IC Guidance Annex III: Reference conditions and alternative benchmarks Sandra Poikane Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

Reference conditions RC ? RC = ecosystem with no or minor human impact

RC – benchmark for intercalibration

IC Phase 1 : Problems: Lack of reference sites Diverse reference criteria Diverse approaches for setting RC Comparability of reference conditions across MS, GIGs and BQEs ?? IC Guidance Annex III: Guidelines for deriving RC and alternative benchmarks

1. General framework and definitions

MS: for national assessment systems and national types IC: for intercalibration for the common IC types using the common dataset Ref sites, historical data, paleoreconstruction, modeling, expert judgement Reference sites= Unimpacted sites for RC setting (if ref sites available) Altern benchmark sites= with similar impact for alternative benchmark If RC sites no available Reference conditions National RC setting Common benchmarking

2. National RC setting  Spatial network of reference sites  Modelling aproaches  Expert judgement  Historical data  Paleological data  What is new ?  2 kinds of reference sites (2.6)

Reference sites Non impacted Impacted but with reference conditions Idealistic / Academic Pragmatic / realistic Few sites survive screening Many sites survive screening Finding a balance “Realistically idealistic”

2.6. Reference sites - definitions  Tier 1  “true” reference sites  sites with no or minimal anthropogenic pressure  fulfill all REFCOND criteria  for all pressures  for all the BQEs  Tier 2  “indicative” reference sites or “partial” reference sites  greater anthropogenic disturbance  certain BQE = reference  e.g. “phytoplankton reference sites” with significant hydromorphological pressure

MS: for national assessment systems and national types IC: for intercalibration for the common IC types using the common dataset Ref sites, historical data, paleo, modeling, expert judgement Reference sites= Unimpacted sites for RC setting (if ref sites available) Altern benchmark sites= with similar impact for alternative benchmark If RC sites no available Reference conditions National RC setting Common benchmarking

3. Common benchmarking 3.1. Tiered approach Alternative benchmarks 3.2. Transparent and Verifiable Independent of national reference setting 3.3. Harmonised criteria Based on common database (preferable approach) or separate datasets 3.4. Common approach to allow consistency on presur eidentification across water categories

Common benchmarking What is new ?  3 tiers of sites  Common framework  Alternative benchmarks

Reference sites - definitions  Tier 1  “true” reference sites  Tier 2  “indicative” reference sites or “partial” reference sites

Tiered approach Tier 1 “True” reference sites Tier 2 – “Indicative” reference sites or “partial” reference sites Tier 3 – Alternative benchmark sites Similar level of disturbance Similar level of impairment to biology

 Common view for pressures / indicators / criteria ? Common framework ? RC Lakes Transitional WB Coastal WB Rivers Physico-chemical parameters Phyto plankton

3.4. Common framework To come to a common understanding for reference conditions or an alternative benchmark Similar methodologies should be adopted for the characterization of very low pressure levels or similar pressure levels a list of the most important pressures for each water category, together with potential pressure indicators The most important pressure Potential pressure indicators Thresholds

Table on pressures (under development) Coastal and TW

3.7. Altern benchmark sites= with similar impact for alternative benchmarking (if RC sites not available ) 3.6. Reference sites= Unimpacted sites for RC setting (if ref sites available) Common benchmarking

RC setting (2.9 & 3.6) Abiotic reference criteria Statistically derived thresholds Agreed at water category level Reference sites Reference conditions Biological conditions need to be reviewed to avoid the influence of impacts caused by other pressures

Level of pressure/stressor High Low Condition of the biotic community Water category / type specific High Low i.e. Artificial land use 0.8% 2. Reference conditions Steps to establish status classes: 1.Application of RC criteria to sites 2.Reference benchmark 3.High/Good boundary 4.Good/Mod boundary 5.Mod/Def boundary 6.Def/Bad boundary

3.8. Alternative Benchmark Abiotic criteria Similar level of human pressure Best available conditions Alternative benchmark sites Biological benchmark conditions Biological conditions need to be reviewed to avoid the influence of impacts caused by other pressures

Condition of the biotic community Water category / type specific High Low Level of pressure/stressor High Low i.e. Artificial land use 0.8% 4% 2. Alternative Benchmark Steps to establish status classes for alternative benchmarks : 1.Application of abiotic criteria to select benchmark sites 2.Establishing biological alternative benchmark 1

3.10. Virtual reference  To identify the position of benchmark we need “virtual reference”  Distance between “the virtual reference” – alternative benchmark  How to establish: –Few true reference sites –Extrapolating dose-response relationship –Virtual reference sites – literature, expert judgement –Muiltiple regression models

Condition of the biotic community Water category / type specific High Low Level of pressure/stressor High Low i.e. Artificial land use 0.8% 4% 3. Virtual Reference 2. Alternative Benchmark Steps to establish status classes for alternative benchmarks : 1.Application of abiotic criteria to select benchmark sites 2.Establishing biological alternative benchmark 3.Establishing “virtual reference” 4.Identification of the deviation of the selected benchmark from reference conditions 1 4

Alternative Benchmark – example ?

ParameterHighGood BOD (mg/l)< 2.5<5 HM (class)11 and 2 Land use index < 50< 140

 Description of intercalibration type specific reference/benchmark communities

Example – CB Macrophytes

Sandy lowland streams - High

Sandy lowland streams - Good

Annex III in a nutshell  Common benchmark - important part in the intercalibration  Find reference sites and set RC  If not possible,,, find alternative benchmark !  Describe ecology