forestry

In the past, rivers have been straightened by cutting off meanders (historically, many rivers in northern and western Europe have been straightened and channelized to facilitate log floating and/or speed up the drainage of water and control/limit the river bed movements).ﾠ Re-meandering is bringing a river back closer to its naturally meandering state by creating a new meandering course and by reconnecting cut-off meanders.ﾠ Re-meandering slows down the flow of a river.ﾠ The new form of the river channel creates new flow conditions and very often also has an impact on sedimentation.ﾠ The newly created or reconnected meanders also provide habitats for a wide range of aquatic and land species of plants and animals.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

Ditch blocking in managed peatland forests can be used to slow water and trap sediment after forest harvesting. The ditches can be made of wood logs or gabions, for example.
- Elaborated by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

A biophysical parameter is a measurable characteristic that can help in defining a particular system. It can cover individual substances, groups of substances or be defined by its measurement method like turbidity or the mesurement of oxygen consumption like BOD5 or COD. It is generally expressed by a value and its unit.

Coarse woody debris is a key stream habitat feature used by fish and other organisms. Coarse woody debris can also help to lower flow velocity in streams.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

Much of the evapotranspiration from forests falls elsewhere as rain, Ellison et al. (2012), amongst others, have shown that this large scale water pump can be a significant component of the annual precipitation in many continental areas. That is to say, many continental areas would receive a lot less rain if it were not for the mositure returned to the atmosphere by actively growing forests.

Appropriately designed roads and stream crossings can minimize the likelihood of erosion and sediment production that can be associated with forestry activities including final harvest. Poorly designed or built roads and stream crossings can cause some of the most negative effects of forestry on the landscape. Well-designed roads follow the contours of the landscape. Roads which run up and down (instead of across) hills can act as channels which focus runoff and can lead to increased erosion. Properly designed stream crossings permit the free movement of fish and aquatic invertebrates and will not restrict peak flows. Ensuring that stream crossings do not restrict peak flows will help to reduce localized flooding and can ultimately be more cost effective as they will not need to be rebuilt following high flow events - Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

Continuous cover forestry (CCF) is a broad term encompassing a wide variety of forest management practices. One key feature of is that biomass removal is based either on small clearcuts or selective harvesting. Smaller clearcuts may create less hydrological disturbance but some of the filtration benefits associated with forest soils may be lost as a result of the greater driving and road maintenance needed for continuous harvesting.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

It is widely believed that forest soils can function as pollution filters. Afforestation is practiced in rural areas around many large cities as a means of improving the quality of the drinking water supply aquifer by filtering out pollutants. Afforestation may also reduce peak flows and help to maintain base flows. Such afforestation should reduce sediment loadings and may have other benefits including improved biodiversity and recreational value.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

A gabion (from Italian gabbione meaning "big cage"; from Italian gabbia and Latin cavea meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder, or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building, and military applications.

Forest harvesting can cause severe disruptions to the hydrologic cycle. Clearcut areas are often subject to localized flooding due to reductions in evapotranspiration caused by removal of trees. Roads and other infrastructure needed to support forest harvesting can also be significant sources of sediment to surface waters. However, negative effects can be minimized when forest harvesting is performed in a water-sensitive manner and measures are taken to maintain the natural hydrological functioning of the landscape.