National Id
Portugal_03
Site name
Baixo Vouga Lagunar Area, Aveiro District, Vouga River Estuary
Summary
Baixo Vouga Lagunar (BVL) bocage landscape (Portugal)
This is a traditional practice in the Baixo Vouga Lagunar Area (Aveiro District, Vouga River Estuary, Portugal), since 19th century in order to protect BVL from the tidal floods. Baixo Vouga Lagunar represents a man-shaped landscape working in a dependent relationship between agricultural activities, wildlife and water regulation. BVL includes three main landscape units: bocage (smallholdings bounded by living-hedges and water ditches supplying water for crop and livestock production and also assure the drainage when there is water in excess in the fields), wetlands and open-fields.

Light or indepth?
Light
NUTS Code
Centro (PT)
RBD code
PTRH4
Transboundary
0
Data provider
Marta Rodríguez (IMDEA Water) on the basis of information kindly provided by Ana Lillebø (Universidade de Aveiro) and Ruth Pereira (Universidade do Porto), whose valuable contribution is acknowledged and very much appreciated
NWRM(s) implemented in the case study
Buffer strips and hedges
Floodplain restoration and management
Longitude
-8.5986756
Latitude
40.7099019
Climate zone
warm temperate dry
Mean rainfall
960.6
Mean rainfall unit
mm/year
Average temperature
14.4
Type
Case Study Info
Vegetation class
The trees are intended to serve as a subdivision of farmland and environmental mitigation (creation of shade, reducing the temperature and increasing humidity). The shrubby vegetation have essentially the function of defense of field crops against the winds.
Forming the living hedges we can fine trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation (http://www.biorede.pt/)
The tree community, part of the living hedges, is characterized by alder (Alnus glutinosa), willows (Atrocinerea salix), oak (Quercus robur), silver or white poplar (Populus alba) and laurel (Laurus nobilis).
The shrub layer is represented by hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), the butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), buckthorn (Frangula alnus), roses (Rosa pouzini, Rosa sempervirens) elmleaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius).
Regarding the herbaceous community there are standing out climbing plants such as honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), the Bryonia dioica, Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium), and Senecio mikanioides, among others. Vegetation influences the rate and efficiency of storm-water infiltration and filtration.
Performance impact estimation method
Unknown
Application scale
Region
Performance timescale
> 20 years
Area (ha)
1285
Design capacity description
Living-hedges length (year 1995): 167 km,
Draining ditches (mapped +/- 89 km)
Design contractual arrangement
Arrangement type Responsibility Role Comments Name
Design consultation activity
Activity stage Key issues Name Comments
Design land use change
Land use change type
Design authority
Authority type Role Responsibility Name Comments
Key lessons
Bocage requires high maintenance as it gathers not only a living-hedges network but also a hydraulic grid of ditches, channels, floodgates, banks and other water barriers. Some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century in order to protect BVL from the tidal floods and its lack of maintenance is leading to draining issues and to the increase of salinity. So, these infrastructures are not only a cultural part of the landscape but also functions as a part of an integrate management system. With the increase of the surface salinity intrusion, more tolerant species appear, like bulrushes, rushes and reeds
Financing mechanism information
Some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century. But currently, for the maintenance of the Bocage funds are obtained from the combination of National funds, Sub-national funds, Local funds, Private funds and EU-funds.
Success factor(s)
Success factor type Success factor role Comments
Attitude of decision makers
main factor

This is a success factor for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Public participation
main factor

This is a success factor for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Communication activities
secondary factor

This is a success factor for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Financing
Financing type Comments
Barrier
Barrier type Barrier role Comments
Lacking financing sources
main barrier
This is a barrier for the maintenance of the infrastructure (specific maintenance needs and aging of local population are expected to become a challenge ). Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Lacking coordination between authorities
secondary barrier
This is a barrier for the maintenance of the infrastructure (specific maintenance needs and aging of local population are expected to become a challenge ). Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Specific financing rules
secondary barrier
This is a barrier for the maintenance of the infrastructure (specific maintenance needs and aging of local population are expected to become a challenge ). Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Missing regulatory support
secondary barrier
This is a barrier for the maintenance of the infrastructure (specific maintenance needs and aging of local population are expected to become a challenge ). Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century.
Driver
Driver type Driver role Comments
Past flooding events
main driver
Financing share
Financing share type Share Comments
Policy description
Tidal floods
Policy challenges requirements
Note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century. However, presently the measure can be related to the referred policies areas:
- Water Policy - WFD.
- Water Policy - Floods Directive.
- Environmental Policy: Biodiversity Strategy (incl. Green Infrastructure Policy), NATURA 2000, Habitats Directive, LIFE, Soil Strategy.
- Climate change adaptation policy.
- Regional Policy: Cohesion Funds, ERDF
- Agricultural Policy: CAP, EAFRD
Part of wider plan
1
Policy target
Target purpose
Runoff control
Peak-flow reduction
Oher Societal Benefits
Oher Societal Benefits
Groundwater Recharge
Policy pressure
Pressure directive Relevant pressure
Policy area
Policy area type Policy area focus Name Comments
Policy impact
Impact directive Relevant impact
Policy wider plan
Wider plan type Wider plan focus Name Comments
Policy requirement directive
Requirement directive Specification
Direct benefits
- Cultivated crops, namely Rice, maize and permanent pastures.
- Reared animals and their outputs , namely Marinhoa cattle for meat; other cattle breeds for meat (Charolais, Limousine, crossbreed); Holstein Friesian cattle for dairy products like milk.
Ancillary benefits information
The Marinhoa is an endemic species and is a certified cattle breed for Aveiro region, having an added market value.
The area has a high intrinsic value due to its biodiversity and also due to its representativeness of a sustainable land use type and water management and it could be explored in the future for ecotourism.
Costs investment information
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century).
Costs land acquisition unit
€/ha
Costs total information
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century).
Ecosystem improved biodiversity
1
Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity
Yes, BVL is recognized as model of biodiversity and balance between man activities and wildlife.
The Baixo Vouga Lagunar is integrated in Ria de Aveiro Special Protection Area (SPA – with the Natura 2000 code PTZPE0004). This SPA regularly supports over 1 % of the population of the pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and 60 % of the population of the purple heron (Ardea purpurea).
Baixo Vouga Lagunar is an important for 173 species of birds, such as the fish-hawk (Pandion haliaetus), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea), the black kite (Milvus migrans), the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). It is also an important habitat for mammals like the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and the European otter (Lutra lutra), for amphibians like the common toad (Bufo bufo), the tree frog (Hyla arborea), the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), the marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) and the Iberian Painted Frog (Discoglossus galganoi), for reptiles, namely the Iberian emerald lizard (Lacerta schreiberi) and the viperine water snake (Natrix maura), and for several fish species including the eel (Petromyzon marinus) and the lamprey (Lampetra planeri). According to the EU Directive 92/43/EEC some of these species are classified as "strictly protected" (e.g. the otter and the tree frog). Also for IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the otter is in the “red list”, classified as “Near Threatened” as well as the Iberian Emerald Lizar
Ecosystem provisioning services
1
Information on Ecosystem provisioning services
Provision of the following services (by means of bocage):
- Cultivated crops, namely Rice, maize, oat, alfalfa, ryegrass and pastures;
- Reared animals and their outputs, namely Marinhoa cattle for meat; other cattle breeds for meat (Charolais, Limousine, crossbreed); Holstein Friesian cattle for dairy products like milk; and equine cattle;
- Wild plants, i.e. Wild berries;
- Fibers and other materials from plants, algae and animals for direct use or processing, namely: Wood, timber, flowers, eucalyptus for industrial products such as cellulose for paper;
- Groundwater for non-drinking purposes;
- Biomass-based energy sources, i.e. ‘Bocage’ living hedges are trimmed for firewood
- Mechanical energy, i.e., Physical labour provided by Marinhoa cattle
Ecosystem impact climate regulation
No information available
Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation
Living hedges will enhance the 1) GHGs storage, including soil carbon; 4) increased permanent biomass. The canopy also enhances the surface area for the settlement of atmospheric PM (particulate matter). In this specific example ‘Bocage’ as green infrastructure reduces the visual impact and the smell from a pulp mill industry
Information on retained water
N/A info
Information on increased water storage
N/A info
Information on runoff reduction
N/A info
Information on Peak flow rate reduction
Yes, but not quantified
Information on Increased infiltration
Yes, but not quantified
Water quality overall improvements
N/A info
Information on Water quality overall improvements
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century). One can infer that living hedges will enhance the retention of SPM (suspended particulate matter) and associated/adsorbed pollutants, therefore contri
Soil quality overall soil improvements
N/A info
Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century). One can infer that if SOM is increasing, which is crucial to retain contaminants (both organics and inorganics), and living hedges are used with some
Information on Soil quality overall soil carbon
Positive impact-SQ improvement