1. Áine O Connor National Parks and Wildlife Service Ireland
Integration of conservation objectives into WFD objectives in Ireland: hard water lakes and the freshwater pearl mussel
base poor – but the catchments of each do contain other habitats and species of biodiversity importance
marl lakes with charophyte (Habitat 3140)
Margaritifera margaritifera (Species 1029)
Áine O Connor
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Ireland

3. Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
WFD
National Parks and Wildlife Service

4. WFD in Ireland 1st cycle 2nd cycle 8 RBDs and RBMPs
Plans written by consultants
Co-ordinated by national groups
2nd cycle
2 year delay
1 RBD and plan
Written by Irish EPA

5. Nature Directives in Ireland
165 SPAs
430 SACs
45 of 58 Annex I habitats are water-dependent
22 of 25 Annex II species

6. Nature Directives in Ireland
Current priority work for NPWS
Monitoring and reporting
Completion of formal designation
Site-specific Conservation Objectives (SSCO)

7. Site-specific Conservation Objectives (SSCO)
Objective – parameter – attribute – target
Article 17 parameters
Range
Area/Population
Structure and Functioning
Maintain/restore

8. Hard water lakes
Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp. (habitat code 3140)
18 SACs in Ireland

9. Margaritifera margaritifera

10. Margaritifera margaritifera conservation objectives
Parameter
Attribute 1
1 Range
1.1 Distribution
2 Population
2.1 Population size
2.2 Population structure:
 3 Habitat for the species
3.1 Suitable habitat:
3.2 Water quality
3.3 Substratum quality
3.4 Hydrological regime
3.5 Host fish
3.6 Fringing habitat
Natural ecosystem functioning

11. WFD Metrics & EQRs/objectives/standards
Parameter
Attribute 1
 2 Population
2.2 Population structure:
2.2.1 recruitment
2.2.2 adult mortality
3 Habitat for the species
3.1 Suitable habitat:
3.1.1 extent
3.1.2 condition
3.2 Water quality:
3.2.1 macroinvertebrates
3.2.2 phytobenthos (diatoms)
3.3 Substratum quality:
3.3.1 filamentous algae (macroalgae)
3.3.2 macrophytes (rooted higher plants)
3.3.3 sediment
3.3.4oxygen availability
WFD Metrics & EQRs/objectives/standards

12. Margaritifera margaritifera and WFD
High status objective
WFD status
Legal requirement to downgrade to ‘less than good ecological status’

13. Margaritifera margaritifera conservation condition and WFD macroinvertebrate metric
Good status
High status

14. Margaritifera margaritifera conservation measures
WFD draft SBMPs
1st cycle ( )

15. Margaritifera margaritifera conservation measures
KerryLIFE (c. 50 farmers with farm plans, measures in conifer plantations)
RDP scheme
Focus on 8 priority populations

16. Margaritifera margaritifera – natural ecosystem functioning

17. Margaritifera margaritifera – natural ecosystem functioning

20. Conclusions WFD focus on status /risk (rather than objectives)
status has very narrow/specific meaning
Unclear benefits from achieving ‘good’ or ‘high’ status

21. Conclusions Integrated implementation needs:
At site level, clear, co-ordinated objectives based on natural ecosystem function
At regional/national level, strategic priorities and practical time frames.

22. The Margaritifera experts
Acknowledgements
The Margaritifera experts

23. Vegetation Hard water lakes dominated by charophytes
distinctive zonation

25. Vegetation Hard water lakes dominated by charophytes
distinctive zonation
Krustenstein

27. Groundwater a key driver
Hard water lakes
Vegetation
dominated by charophytes
distinctive zonation
Krustenstein
Low cover of vascular plants
Groundwater a key driver

28. Hard water lake conservation objectives
Parameter
Attribute 1
1 Area
1.1 Habitat area
2 Range
2.1 Habitat distribution
3 Structure and functions
3.1 Vegetation composition:
3.2 Vegetation distribution:
3.3 Hydrological regime:
3.4 Lake substratum quality
3.5 Water quality:
3.6 Acidification status
3.7 Water colour
3.8 Dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
3.9 Turbidity
3.10 Fringing habitat
Natural ecosystem functioning

29. Hard water lake conservation objectives
Parameter
Attribute 1
1 Area
1.1 Habitat area
2 Range
2.1 Habitat distribution
3 Structure and functions
3.1 Vegetation composition:
3.2 Vegetation distribution:
3.3 Hydrological regime:
3.4 Lake substratum quality
3.5 Water quality:
3.6 Acidification status
3.7 Water colour
3.8 Dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
3.9 Turbidity
3.10 Fringing habitat
WFD Metrics & EQRs/objectives/standards

30. Hard water lake conservation objectives and WFD 2nd cycle
Parameter
Attribute 1
Attribute 2
 3 Structure and functions
3.5 Water quality:
3.5.1 transparency
3.5.2 nutrients
3.5.3 phytoplankton biomass
3.5.4 phytoplankton composition
3.5.6 attached algal biomass
3.5.7 macrophyte status
3.6 Acidification status

32. The Chara (and Crust) Crew
Acknowledgements
The Chara (and Crust) Crew