Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are ecosystems that are based on engineered soil and designed plant communities to manage stormwater on-site and to enhance infiltration, evapotranspiration, and cooling, thus reducing flooding and urban heat islands. In addition, SUDS may act as hotspots fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524239/full |
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| author | Brigitte Helmreich Maha Deeb Patrizia Eben Monika Egerer Johannes Kollmann Stefanie Schulz Stephan Pauleit Wolfgang W. Weisser Michael Schloter Michael Schloter |
| author_facet | Brigitte Helmreich Maha Deeb Patrizia Eben Monika Egerer Johannes Kollmann Stefanie Schulz Stephan Pauleit Wolfgang W. Weisser Michael Schloter Michael Schloter |
| author_sort | Brigitte Helmreich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are ecosystems that are based on engineered soil and designed plant communities to manage stormwater on-site and to enhance infiltration, evapotranspiration, and cooling, thus reducing flooding and urban heat islands. In addition, SUDS may act as hotspots for biodiversity and could be more socially accepted if they work well and are multifunctional. However, we still lack a critical understanding of the techno-ecological basis to construct SUDS sustainably. Due to climate change and pollutants such as de-icing salts, SUDS are confronted with harmful environmental triggers that interfere with their sustainable development. Thus, the challenge is to combine stormwater treatment and urban drainage with principles of restoration ecology, while implementing expertise from soil science, microbiome research, and plant ecology. In this perspective paper, we will discuss the SUDS development and maintenance principle and the role of interdisciplinary research in reaching these goals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7e5a0803ad3649e296ba399f3203fec3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-7e5a0803ad3649e296ba399f3203fec32025-01-20T07:19:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-01-011210.3389/fenvs.2024.15242391524239Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversityBrigitte Helmreich0Maha Deeb1Patrizia Eben2Monika Egerer3Johannes Kollmann4Stefanie Schulz5Stephan Pauleit6Wolfgang W. Weisser7Michael Schloter8Michael Schloter9Urban Water Systems Engineering, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyUniversity of Applied Science and Art of Western Switzerland HEPIA HES-SO, Geneva, SwitzerlandUrban Water Systems Engineering, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyUrban Productive Ecosystems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyRestoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyResearch Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, GermanyStrategic Landscape Planning and Management, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyTerrestrial Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyResearch Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, GermanyEnvironmental Microbiology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanySustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are ecosystems that are based on engineered soil and designed plant communities to manage stormwater on-site and to enhance infiltration, evapotranspiration, and cooling, thus reducing flooding and urban heat islands. In addition, SUDS may act as hotspots for biodiversity and could be more socially accepted if they work well and are multifunctional. However, we still lack a critical understanding of the techno-ecological basis to construct SUDS sustainably. Due to climate change and pollutants such as de-icing salts, SUDS are confronted with harmful environmental triggers that interfere with their sustainable development. Thus, the challenge is to combine stormwater treatment and urban drainage with principles of restoration ecology, while implementing expertise from soil science, microbiome research, and plant ecology. In this perspective paper, we will discuss the SUDS development and maintenance principle and the role of interdisciplinary research in reaching these goals.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524239/fullecosystem serviceengineered substratemicrobiomemultifunctionalityplant communitiesstormwater |
| spellingShingle | Brigitte Helmreich Maha Deeb Patrizia Eben Monika Egerer Johannes Kollmann Stefanie Schulz Stephan Pauleit Wolfgang W. Weisser Michael Schloter Michael Schloter Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity Frontiers in Environmental Science ecosystem service engineered substrate microbiome multifunctionality plant communities stormwater |
| title | Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| title_full | Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| title_fullStr | Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| title_short | Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| title_sort | converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity |
| topic | ecosystem service engineered substrate microbiome multifunctionality plant communities stormwater |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524239/full |
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