Diana M. P. Galassi*, Barbara Fiasca*, Andrea Piermarocchi° LIFE+ project AQUALIFE: biological indicators for GDE classification under the formal expression of interest by the Ministry of the Environment and the technical agency ISPRA Diana M. P. Galassi*, Barbara Fiasca*, Andrea Piermarocchi° E-mail: dianamariapaola.galassi@univaq.it *University of L’Aquila, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, L’Aquila (Italy) °University of Teramo - Faculty of Law, Teramo (Italy) Luxembourg 5-6 October 2015

What do we have? Groundwater associated aquatic ecosystems (GWAAEs) are ecosystems that belong to surface water bodies (rivers, lakes, transitional WB or coastal WB), which status (ecological or chemical) or environmental objectives could be affected by alterations of groundwater level or pollutant concentrations that are transported through groundwater.

What is still missing?

2006/118/EC Recital – point 20 Research should be conducted in order to provide better criteria for ensuring groundwater ecosystem quality and protection. Where necessary, the findings obtained should be taken into account when implementing or revising this Directive. Such research, as well as dissemination of knowledge, experience and research findings, needs to be encouraged and funded.

How many types of GDEs? 1. Ecosystems Entirely Dependent on Groundwater (i.e. SGDEs) Not included in WFD and GWD 2. Ecosystems Highly Dependent on Groundwater Only partially included in WFD and GWD 3. Ecosystems with Proportional Dependence on Groundwater Included in WFD and GWD 4. Ecosystems which may only use Groundwater Opportunistically

What lies beneath? the ecological dimension of groundwater

What is the need to enter groundwater ecology in routine monitoring programs? 1. Groundwater species are very sensitive to groundwater quality and quantity alterations 2. Groundwater species may well work as early warning systems 3. Groundwater species are leading actors for GDE goods and services – ecosystem engineers

Are there constraints to enter groundwater ecology in routine monitoring programs? NO! The generalized acception of the groundwater biodiversity as «unknown» is a wrong assumption At the entrance in force of the biological monitoring of surface waters (1.2. Normative definitions of ecological status classifications in the WFD) the same contraints were found by end-users and stakeholders The BIOFRESH project (EU 7th Framework Programme - Contract No. 226874) listed all the groundwater species living in the GWAAEs across Europe (database in publication)

Is there enough knowledge to include groundwater ecology in routine monitoring programs? YES! The entirely or highly dependent groundwater ecosystems harbour a vast multitude of invertebrates and microbes, as best indicators of ecosystem status. The misconception of the groundwater as a «desert» is no longer accepted.

Natural drivers (left) and stressors (right) in different organism groups illustrating knowledge gaps After Stendera et al., 2012

Altered river discharge: the dams Altered flow discharge determines a strong increase in riverbed sediment erosion and high instability of the hyporheic zone reference site The hyporheic community changes in abundance and species composition

Groundwater over-exploitation The hyporheic zone loses its biodiversity and related ecosystem services X After Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes and Practices (1998) - USDA National Conservation Center

Hyporheic fauna response to global warming: the case study of the Rhone River (France) (After Dehedin et al., 2013)

Groundwater fauna response to groundwater withdrawal (After Di Lorenzo & Galassi, 2013) Mann-Withney U-tests, p=0.043; p=0.049

The Aqualife test-area

Toward the assessment of an integrative multimetric index scoring the ecological status and threats of the GDEs http://www.aqualifeproject.eu Integrative multimetric index of GDE status and threats Alteration of GW quality in GDEs? scoring Alteration of GW quantity in GDEs? Testing species sensitivity (ecotoxicology, genotoxicity, proteomics) MODEL SPECIES FOR GDEs Testing Community/assemblage composition under different pressures and impacts

Thank you for your attention