Development of a shore typology of Lake Constance (Germany) using spatial analyses

Abstract

Population growth and tourism exert tremendous pressures on the lakeshore habitats of Lake Constance. However, great efforts have been put into shore restoration measures over the last few decades to generate a more natural state. These activities, and the importance of the littoral zone as a UNESCO world cultural heritage, increase the need for comprehensive shore typology data to provide a decision base for littoral zone management. Our approach comprises the delineation and classification of different regions of the littoral zone based on morphological features as a first step towards a comprehensive shore typology. We applied a combination of spatial and statistical analyses to classify the Lake Constance shore, based on width and slopes at different depths. We classified ten different hydro-morphological shore types, each representing homogenous areas in the littoral zone separated into sublittoral zones and potential flood areas. Validation of the typology revealed that the shorelines with steep inclinations or embankments were the shore types most likely to erode. Our findings show that the typology based on morphological features can be a useful predictor and method to link the structures and processes that interact in the shore area with the shore morphology.