1. The German way of sampling, standardisation, storing, evaluation and assessment of waterbodies Armin Lorenz, Daniel Hering, Christian Feld Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016

2. Content The German way of: -sampling, -standardisation, -storing, -evaluation and -assessment of waterbodies

3. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 It all started with the EU-Water Framework Directive

4. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 - A revolution of river management in Europe - A paradigm change in aquatic ecosystem assessment and management - Bioindication became common practice The EU-Water Framework Directive

5. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 A paradigm change - four fundamental changes River Basin Management Focus on ecological status, i.e. bioindicators (fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes/macroalgae, benthic algae, phytoplankton) Water body type-specific Using reference conditions as a benchmark for assessment

6. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Change 1: River Basin Management www.wfd-croatia.eu ~50 river basins in Europe

7. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Advantage River Basin Management allows of integrated monitoring and management from the source to the coast allows of concerted actions if quality targets are not met allows of prioritisation of mitigation measures at the catchment scale allows of the mitigation of catchment-scale stressors, for example, land use enforces Member States to cooperate across borders

8. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Change 2: Ecological status assessment using bioindication 3 Quality Elements are subject to assessment and monitoring of ecological status Biological Quality Elements: fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes/macroalgae, benthic algae, phytoplankton Hydromorphological Quality Elements: habitat, substrate, flow, shoreline modification, discharge Physico-chemical Quality Elements: nutrients, salinity, pollution, toxic priority substances  focus on Biological Quality Elements

9. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Biological Quality Elements Benthic diatoms Macrophytes Benthic invertebrates Fish

10. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Benthic diatoms Foto: A. Besse

11. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Fotos: K. van de Weyer Aquatic Macrophytes

12. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Benthic invertebrates

13. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Foto: B. Stemmer Fish

14. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Change 3 and change 4 Water body type-specific Using reference conditions as a benchmark for assessment

15. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Rivers are different throughout each country…

16. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 A stream type comprises a group of streams/rivers that are subject to similar natural (abiotic) conditions and inhabit a similar (biotic) community.

17. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Content The German way of: -sampling, -standardisation, -storing, -evaluation and -assessment of waterbodies

18. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Selection of sampling sites reach of a water course sampling site... representative for a longer stretch 80 meters e.g. 5 kilometers A sampling site is a stream section of 50- 100 m, which Should be representative for the conditions in a much longer stream section The entity to assess is not the site, but a greater homogeneous entity, i.e. the water body

19. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Multi-habitat Sampling (MHS)

20. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Field protocol, habitat estimation sheets, shovel sampler, gloves, waders, buckets, white trays, sample containers, jars, vials, spring steel tweezers, sieve (500 µm), ethyl alcohol (70 %), pencil & labels, paper, bottle for water samples, physical-chemical field kits, Oxi- metre, pH-meter, thermometer, EC-meter, life jacket, rope, second person(!), cellular phone… Sampling gear

21. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 megalithal (> 40 cm) blocksmacrolithal (20-40 cm) cobblesmesolithal (6-20 cm) coarse gravel microlithal (2-6 cm) medium gravelakal (0,2-2 cm) fine gravelpsammal (6 µm-2 mm) sand Mineral microhabitats (classification: particle size)

22. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 filamentous algaesubmerged macrophytesemergent macrophytes living parts of terrestrial plants floating riparian vegetationfine roots Organic microhabitats

23. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Habitat Estimation Habitat Estimation Sheet - list of mineral microhabitats - coverage (estimation) - general information - list of organic microhabitats - number of sampling units

24. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Multi-Habitat Sampling 20 (sub)samples according to the substrate estimation Spring (streams) or summer (rivers) Shovel-Sampler (25 x 25 cm, 500µm)

25. Fish sampling

26. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Electro-fishing Wading (streams) or boot (rivers) Length: 20 time the river widths, at least 100m Identification and measurement of all specimen Late summer to autumn Direct current Fish sampling

27. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Macrophyte sampling 100 (streams) – 200 m (rivers) Sampling in summer months Wading in transects Rake and anker Identification to species level Standardized protocol

28. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Content The German way of: -sampling, -standardisation, -storing, -evaluation and -assessment of waterbodies

29. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Application in most stream types Species lists or operational taxalists are the basis Achievement of comparable results Assessment of ecological status by the whole community not one single species Standardisation - Background and major goals

30. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Identification levels to be applied Fish: -species level and lengths class (Dußling et al. 2004) Macrophytes: -species level according to the standard taxalist (Schaumburg et al. 2004) Benthic invertebrates: -species or higher level depending in the operational taxalist (Haase et al. 2004) -List of literature to be used

31. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Taxonomic expertise and knowledge Bioindication requires a good knowledge of the taxonomy of the bioindicators of the ecological characteristics and requirements of the taxa Identification keys (preferably at species level) Goal: Operational taxalist minimum identification level of the organism groups taxalist for bioindication

32. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Lab sorting of a MHS sample

33. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Equipment Subsampling grid and sorting tray Outer tray is a sorting tray Inner grid is a modified sub-sampling sieve with an inner area of 30 x 36 cm and a mesh bottom (mesh size: 500 µm). The mesh is divided into 5 x 6 cells (30) (6 x 6 cm each). Each cell is coded, e. g., A1, C3, E5… Cookie cutter (6 x 6 cm) and shovel (tea spoon) to remove sub-sample material Pair of dice to randomly select grids

34. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Standardisation -Methodology -Field form (parameters to be recorded/measured) -Number of samples -Mesh size of the sampler -subsampling in the lab -Identification resolution  operational taxalist -evaluation and assessment is standardized

35. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Content The German way of: -sampling, -standardisation, -storing, -evaluation and -assessment of waterbodies

36. Assessment programs

37. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 River water quality in Germany Saprobic system (benthic invertebrates) >100 years old Assessment of impact of organic pollution Lead to a successive improvement of river water quality over 40 years Today, >95% of water bodies have a good water quality

38. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Saprobic status 1978/79 Saprobic status 1969/70 Saprobic status 2000 Saprobic status 2008 Maps inform and help water management The basis are standardized sampling and taxalists

39. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Microhabitat: sand (Psammal) Ephemera danica Müller, 1864 Locomotion type: borrowingDemands of the adult: landmarks for swarming Reaction to stress: high oxygen demand, acid-intolerant Habitat: lowland and mountain rivers which are hydromorphologically divers Feeding type: active filter feeder

40. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Gammarus pulex (LINNAEUS, 1758) Locomotion type: swimming, walking Microhabitat: sand (Psammal), gravel (Akal), cobbles (Lithal), Phytal Biotope: Lowland and mountain rivers Feeding type: shredder, gatherer Current preference: rheophilic Reaction to pollution: pollution sensitive, low acid-tolerant

41. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Spawning habitat: aerated gravel Salmo salar (LINNAEUS, 1758) Migration behavior: anadromous Demands of the adults: migration possible to the spawning streams Reaction to stress: high oxygen demand, acid-intolerant Juvenile habitat: cold lowland and mountain streams with high flow velocities Food: invertebrates Foto: B. Stemmer

42. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Theory Life parameter Ecological niche Bioindication

43. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 assessment systems resultsinterpretation software sampling lab procedures identificationtaxa list background information on taxa typology Helpful information for water managers Bioassessment procedure

44. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Assessment supported by software tool(s) Multi-metric (biological) assessment delivers >100 metrics allows of an in-depth interpretation of the ecological status allows of the derivation of measures to improve the ecological status allows to track changes after restoration/management (trend analysis)

45. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Taxa list Information on the saprobic status Information on the acidic status Information on other stressors Ecological status Reference status Need for action } Assessment formula Assessment formula Assessment formula Stressor-specific Assessment

46. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Taxa list Information on the saprobic status Information on the acidic status Information on other stressors Ecological status Reference status Need for action } Assessment formula Assessment formula Assessment formula Modul organic pollution Modul acidificationModul general degradation Stressor-specific Assessment

47. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Mid-sized sand-bottom lowland streams Lachte

48. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016

49. Results Lachte Quality class High

50. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Results Lachte Quality class High

51. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Stever near Füchtelner Mühle

52. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Results Stever Quality class Bad

53. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Results Stever Stressor Organic pollution Good Stressor General degradation Bad

54. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 www.freshwaterecology.info

55. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 www.freshwaterecology.info

56. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Parameters covered Preference for river zones Locomotion type Saprobic values Acidity tolerance Current preference Feeding type Habitat preference Distribution Taxonomy Life cycle, life duration Reproduction Dispersal strategy Resistance form Respiration Altitude preference Invasive species Resistance to drought Temperature preference (…)

57. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 www.freshwaterecology.info

58. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 www.freshwaterecology.info

59. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 www.freshwaterecology.info

60. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Autecology on species level Ecological indicators Basis for bioassessment

61. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Content The German way of: -sampling, -standardisation, -storing, -evaluation and -assessment of waterbodies

62. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 German Database? Germany  16 federal states 16 databases

63. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Webdesign of the database of North Rhine-Westfalia http://www.elwasweb.nrw.de Ecological status

64. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 North Rhine-Westphalia: River Habitat Survey

65. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 North Rhine-Westphalia: Ecological status

66. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 North Rhine-Westphalia: River Habitat Survey

67. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 North Rhine-Westphalia: Sampling sites

68. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Example of a Database structure

69. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Thougths on the Database Abiotic site information Main identifier General information (location, lat., long., stream type etc.) Link to Physical and chemical measurements Link to hydromorphological results Link to biotic sample information Biotic site information Species identifier – key taxalists fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, diatoms Taxalists (and assessment results?) Temporal data SQL-based Link to GIS based web-presentations

70. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Geo-database advantages Stores and displays spatially explicit data, i.e. geo-referenced data, usually by means of a GIS system Allows to derive tailor-made maps and tables of the ecological status Allows to set up an online information system on the status of your country’s waters Allows to display species lists

71. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin Vision: bringing together information and data on freshwater related research by providing access to original data or summarising research results in a clearly arranged and easily explorable way http://www.freshwaterplatform.eu/

72. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Main Parts Freshwater Metadatabase & Freshwater Metadata Journal (FMJ) Freshwater Biodiversity Data Portal Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas Freshwater Species Traits Database

73. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Freshwater Biodiversity Data Portal data portal offers searches for information on species: search species within an organism group, a particular genus or faunistic region and view synonyms, distribution information and conservation status species occurrence data: visualise and download species observations or specimens point data available through the GBIF and BioFresh network publish freshwater biodiversity datasets

74. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Freshwater Biodiversity Data Portal

75. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas aims map collection representative of current/future state of freshwater biodiversity improve discoverability, visibility and accessibility of freshwater biodiversity related spatial information support decision-making and policy development through visualisation of major research results features interactive map interface maps created as web map services (WMS) detailed information on features accompanying article, link back to map contributors info on source, publication, base layers and citation

76. Freshwater Species Traits Database = www.freshwaterecology.info more than 20.000 European freshwater organisms: fish, macro-invertebrates, macrophytes, diatoms, phytoplankton ecological preferences and biological traits: unified, standardised and codified base information for freshwater assessment systems according to the WFD widely used for different modelling approaches (climate change, habitats, etc.)

77. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 Future prospects (and potential cooperations) The assessment software for macroinvertebrates will be modified and soon established as an online tool --> cooperation could be possible --> Turkish taxa and species inventory could be updated and many more included in the freshwaterecology.info database

78. Expert mission on Establishment of a Biological Monitoring Database, Ankara, 27/28 January 2016 The German way to fulfil the requirements of the WFD Thank you for your attention I am happy to answer questions