1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Ghent University (UGent) - Belgium

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Forests in headwater areas benefit water quality and hydrologic cycling. Furthermore, maintaining and restoring the forest cover in headwater catchments offers other, multiple benefits such as increased soil water retention, intercepted pollution pathways, improved soil, maintained biodiversity and captured carbon dioxide.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Forest cover is carefully maintained in the headwater areas of the Wimbe catchment in Belgium. The upstream (headwater) forest covers about 30% of the overall catchment area, which has a total drainage area of 93 sq. km. The trees found in the forest are mainly deciduous species such as oak, linden, birch and beech. A few evergreens/coniferous trees also grow in the area. However, in some parts of the forest, these coniferous trees are being removed/eliminated and replanted with native deciduous species. Furthermore, there is targeted control and removal of damaging invasive alien plants such as Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). The forest in the headwater areas provides multiple benefits. First, it enhances water quality as well as regulating the flow regime and hydrological cycling, thereby providing drinking water ecosystem services. Forest soils generally have good infiltration capacity, capturing rainfall, as well as water caught by the canopy and later dripping from the leaves or flowing down the stem. The soils slowly release the rainwater captured, limiting or preventing runoff, and decelerating the rate at which the runoff water travels: maintaining forests is therefore considered to be a retention measure. Forests, in general, also increase evapotranspiration and canopy interception, which contributes to reducing runoff, and increasing precipitation recycling. Furthermore, the forest floor and its soils are generally high in organic matter content, which enhances soil-water retention. Forests also reduce pollutant runoff such as metals and organic contaminants as these pollutants are tightly bound to the organic matter in forest soils. Forest cover can significantly reduce erosion through the dense organic mat which is more resistant to erosion than exposed soils. On top of that, the forest greatly contributes to biodiversity preservation both above ground in growing and decaying vegetation, and within the soil also. Forests capture atmospheric carbon through their growth and associated utilisation of carbon dioxide. Carbon is then held in the wood, but also in the forest floor and in the organic matter-rich soil. The forest provides for tourism and aesthetic values which improves human well-being not only for the local people but also for visitors from outsider.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• more than 50 years ago (traditional)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through land users' innovation
• as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)
• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

The area is originally a forest.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• conserve ecosystem
• protect a watershed/ downstream areas – in combination with other Technologies
• preserve/ improve biodiversity
• mitigate climate change and its impacts

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• No (Continue with question 3.4)

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• natural and semi-natural forest management
• forest plantation management

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

Euro

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

1.0

4.3 Establishment activities

Comments:

Additional information can be found in http://biodiversite.wallonie.be/fr/c-actions-de-restauration.html?IDC=6382

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Planting trees	person-day	27.0	280.0	7560.0	100.0
Plant material	Tree seedlings	pcs	2000.0	2.0	4000.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					11560.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					11560.0

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

From subsidies

Comments:

Depending on the tree species, tree seedling can range from 1USD to 2.5 USD (Given 1 USD=1Euro)

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Targeted control of invasive alien plants	once or twice a year
2.	Elimination of isolated softwoods (conifers)
3.	Clearing of forest clearings
4.	Planting of native hardwood (deciduous trees), with or without protections

Comments:

https://biodiversite.wallonie.be/fr/c-actions-de-restauration.html?IDC=6382

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Comments:

If the tree seedling dies, then it will have to be replanted again.

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The replanting of trees, in general, and in particular eliminating softwoods (coniferous) and replanting of hardwoods (deciduous).

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Yes

Regularity:

episodically

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

Observations suggest a notable reduction in biodiversity and a decline in forest health over the past few decades, largely driven by forestry and hunting practices that do not always support forest resilience, along with the impacts of climate change and pest and pathogen outbreaks

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• state
• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)
• individual

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

Comments:

Land ownership here applies to the single sites.

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
seasonal rainfall	winter	increase	very well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
extreme winter conditions	well
drought	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Enhances biodiversity.
Promotes tourism
Maintains good water and air quality

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Land not used for farming agricultural crops.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

No related publications

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Individual NWRM Maintenance of forest cover in headwater areas

URL:

http://nwrm.eu/sites/default/files/nwrm_ressources/f2_-_maintenance_of_forest_cover_in_headwater_areas_0.pdf

Title/ description:

Restore Actions

URL:

http://biodiversite.wallonie.be/fr/c-actions-de-restauration.html?IDC=6382

7.4 General comments

The database provide interesting information.
Just comment on the questionnaire. Some questions does not use the same units all throughout, for example in some case it uses km2, sometimes hectare. Maybe better that it will be consistent?

Response: Thanks. I have changed the ha unit into sq. km.