To submit a case study, you have to follow the following process:
1- send a proposal of a case study relevant for NWRM platform using the contact form, and giving a summary description of the case study, including the NWRMs used (see catalogue for selection of measures),
2- We will contact you for further discussion and details if necessary, and will then provide you with a set of passwords to submit your case study,
The biophysical environment is the biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development and evolution. The biophysical environment can vary in scale from microscopic to global in extent. It can also be subdivided according to its attributes. Examples include the marine environment, the atmospheric environment and the terrestrial environment. The number of biophysical environments is countless, given that each living organism has its own environment.
The symbiosis between the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment includes all variables that comprise the Earth’s biosphere.
The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories: the natural environment and the built environment with some overlap between the two. Following the industrial revolution the built environment has become an increasingly significant part of the Earth's environment.
The scope of the biophysical environment is all that contained in the biosphere, which is that part of the Earth in which all life occurs.
When narrowed down to the aquatic environment, and particularly in the context of the Water Framework Directive, these are often referred to as water quality, water quantity and hydromorphology.
A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil. Its purpose is any or all of the following:
· to conserve moisture
· to improve the fertility and health of the soil
· to reduce weed growth
· to enhance the visual appeal of the area
Mulching as NWRM is using organic material (e.g. bark, wood chips, grape pulp, shell nuts, green waste, leftover crops, compost, manure, straw, dry grass, leaves etc.) to cover the surface of the soil. It may be applied to bare soil, or around existing plants. Mulches of manure or compost will be incorporated naturally into the soil by the activity of worms and other organisms. The process is used both in commercial crop production and in gardening, and when applied correctly can dramatically improve the capacity of soil to store water.
