This field of responsibility covers the characterisation of the effects ofproperties of unspoilt nature, of agricultural land use, as well as ofland and water management on structures, functions and stresses of different types of small stagnant and running water bodies, as well as of wetlands.It is thus focussed on ecosystems being directly affected by diffuse matter discharges from the agricultural landscape and also subjected to stronger water level fluctuations including temporary dryness. High importance must be attached to the protection and management of these small water bodies with regard to the ecological condition of downstream ecosystems in river catchments, as well as with regard to nature conservation in agricultural landscapes.

The objective set is to achieve knowledge gain on the system behaviour of different types of small water bodies and wetlands and its application to behaviour models, evaluation methods and options for action with regard to the following priorities:

• Occurrence and functions, ecological quality and evolution of condition
• Processes of water and matter dynamics, as well as of matter discharge behaviour and matter retention determining water body quality, with special reference to the interaction between aquatic and terrestrial zones (buffer zones)
• Effect of measures aiming at the sustainable improvement of the ecological quality, as well as of water and matter retention
• Decision-making aids for the employment of complexes of measures geared to the maintenance and restoration of the type-adequate capability of function performance.