Towards science based wetland standards in Scotland Johan Schutten Senior Wetland Ecologist SEPA

Scottish wetlands driven by water: climate, topography and geology

Why does SEPA regulate wetlands?  Water Framework Directive and WEWS Act (2004)  Groundwater body characterisation (risk screening)  Groundwater body classification (significant damage cause by the status of the gw body)  Surface water body classification (via vegetation as part of Hydromorph quality element)  Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act (2004) (advising SNH)  Flood risk management (Scotland) Act (2009) (risk assessment)  Climate change (Scotland) Act (2009) (C-store and accumulation in properly managed wetlands)  CAR:  Application screening  Licensing determinations  Impact analysis

What knowledge do we need to do our job?  What wetland types exist in Scotland  Where are these wetlands (inventory)  How sensitive are these wetland types to antropogenic pressures (nutrients, change in water supply); i.e Devising standards

Scottish Wetland Types  Functional types to enable risk screening  Easy recognisable by non-specialist staff  Defines 17 wetland habitat types (including 10 sub-types)  Functional wetland types – based on general habitat, landscape and hydrological setting  Each wetland type has one or more field indicators (soil, landscape, vegetation)  Project produced a field manual, identification sheets, survey forms, and training material  h/what_we_do/biodiversity/wetlands.aspx h/what_we_do/biodiversity/wetlands.aspx

Functional Scottish wetland typology

Scottish Wetland Inventory  Partnership project: SNH, RSPB, SWT  Collates existing digitised and non- digitised spatial wetland information; deliver summer gap analysis to inform further stages  Available via the new ‘Scotland’s Environment Web’

Wetland science  Science based standards:  Dedicated observation / monitoring in Scotland, in co-operation with SNH and landowners  Learn from literature and apply to the Scottish climate and geology (EA / Europe and further afield)  7 wetland complexes under 4-y monitoring ( ; Envirocentre & Sniffer projects),  Choosen on basis of target wetland types, geology, climate, topography  water balance: rain, surface water level, groundwater level (100 observations, 50+ automated, hourly)

level duration curves Water level standards

Wetland Chemical standards  Develop chemical triggers (N and P species) that screen out wetlands NOT at risk  With UKTAG Wetland Task Team and Groundwater task team  Co-operation sought from EU: GW-C  Values (for a limited number of wetland types, based on Scottish Wetland typology) for consultation end 2011  Data:  Scotland: 56 GWDTE’s in SSSI and in good condition with direct linked groundwater monitoring points (with SEPA GTT) AND  7 wetland complexes in our monitoring program (5 in good condition, 2 likely impacted)  England/Wales: 125+ GWDTE’s in SSSI and in good condition with direct linked groundwater monitoring points  NI and Irish EPA info  At this stage no EU data, but building after WG-C involvement

Nitrate (as N, mg/l)

Conclusions  17 useful Scottish wetland vegetation types, based on function  Wetland inventory delivers phase 1 in summer 2011  Wetland monitoring provides data for quantity and quality standards  Monitoring runs over 4y (to 2013)  Preliminary level data very good need further analysis  Preliminary quantity data is used for WFD risk screening, for consultation end 2011

Questions