1. EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE GENERAL JRC
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE
Institute of Environment and Sustainability
ECOSTAT, JRC July MEDiterranean GIG RIVers IC Results João Manuel Bernardo, INAG Portuguese Water Agency

2. Med Riv GIG – situation
Benthic Invertebrates: Updated results (R-M5 temporary streams; R-M1, M2, M4 already approved in April 2007)
Phytobenthos (Diatoms):
Few MS, new results, same boundaries for all river types
Macrophytes:
It was not possible to IC, very few MS, lack of data, lack of methods, but recent involvement of some MSs. The conditions of using this BQE must be better precised for Mediterranean rivers

3. Benthic Invertebrates

4. IC approach Agreement on Reference criteria (REFCOND)
Through quantitative ICM (STAR Index) as a translation index
- to compare the boundaries of the national classification systems and
- to set the boundaries to each IC type through averaging of national boundaries;
deriving the acceptability band: mean value of national boundaries (in ICM) ± 0.05 band
national boundaries not lower than the minimum value of this band are accepted

5. National Methods
Cyprus: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi)
France: IBGN, Indice Biologique Global Normalisé (AFNOR NF T , 1992) ; WFD compliant classification
Greece: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi)
Italy: STAR Intercalibration Common Metric Index (STAR_ICMi), type specific
Portugal: IPtI, Portuguese Invertebrate Index: IPtIN and IPtIS
Spain: IBMWP (Alba-Tercedor & Sánchez-Ortega, 1988; Alba-Tercedor, 2004)

6. National Methods – boundary setting
The boundaries for most National methods were derived applying the so-called REFCOND approach i.e.
HG boundary = 25th %ile REF
GM boundary = 25th %ile REF x 0.75
Some MS (France, Portugal), moved up their boundaries for some types, with respect to the application of a pure REFCOND approach
Italy for R-M2 has proposed boundaries slightly lower than the ones derived from REFCOND approach in order to make them equal to the boundaries proposed for R-M4 (more robust data)
Spain: GM boundary = 25th %ile REF x 0.61 (because of the non-linear behaviour of IBMWP)

7. Types and MS Type R-M1 R-M2 R-M4 R-M5 Characteristics
Small mid-altitude
Mediterranean streams
Small/Medium lowland Mediterranean streams
Small/Medium Mediterranean mountain streams
Small temporary Mediterranean streams
DrainageArea (km2)
10-100
Altitude (m)
<400
Geology
Mixed
Non-silicious
Flow type
Highly seasonal
Temporary
Approved/New
approved
new results MS
France Greece Italy Portugal Spain
Greece Italy Portugal
Cyprus Greece Italy Spain
Italy Portugal Spain

8. Regressions ICM-National Methods
All regressions are linear except for IBMWP (Spain). The IBMWP-EQR was first transformed into an inverse variable to linearize the relationship and then a linear regression was derived between the transformed variable and the ICM. This procedure ensures that ICM – IBMWP-EQR relationship is derived from a linear regression and only one ICM value corresponds to each national EQR value.
Member State
Translation from National Method into ICM
Italy
ICM = STAR ICMi Index R2= 1.00
Portugal R-M1 R-M2 R-M5
ICM = x IPtIN R2= 0.95 ICM = x IPtIN R2= 0.96 ICM = x IPtIS R2= 0.87
Spain R-M1 R-M4
R-M5
ICM = 2 – (1.94 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.88 ICM =1.76 – (1.58 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.63
ICM = 1.93– (1.87 / IBMWP-EQR + 1) R2= 0.83

9. Boundaries for R-M1+M2+M4:
Portugal and Spain (boundaries not yet approved)
All national boundaries are acceptable.
High-Good boundary
Good-Moderate boundary
National Method
ICM
Minimum acceptable values
0.89
0.67
R-M1
Portugal
0.92
0.69
Spain
0.78
0.91
0.48
R-M2
0.87
0.66
R-M4
0.83
0.90
0.51
0.71

10. Boundaries for R-M5 No boundaries approved yet.
MS: Italy, Portugal, Spain
All national boundaries are acceptable.
High-Good boundary
Good-Moderate boundary
National Method
ICM
Italy
0.97
0.73
Portugal
0.98
0.88
0.72
0.66
Spain
0.91
0.95
0.55
Mean
0.93
0.71
Minimum acceptable value
(Mean-0.05)

11. R-M5 Boundaries are actually similar to R-M1+M2+M4 Boundaries
which means that there are no reasons to separate M5 from the other IC types.
Having the same boundaries for all river types would facilitate the future intercalibration activities and the boundary setting for new MSs (no matter what types these MSs may have)
High-Good boundary ICM
Good-Moderate boundary ICM
Mean
0.93
0.71
Minimum acceptable values
0.88
0.66
Previous boundaries (minimum acceptable values)
R-M1+M2+M4
0.89
0.67
R-M5

12. With common boundaries for all IC types, all national boundaries are acceptable.
High-Good boundary
Good-Moderate boundary
National Method
ICM
R-M1
France Greece Italy
Portugal Spain
R-M2
Greece Italy Portugal
R-M4
Cyprus Greece Italy Spain
R-M1+M2+M Minimum acceptable value
0.89
0.67
R-M5
Italy Portugal Spain
R-M Minimum acceptable value
0.88
0.66
All types combined Minimum acceptable value

13. Phytobenthos MED IC process
Juliette TISON, coordinat.
Involved MSs: France, Portugal, Spain.
Italy is still developing a National method

14. National Methods for Intercalibration: France: IBD (Coste in Cemagref, 1982) Portugal: IPS (Lenoir et Coste, 1996) CEE (Descy et Coste, 1990) for R-M5 Spain: IPS (Lenoir et Coste, 1996) Boundary Setting: All MS followed the REFCOND approach

15. Number of samples: Number of reference samples:

16. IC Approach: Comparison and Harmonization through an ICM used as a translation metric ICM = (EQR-IPS + EQR-TI ) / EQR-IPS = Observed value / Reference value EQR-TI = (4 – Observed value) / (4 – Reference value) MSs Data used: - ≥ 6 reference samples, ≥ 4 sites screened according to REFCOND and Med GIG guidelines; - A statistically significant linear relationships with the ICM: - Root mean square error (RMSE) ≤ 0.15; - R² ≥ 0.5; - Slope ≥ 0.5 and ≤ 1.5

17. Non-parametric Statistical Treatment to test differences on reference samples:
Using TI, IPS and IBD, results show that:
- M1 and M2 are not significantly different
M3 and M5 are not significantly different
with TI and IBD, M1, M3 and M5 are not signif. different.

18. and DCA Analysis
confirmed that, according to diatom composition, IC types are apparently not relevant.

19. RESULTS (ICM): all national boundaries are acceptable

20. Macrophytes MED IC Process
Christian CHAUVIN, coordinat.

21. Macrophytes IC process is at a very preliminary stage and there are no results for this BQE.
In fact, only Portugal provided data and assessment method.
France provided assessment method and data from a few sites.
Spain indicated the assessment method (unofficial) but provided no data yet.
Italy very recently indicated assessment method (unofficial) and few data
Cyprus and Malta intend to participate in the future

22. Macrophytes: State of Play

23. Data availability (provided or to be provided)

24. Four Countries are using Macrophyte-based river assessment methods:
France: IBMR
Reference : AFNOR (2003) – Qualité de l’Eau. Détermination de l’Indice Biologique Macrophytique en Rivière (IBMR) – Norme NF T90-39.
Official method: YES
Sampling season: Spring to autumn
Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water)
Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

25. Italy: IBMR
Reference : Haury J., Peltre M.-C., Trémolières M., Barbe J., Thiébaut G., Bernez I., Daniel H., Chatenet P., Haan-Archipof G., Muller S., Dutartre A., Laplace-Treyture C., Cazaubon A., Lambert-Servien E., A new method to assess water trophy and organic pollution – the Macrophytes Biological Index for Rivers (IBMR): its application to different types of river and pollution. Hydrobiologia 570:
Official method: NO. Method recently used in Northern Italy.
Sampling season: Spring to autumn
Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water)
Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

26. Portugal: MTRp
Reference : Holmes, N.T.H., Newman, J.R., Chadd, J.R., Rouen, K.J., Saint, L., Dawson, F.H., Mean Trophic Rank: a User’s Manual. Research and Development, Technical Report E39, Environment Agency, Bristol, 134 pp.
Adaptation to Portugal river types.
Official method: YES.
Sampling season: Spring/early summer
Sampled zone: channel area (area in water, including the in-stream part under water most of the time)
Sampled facies: all habitats in the river reach.

27. Spain : IVAM
Reference : MORENO, J.L., NAVARRO, C., y DE LAS HERAS, J Índice genérico de vegetación acuática (IVAM): propuesta de evaluación rápida del estado ecológico de los ríos ibéricos en aplicación de la Directiva Marco del Agua. Tecnología del Agua, 261:
Official method: NO. Method used in several eastern Spain basins.
Sampling season: Spring to autumn
Sampled zone: only channel area (area in water)
Sampled facies: lentic and lotic (submerged and floating vegetation)

28. There are several issues on the ecological status assessment using macrophytes in Mediterranean rivers:
The poor advancement of this BQE in Mediterranean national assessment systems, and thus a lack of both official methods and data;
The relevance of macrophytes (as strictly aquatic vegetation) as an ecological indicator in Mediterranean rivers, especially in temporary ones, has to be further investigated; or How can we use Macrophytes to make them a relevant ecological indicator?
The existing methods are trophic level oriented. In the Mediterranean zone, the functioning of streams is quite particular and it is not sure that the trophic aspect is the most appropriate to assess the global ecological status of watercourses, in a WFD compliant approach.     

29. The Med GIG suggests that the Macrophyte IC is extended for an additional 1 – 2 years period.