Dr Clare Lawson

The terrestrial elements of floodplains (covered by the NEA Chapter 9 “Freshwaters: open waters, wetlands and floodplains”) cross political, disciplinary and practitioner boundaries. Their requirements are therefore rarely treated holistically, rendering them problematic to understand, manage and protect. However, it has been estimated that whilst floodplains and swamps provide 22% of global ecosystem services, they only cover 0.4% of the globe. Therefore, the sustainable management of these areas offers good return on investment. Clear decision making with respect to land-use on floodplains needs to be evidence based. There is a considerable literature on productivity, flood-alleviation, carbon storage and nutrient cycling in floodplains, but this knowledge requires better integration and clear linkage to land-use choices in order to guide policymakers. Of particular interest are the potential conflicts and synergies between service delivery and support for biodiversity. For example, recent data suggest the resilience conferred by species-richness offers enhanced service provision. This proposal offers to review the existing evidence, develop a matrix to inform land-use choices and then to distil the key information into a briefing document for policymakers.

Engage a contiguous stretch of landowners on the River Windrush floodzone; Gather existing and collect missing data to inform habitat restoration; Publish a 20 year plan to restore, enlarge and connect floodplain meadows on the River Windrush .