Restoring floodplain forests in Europe

Floodplain forests are linear forest systems, occupying the lower areas of river catchments. Their boundaries correspond with the areas disturbed by river flooding and they generally have shallow water tables. The ecology of floodplain forests is closely linked to the dynamic physical processes associated with flooding. The regeneration of floodplain forest species is particularly dependent on periodic floods and sediment deposition. River engineering practices and wholesale clearance of natural floodplain forests for agriculture or forestry have made them very rare in Europe, with about 10 % of the original amount remaining, mostly in the larger river systems of Eastern Europe. There are new opportunities for restoration of floodplain forests provided by some areas of European legislation such as the European Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive and by a new interest in soft engineering approaches to flood management. However, many constraints remain, often related to competing economic incentives for the use of floodplain land.