Michael Kyei Agyekum

Abstract Mangrove forests fringe the highly dynamic, mud-dominated Guianas coast, where wave-induced mobility of Amazon-derived mudbanks drives rapid coastal accretion and erosion. In French Guiana, this geomorphic instability reorganizes mangrove distribution, creating mosaics of successional stages in which stand development rarely approaches long-term equilibrium.

When I first began analysing agricultural pressures in German river networks, I expected the familiar story of nutrient loads, pesticide traces and differences between landscapes. What I did not expect was how narrow the ecological safe operating space has become for many rivers. Even small increases in agricultural pressure, especially from pesticides, reduced the likelihood of achieving good ecological status in a clear and consistent way.