# Benefits and adverse impacts of wetland restoration for species reintroduction

Jean-Yves Georges, R Barbier, A Čeirāns, G Chaberek, I Combroux, C Grac, K Kasianiuk, O Marushchak, U Meissner, J Meka, et al.

► To cite this version:

Jean-Yves Georges, R Barbier, A Čeirāns, G Chaberek, I Combroux, et al. Benefits and adverse impacts of wetland restoration for species reintroduction. World Biodiversity Forum, Davos, Switzerland, 16-21 June 2024, Jun 2024, Davos, Switzerland. [hal-04730118](https://hal.science/hal-04730118v1)

HAL Id: hal-04730118

https://hal.science/hal-04730118v1

Submitted on 10 Oct 2024

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Visit our website!

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

# Benefits and adverse impacts of wetland restoration for species reintroduction

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

JY Georges¹,², R Barbier³, A Čeirāns⁴, G Chaberek⁵, I Combroux⁶, C Grac³, K Kasianiuk⁷, O Marushchak¹,⁸, U Meissner⁹, J Meka¹,¹⁰,¹¹, O Nekrasova¹,⁴,⁸, M Pupins⁴, L Razafindralay¹², P Romaniuk³,¹³, KAE van der Zon⁶, A Škute⁴, K Theissinger²,¹⁰,¹¹

contact: georges@iphc.cnrs.fr

¹Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France – ²Long-Term Study in Ecology and Evolution (SEE-Life) program of CNRS, Neu Woerr, France – ³ENGEEs, Strasbourg, France – ⁴Daugavpils University, Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils, Latvia – ⁵University of Gdańsk, Institute of Human Geography and Spatial Management, Gdansk, Poland – ⁶Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, LIVE UMR 7362, Strasbourg, France – ⁷Collegium Civitas, Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations, Warsaw, Poland – ⁸I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Department of Animal monitoring and conservation, Kyiv, Ukraine – ⁹Kreisverwaltung Germersheim, District administration Germersheim, Department for Environment and agriculture, Germersheim, Germany – ¹⁰Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany – ¹¹Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany – ¹²Collectivité européenne d'Alsace, Direction de l'Environnement et de l'Agriculture, Service Environnement et Territoires, Strasbourg, France – ¹³Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

In Europe where wetlands have declined by 90% since the 1700s, the European pond turtle *Emys orbicularis* has suffered the most dramatic decline of all reptiles. This small-sized turtle emblematic of wetlands has benefited numerous conservation initiatives throughout Europe. Yet the actual results of these projects have been little disseminated. **Emys-R** aims at testing three main hypotheses: 1) higher degrees of wetland restoration can compensate for limited capabilities of captive bred *Emys* to settle in the wild; 2) conservation actions can benefit society by bringing together people and nature; 3) well-perceived *Emys* can be an emissary (echoing "Emys-R") for improving public perception of nature, and more specifically poorly-perceived wetlands.

Emys-R is a 3-yr transdisciplinary participatory action-oriented research project for defining the most efficient, socially-supported, ecological methods to restore wetlands in favour of *Emys* reintroduction and associated biodiversity in Europe, based on literature review of former EU-funded conservation initiatives and long term monitoring on 3 study sites in FR, DE and LV.

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Bioclimatic models identified A) current areas of overlap between *Emys* and 7 exotic freshwater turtles and D) future areas exempt of interspecies competition as **priority areas for conservation of *Emys*** and associated native biodiversity

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

**ALL:** Public seminars and participatory workshops led to a **new paradigm for wetland governance**

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_18.png" /></figure>

**Habitats:**

■ Forêt alluviale mixte

■ Forêt de salicacées

■ Prairie

■ Champs de culture

■ Roselière

■ Gravière

■ Vieille Lauter

■ Mare

1994-2003
2012-2014

2021-2023 ©

**FR:** Wetland restoration (1994-2003) led to improved habitat diversity, quality and suitability for native species, incl. *Emys*

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /></figure>

**FR:** *Emys* reintroduction (2013-2023) led to 37% survival of released individuals. Predation and low reproduction on site make the population not self-sustainable on the short term

<figure><img src="image_20.png" /></figure>

Isolated vs. connected

Isolated vs. connected

**LV:** For native amphibians, restoring geographically isolated wetlands in presence of invasive predatory fish (e.g. Chinese sleeper *Perccottus glenii*) is more appropriate than restoring pondscape connectedness

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /></figure>

**FR:** Invasive alien species (e.g. calico crayfish *Faxonius immunis*) benefited post-restoration suitable habitats; adaptive management (experimental adaptive ponds) is tested

*Emys-R* (https://emysr.cnrs.fr/) was funded through the 2020-2021 Biodiversa+ and Water JPI joint call for research projects, under the BiodivRestore ERA-NET Cofund (GA N°101003777), with the EU and the funding organisations Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France, grant ANR-21-BIRE-0005), Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Germany, grant BMBF project number 16LW015), State Education Development Agency (VIAA, Latvia, grant ES RTD/2022/2), and National Science Center (NSC, Poland, grant 2021/03/Y/NZ8/00101). Also supported by LV pond aquaculture project Nr Izp-2021/1-0247; Nr 16-00-F02201-000002, and Long-Term Study in Ecology and Evolution (SEE-Life) program of CNRS, Neu Woerr, France. Dr Oksana Nekrasova was supported by the Collège de France and Agence Nationale de la Recherche ANR through the PAUSE ANR Ukraine programme (grant ANR-23-PAUK-0074).

<figure><img src="image_22.png" /></figure>

WORLD
BIODIVERSITY
FORUM

FROM SCIENCE TO ACTION

16 - 21 JUNE 2024, DAVOS CONGRESS CENTRE, SWITZERLAND

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /></figure>

Université

de Strasbourg

<figure><img src="image_24.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_25.png" /></figure>

Image
Ville
Environnement

GESTE

<figure><img src="image_26.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_27.png" /></figure>

ALSACE
Collectivité européenne

NABU

DER LANDRAT
LANDREIS GERMERSHEIM

<figure><img src="image_28.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_29.png" /></figure>

NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE
POLAND

<figure><img src="image_30.png" /></figure>

Bundesministerium
für Bildung
und Forschung

<figure><img src="image_31.png" /></figure>

Latvia Council
of Science

PAUSE

COLLÈGE
DE FRANCE
1530

<figure><img src="image_32.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_33.png" /></figure>

biodiversa

<figure><img src="image_34.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_35.png" /></figure>

UNIVERSITAT
GIESSEN

<figure><img src="image_36.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_37.png" /></figure>

Collegium
Civitas

<figure><img src="image_38.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_39.png" /></figure>

LANDREIS GERMERSHEIM

<figure><img src="image_40.png" /></figure>