus was placed on the usage habits and preferences of river users. From these demands, an interdisciplinary project design was developed, which was based on a sectorally separate recording of ecological and social functions and reunited them at the result level. Social and planning science, quantitative and qualitative methods were used. For example, observations, qualitative interviews with users and experts, a standardised survey as well as area mapping for selected ecological indicator species (river runners, river plovers) were carried out. Three alpine river valleys were selected as study areas: the Ennstal (Steiermark), the Drautal (Carinthia) and the Lechtal (Tyrol). In an integrative analysis of the results, the accessibility of a river space in combination with direct access to water and the presence of shallow water areas emerged as essential prerequisites for the usability of river sections. In principle, users were relatively tolerant of other users. On the other hand, however, they showed a critical attitude towards usage restrictions coupled with a relatively low sensitivity to ecological disturbances, which poses a challenge especially for the acceptance of management measures. In addition, the spatial analysis showed a preference for natural heterogeneous river sections, which relatively often led to a spatial overlap between recreational use and the habitats of the two indicator species. It turned out that a large range of areas led to a much more diffuse distribution of users. Utilisation concentrations were observed mainly on the two rivers with limited area supply, where this also leads to greater spatial competition between recreational function and ecological requirements. In conclusion, there seems to be a broad consensus that flowing waters have an important recreational function, but no culture for ecologically and socially acceptable handling of this need. In order to be able to meet both requirements in terms of long-term management solutions, the multifunctional resilience of river landscapes must be increased in time by means of an improved range of areas and structures.奥地利的河流景观已因人类活动发生了巨大改变，尤其在上个世纪，这不仅对河流的生态功能（ecological functionality）造成了负面影响，也削弱了流动水体（flowing waters）作为休闲游憩场地的可用性。当前天然及近天然河流的补给量大幅减少，使得依赖水体的休闲游憩活动往往会对生态敏感区域造成影响。通过河流修复措施（revitalisation measures）新建的区域通常会迅速被休闲爱好者使用，这可能会引发人类利用与生态保护需求之间的冲突。 本学位论文的核心目标是整合河流景观管理领域的各类不同视角。因此，本项目首要探究的问题是：在何种空间与结构条件下，河流景观能够具备最大的多功能潜力。此外，研究还重点关注了河流使用者的使用习惯与偏好。基于上述需求，本研究开发了一套跨学科项目设计（interdisciplinary project design）框架：先分别记录生态功能与社会功能，再在结果层面将二者进行整合。研究采用了社会科学与规划科学相关的定量与定性研究方法（quantitative and qualitative methods），具体包括实地观测、对使用者与专家的定性访谈、标准化问卷调查，以及针对选定的生态指示物种（ecological indicator species）——河流奔鸟（river runners）与河流鸻（river plovers）——的生境面积测绘。研究共选取三处高山河谷（alpine river valleys）作为研究区域：恩斯塔尔河谷（Ennstal，施蒂利亚州Steiermark）、陶恩河谷（Drautal，克恩滕州Carinthia）与莱赫塔尔河谷（Lechtal，蒂罗尔州Tyrol）。 在对研究结果进行整合性分析（integrative analysis）后发现，河流空间的可达性、直接临水条件，以及浅水区（shallow water areas）的存在，是决定河段（river sections）可用于休闲游憩的核心前提。总体而言，使用者对其他游客的包容度相对较高。 但另一方面，使用者对使用限制（usage restrictions）持批判态度，且对生态干扰（ecological disturbances）的敏感度相对较低，这一情况尤其对管理措施的推行接受度构成了挑战。此外，空间分析结果显示，使用者更偏好天然异质河段，这往往会导致休闲利用与两类指示物种栖息地的空间重叠。研究还发现，区域范围越大，使用者的分布就越分散。游憩活动的集中区域主要出现在两处可利用空间有限的河流，在此类区域中，休闲功能与生态需求之间的空间竞争也更为激烈。 综上，目前各界似乎已达成广泛共识：流动水体具备重要的休闲游憩功能，但尚未形成兼顾生态与社会需求的合理利用文化。为了能够在长期管理方案中同时满足两类需求，必须通过优化空间布局与结构设置，及时提升河流景观的多功能韧性（multifunctional resilience）。