Hydriculture is combined from the early 20th century English hydric ‘of, relating to, or adapted to a wet or moist environment’ + and the Latin cultura ‘growing, cultivation‘. Hydriculture merges (short term) agricultural and (medium-long term) silvicultural management with local expertise to define sustainable cultivation – and restoration – of (emerging) wetlands, using wetland species. It explores new solutions for the (sustainable) management of wetlands, solutions that go beyond traditional agriculture and silviculture:

• >>MORE on Agriculture<<. Traditional (dryland) agriculture and silviculture require draining, and thus result in serious degradation of soil (subsidence), water (salinization) and organic matter (redox and green house gasses) in wetland areas.
• Forests are both dark and murky and contain many high conservation value(s). Silviculture focuses on the (responsible) management of trees, in the form of plantations with medium rotations (years) as well as wildwoods (including jungles and virgin forests) with long rotations (decades). Forests – in particular natural forests on fragile soils – require approaches that differ substantially from agricultural best management practices. Their medium and long crop rotations (measured in years to decades) – and high diversity in species and crops – result in unique dynamics.
• Hydriculture redefines – and scales-up – the sustainable management and restoration of wetlands. Cultivation and restoration of (emerging) wetlands balances short, medium and long rotations through designs based on hydric crops (such as nipa palm and as rice). For more on hydriculture, check out the posts on hydriculture (avalable here).