Field studies

Field studies

Field studies are conducted in two catchments: the Emscher catchment in the Ruhr Metropolitan Area, and the Kinzig catchment of the Rhine-Main Observatory. Both watersheds belong to the LTER networks.

The River Kinzig (see RMO database) is moderately stressed by hydromorphological degradation, land use and waste water overflow.

The Emscher catchment comprises different sections: highly degraded sites with untreated waste water, restored sites of different ages and nearnatural sites that have never been severely affected by humans.

Accordingly, the two study systems comprise a gradient from near-natural over differently restored and differently degraded sites.