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Calculating the impact of climate change, nitrogen deposition and water management on terrestrial vegetation in nature areas

WaterVision Nature

WaterVision Nature (WWN) is a freely available tool to calculate the impact of climate change, nitrogen deposition and water management on terrestrial vegetation in nature areas.

Below, you will find the links for the installation and user manuals, with which you can download and install WWN as well as find the answers to most questions. The Helpdesk_WWN@kwrwater.nl is also available for assistance with any installation technical problems. You can also use this helpdesk to register as a user and receive WWN updates and other news about the tool. The WWN uses the Soil Physics Units Map (BOFEK) to derive meta relations. The new BOFEK2020 was recently published (see: BOFEK 2020 – Stowa Waterwijzer), but cannot as yet be used for WWN.

WaterVision Nature (WWN-3) is now available

WWN evolves continuously. In order to make the model suited to the evaluation of climate impact in connection with the effects of nitrogen deposition and water management, expert assessments are substituted as much as possible by process settings. With this new version of WaterVision Nature (WWN-3), you can as a user also calculate the effects of changes in nitrogen deposition on vegetation. Thanks to this improved modelling of nutrient fertility, the tool links in with the current issues surrounding nitrogen. The WWN has thus been made suitable for application in local restoration and management plans of (Natura 2000) nature areas. Read more about these improvements in our report.

The earlier versions (WWN-1 and WWN-2) continue to be available.

What can WaterVision Nature do?

The vegetation in natural areas makes specific demands on water management, particularly concerning groundwater levels. Existing assessment systems, however, do not take the consequences of climate change into account. That is why a system has now been developed to accomplish this: WaterVision Nature (WWN). This tool can be used to:

  1. test water management against existing vegetation objectives;
  2. assess whether vegetation objectives are achievable under other climate conditions;
  3. identify new sites suitable for nature development;
  4. optimise water management for the benefit of nature;
  5. determine the effects of changes in nitrogen deposition on vegetation objectives.

The tool calculates very quickly and generates results in the shape of clear maps and tables. Figure 1, for instance, shows the results of a search for potential sites for nature development.

Fig. 1. Gesimuleerde potentiële natuurwaarden in het stroomgebied van de Baakse beek (270 km2, Gld) onder het huidige klimaat (links) en de natuurwaardeverandering in 2050 onder klimaatverandering (rechts).

Figure 1. Simulated potential nature values in the Baakse Beek river basin (270 km2 in Gelderland) under current climate (left) and nature-value changes in 2050 under climate change (right).

Why a new system?

Changes in climate, nitrogen deposition and water management impact vegetation objectives, but existing knowledge of water and vegetation is dated and therefore not useful for climate projections. In collaboration with STOWA, KWR and its development partners developed the WaterVision Nature tool, which incorporates the maximum number possible of the processes affected by climate change and nitrogen deposition (Figure 2).

Fig. 1. Effecten van klimaatverandering op de vegetatie.

Figure 2. Effects of climate change on vegetation.

Partners

 

WaterVision Agriculture

Besides WaterVision Nature, the above parties have also developed WaterVision Agriculture (WWL). This tool determines the effects of changes in hydrological conditions on agricultural production. Click here for more information about WWL.