EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE GENERAL JRC JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE Institute of Environment and Sustainability   ECOSTAT, JRC 03-04 July 2007 MEDiterranean GIG RIVers IC Results João Manuel Bernardo, INAG Portuguese Water Agency

Med Riv GIG – situation Benthic Invertebrates: Updated results (R-M5 temporary streams; R-M1, M2, M4 already approved in April 2007) Phytobenthos (Diatoms): Few MS, new results, same boundaries for all river types Macrophytes: It was not possible to IC, very few MS, lack of data, lack of methods, but recent involvement of some MSs. The conditions of using this BQE must be better precised for Mediterranean rivers

Benthic Invertebrates

IC approach Agreement on Reference criteria (REFCOND) Through quantitative ICM (STAR Index) as a translation index - to compare the boundaries of the national classification systems and - to set the boundaries to each IC type through averaging of national boundaries; deriving the acceptability band: mean value of national boundaries (in ICM) ± 0.05 band national boundaries not lower than the minimum value of this band are accepted

National Methods Cyprus: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi) France: IBGN, Indice Biologique Global Normalisé (AFNOR NF T 90 350, 1992) ; WFD compliant classification Greece: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi) Italy: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi), type specific Portugal: IPtI, Portuguese Invertebrate Index: IPtIN and IPtIS Spain: IBMWP (Alba-Tercedor & Sánchez-Ortega, 1988; Alba-Tercedor, 2004)

National Methods – boundary setting The boundaries for most National methods were derived applying the so-called REFCOND approach i.e. HG boundary = 25th %ile REF GM boundary = 25th %ile REF x 0.75 Some MS (France, Portugal), moved up their boundaries for some types, with respect to the application of a pure REFCOND approach Italy for R-M2 has proposed boundaries slightly lower than the ones derived from REFCOND approach in order to make them equal to the boundaries proposed for R-M4 (more robust data) Spain: GM boundary = 25th %ile REF x 0.61 (because of the non-linear behaviour of IBMWP)

Types and MS Type R-M1 R-M2 R-M4 R-M5 Characteristics Small mid-altitude Mediterranean streams Small/Medium lowland Mediterranean streams Small/Medium Mediterranean mountain streams Small temporary Mediterranean streams DrainageArea (km2) 10-100 10-1000 Altitude (m) 200-800 <400 400-1500 Geology Mixed Non-silicious Flow type Highly seasonal Temporary Approved/New approved new results MS France Greece Italy Portugal Spain Greece Italy Portugal Cyprus Greece Italy Spain Italy Portugal Spain

Regressions ICM-National Methods All regressions are linear except for IBMWP (Spain). The IBMWP-EQR was first transformed into an inverse variable to linearize the relationship and then a linear regression was derived between the transformed variable and the ICM. This procedure ensures that ICM – IBMWP-EQR relationship is derived from a linear regression and only one ICM value corresponds to each national EQR value. Member State Translation from National Method into ICM Italy ICM = STAR ICMi Index R2= 1.00 Portugal R-M1 R-M2 R-M5 ICM = 0.9555 x IPtIN + 0.0108 R2= 0.95 ICM = 1.0140 x IPtIN + 0.0049 R2= 0.96 ICM = 0.8488 x IPtIS + 0.0475 R2= 0.87 Spain R-M1 R-M4 R-M5 ICM = 2 – (1.94 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.88 ICM =1.76 – (1.58 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.63 ICM = 1.93– (1.87 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.83

Boundaries for R-M1+M2+M4: Portugal and Spain (boundaries not yet approved) All national boundaries are acceptable. High-Good boundary Good-Moderate boundary National Method ICM Minimum acceptable values 0.89 0.67 R-M1 Portugal 0.92 0.69 Spain 0.78 0.91 0.48 R-M2 0.87 0.66 R-M4 0.83 0.90 0.51 0.71

Boundaries for R-M5 No boundaries approved yet. MS: Italy, Portugal, Spain All national boundaries are acceptable. High-Good boundary Good-Moderate boundary National Method ICM Italy 0.97 0.73 Portugal 0.98 0.88 0.72 0.66 Spain 0.91 0.95 0.55 Mean 0.93 0.71 Minimum acceptable value (Mean-0.05)

R-M5 Boundaries are actually similar to R-M1+M2+M4 Boundaries which means that there are no reasons to separate M5 from the other IC types. Having the same boundaries for all river types would facilitate the future intercalibration activities and the boundary setting for new MSs (no matter what types these MSs may have) High-Good boundary ICM Good-Moderate boundary ICM Mean 0.93 0.71 Minimum acceptable values 0.88 0.66 Previous boundaries (minimum acceptable values) R-M1+M2+M4 0.89 0.67 R-M5

With common boundaries for all IC types, all national boundaries are acceptable. High-Good boundary Good-Moderate boundary National Method ICM R-M1 France Greece Italy Portugal Spain 0.94 0.95 0.97 0.92 0.78 0.88 0.95 0.97 0.89 0.91 0.81 0.71 0.72 0.69 0.48 0.76 0.71 0.72 0.67 0.69 R-M2 Greece Italy Portugal 0.94 0.94 0.87 0.94 0.94 0.89 0.71 0.70 0.66 0.71 0.70 0.67 R-M4 Cyprus Greece Italy Spain 0.97 0.96 0.94 0.83 0.97 0.96 0.94 0.90 0.73 0.72 0.70 0.51 0.73 0.72 0.70 0.71 R-M1+M2+M4 Minimum acceptable value 0.89 0.67 R-M5 Italy Portugal Spain 0.97 0.98 0.91 0.97 0.88 0.95 0.73 0.72 0.55 0.73 0.66 0.73 R-M5 Minimum acceptable value 0.88 0.66 All types combined Minimum acceptable value

Phytobenthos MED IC process Juliette TISON, coordinat. Involved MSs: France, Portugal, Spain. Italy is still developing a National method

National Methods for Intercalibration: France: IBD (Coste in Cemagref, 1982) Portugal: IPS (Lenoir et Coste, 1996) CEE (Descy et Coste, 1990) for R-M5 Spain: IPS (Lenoir et Coste, 1996) Boundary Setting: All MS followed the REFCOND approach

Number of samples: Number of reference samples:

IC Approach: Comparison and Harmonization through an ICM used as a translation metric ICM = (EQR-IPS + EQR-TI ) / 2 EQR-IPS = Observed value / Reference value EQR-TI = (4 – Observed value) / (4 – Reference value) MSs Data used: - ≥ 6 reference samples, ≥ 4 sites screened according to REFCOND and Med GIG guidelines; - A statistically significant linear relationships with the ICM: - Root mean square error (RMSE) ≤ 0.15; - R² ≥ 0.5; - Slope ≥ 0.5 and ≤ 1.5

Non-parametric Statistical Treatment to test differences on reference samples: Using TI, IPS and IBD, results show that: - M1 and M2 are not significantly different M3 and M5 are not significantly different with TI and IBD, M1, M3 and M5 are not signif. different.

and DCA Analysis confirmed that, according to diatom composition, IC types are apparently not relevant.

RESULTS (ICM): all national boundaries are acceptable

Macrophytes MED IC Process Christian CHAUVIN, coordinat.

Macrophytes IC process is at a very preliminary stage and there are no results for this BQE. In fact, only Portugal provided data and assessment method. France provided assessment method and data from a few sites. Spain indicated the assessment method (unofficial) but provided no data yet. Italy very recently indicated assessment method (unofficial) and few data Cyprus and Malta intend to participate in the future

Macrophytes: State of Play

Data availability (provided or to be provided)

Four Countries are using Macrophyte-based river assessment methods: France: IBMR Reference : AFNOR (2003) – Qualité de l’Eau. Détermination de l’Indice Biologique Macrophytique en Rivière (IBMR) – Norme NF T90-39. Official method: YES Sampling season: Spring to autumn Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water) Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

Italy: IBMR Reference : Haury J., Peltre M.-C., Trémolières M., Barbe J., Thiébaut G., Bernez I., Daniel H., Chatenet P., Haan-Archipof G., Muller S., Dutartre A., Laplace-Treyture C., Cazaubon A., Lambert-Servien E., 2006. A new method to assess water trophy and organic pollution – the Macrophytes Biological Index for Rivers (IBMR): its application to different types of river and pollution. Hydrobiologia 570:153-158. Official method: NO. Method recently used in Northern Italy. Sampling season: Spring to autumn Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water) Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

Portugal: MTRp Reference : Holmes, N.T.H., Newman, J.R., Chadd, J.R., Rouen, K.J., Saint, L., Dawson, F.H., 1999. Mean Trophic Rank: a User’s Manual. Research and Development, Technical Report E39, Environment Agency, Bristol, 134 pp. Adaptation to Portugal river types. Official method: YES. Sampling season: Spring/early summer Sampled zone: channel area (area in water, including the in-stream part under water most of the time) Sampled facies: all habitats in the river reach.

Spain : IVAM Reference : MORENO, J.L., NAVARRO, C., y DE LAS HERAS, J. 2005. Índice genérico de vegetación acuática (IVAM): propuesta de evaluación rápida del estado ecológico de los ríos ibéricos en aplicación de la Directiva Marco del Agua. Tecnología del Agua, 261: 48-53. Official method: NO. Method used in several eastern Spain basins. Sampling season: Spring to autumn Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water) Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

There are several issues on the ecological status assessment using macrophytes in Mediterranean rivers: The poor advancement of this BQE in Mediterranean national assessment systems, and thus a lack of both official methods and data; The relevance of macrophytes (as strictly aquatic vegetation) as an ecological indicator in Mediterranean rivers, especially in temporary ones, has to be further investigated; or How can we use Macrophytes to make them a relevant ecological indicator? The existing methods are trophic level oriented. In the Mediterranean zone, the functioning of streams is quite particular and it is not sure that the trophic aspect is the most appropriate to assess the global ecological status of watercourses, in a WFD compliant approach.     

The Med GIG suggests that the Macrophyte IC is extended for an additional 1 – 2 years period.