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When assessing the status of Europe’s floodplains it is important to look at the location and remaining areas of floodplains, but at their functionality and at the quality of the ecosystem services they provide too.
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In Europe already up to 90 % of the former riparian floodplains have been lost during the last centuries or they are functionally no longer intact (Tockner, et al., 2009, 2002). In addition, only about 10% of the original amount of European floodplain forest remains, mostly in the larger river systems of Eastern Europe. In recognition of this they have been placed on Annexe 1 of the European Habitats Directive where they are collectively referred to as ‘Alluvial Forests’ (Hughes et al, 2012). The main reason for the loss of active floodplains is the continued decline in floodplain area due to flood protections to prevent land uses not or less compatible with inundations (such as agriculture, or urban expansion), or infrastructure for hydropower development or maintenance of shipping channels (see section 3.3).
Hughes, F.M.R. del Tanago, M. G. and Mountford, J.O. (2012) Restoring floodplain forests in Europe. In Stanturf, J., Madsen, P. and Lamb, D. (eds.) A Goal-Oriented Approach to Landscape Restoration. Springer-Verlag, pp.393-422.
Quality of ecosystem services – sounds strange even if I understand what the authors mean here. It suggests that there is ‘bad’ and ‘good’ quality of a service. Change may be to ‘delivery of ecosystem services’? Please also check the use of quality and quantity as on page 28 you mention the ‘quantity of the service’. So is it quantity or quality or both?