Cultural practices in European riverine floodplains: formation, typology, co-decline of biocultural diversity, and emerging drivers of conservation and sustainable management

Floodplain wetlands in riverine environments are characterized by rhythmic hydrological changes, which re-structure physical habitat, change between aquatic and dry life conditions, reset successions, and facilitate the respective food chains and/or migration/drift of nutrients and organisms. Since the earliest days of humankind, these floodplains were sought-after places for humans to settle, use natural resources directly or indirectly, to learn from nature. and even to venerate nature in spiritual relationships. The fast industrial and commercial developments of the past centuries have caused a decrease in the valuation of wetlands by humans, going along with the cutting-off of the natural hydrological…