1. Rudy Vannevel Canada, Montreal 2-4.12.2002 FLEMISH ENVIRONMENT AGENCY A. Van de Maelestraat 96 B-9320 Erembodegem BELGIUM Methods and guidelines for the rapid assessment of biological diversity of inland water ecosystems Methods and guidelines for the rapid assessment of biological diversity of inland water ecosystems

2. DPSIR Assessment framework (Source: EEA)

3. D P S I R Ecological criteria Assessment Methods Management criteria Non-ecological methodological criteria Policy criteria purposes resources scope environmental description ? ?

4. Driving forces Pressures StateImpacts Responses IMPRESS REFCOND MONITORING INTERCALIBRATION HMWB WATECO Relation DPSIR vs. Working Groups EU-WFD

5. D P S I R Assessment Methods Management criteria Policy criteria purposes resources ?

6. D P S I R DPSIR vs. Assessment types D!P!I? Impact assessm. / Indicator assessm. D!P? Pressure assessm. D?P?I! Pressure assessm. / Resource assessm. D?P?I? Scenario-analysis R? S? Inventory assessm. / Species-specific assessm. / Indicator assessm. D!?P!?I!?R!?S!? (… maybe, life is too complex to describe!)

7. DPSIR vs. Outputs D P S I RD P S I R Spp. lists, status of spp., population structure, ecolological data on focus spp., monitoring data, presence/status/condition of economically important spp., abundances, distributions patterns, physical-chemical and biological parameters,... Impact reduction options, management options, sustainable exploitation of a sp.,... Indices, ecological changes, effects on habitat spp., health of water systems,... Identify threats to focal species and habitats

8. D P SIRD P SIR DPSIR : D vs. P Driving forces population growth increasing mobility climate change... Pressures pollutants fishing channelisation species migration water abstraction erosion... Uses and functions of water bodies - nature-oriented functions: biodiversity, spawning grounds, fish migration, corridor,... - basic functions - human-oriented functions: effluent discharges, shipping, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, drinking water production, recreation,...

9. D P S I R Ecological criteria environmental description WATER TYPOLOGY SCALE habitats, water bodies, stream catchments, river basins,... WATER TYPES streams, rivers, lakes, transitional w., coastal w., … POLICY ENTITIES Water quantity, Water quality, Hydromorphology, Ecology (biodiversity) NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS - PHYS.-HYDROMORPH.: slope, sinuosity, … - PHYS.-CHEMICAL: parameters - BIOLOGICAL: different levels: trophic l. (plancton, invert., fish), taxonomic l. (ssp, sp., g., f., o.) organism l. (ind., comm., mesocosm) X WATER SYSTEM COMPARTMENTS w. column, w. sediments, river banks, biota, suspended solids, w. course,... X X X X

10. Assessment Methods Management criteria Non-ecological methodological criteria resourcesscope Time Money Expertise Taxa Geography Site selection Data Analysis

11. Management criteria resources MoneyTimeExpertise inventory vs. monitoring long term vs. short term limited vs. ample specialisation vs. generalisation institutional support (incl. international co-operation) (everything in life is relative)

12. Non-ecological methodological criteria scope Site selectionTaxaGeographyDataAnalysis Selection of trophic levels Limitations on identification -taxon. Level - identif. keys ? Depends on: - assess method -sp. range - … Depends on: - assess method - assess. type - distinct vs. representative habitats - … Qualitative vs quantitative Sp. codes ? Data management: -informatics support -modelling / calculations Relation with WFD: surveillance, operational and investigative monitoring

13. Assessment Methods (1) PHYSICAL- HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL PHYSICAL - CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL Metrics: sinuosity, dimensions, slope, bank structure, pool-riffle pattern,... Huet’s fish zones, RIVPACS,... Physical parameters: pH, conductivity, … Chemical param.: eutrophicating p., oxygen depleting p., dangerous substances,... Prati-index, Bolton-index,... Methods Metrics, parameters, criteria Natural characterist. ? ? Criteria: presence, abundance, tolerance, occurance, rareness, vulnerability, endemic/invasive,... Biotic index, Diversity index,... ?

14. Assessment Methods (2) PHYSICAL- HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL Metrics: sinuosity, pool-riffle pattern, slope, bank structure, flow, river corridor,... Analyses level: GIS, image processing,... Discriminating value: ?... Deriving results by: calculation, (regression, mulivariate techniques, …),... + + Value, ratio,... accuracy sensitivity of method 1 or more criteria

15. Assessment Methods (3) PHYSICAL - CHEMICAL Physical parameters: pH, conductivity, … Chemical param.: eutrophicating p., oxygen depleting p., dangerous substances,... Analyses level: concentrations, loads,... Discriminating value: weighing scores, equations of transformation,... Deriving results by: calculation, index table, class boundaries,... + + Index, ratio,... 1 or more criteriaaccuracy sensitivity of method

16. Assessment Methods (4) BIOLOGICAL Criteria: richness/presence, abundance, tolerance, occurance, rareness, vulnerability, endemic/invasive,... Number, Index, Score, Ratio, Value,... Identification level: individuals, species, ‘higher’ taxa,... Discriminating value: weighing scores, individual scores, metrics,... 1 or more criteriaaccuracy Deriving results by: calculation, index table, class boundaries,... sensitivity of method + +

17. PHYSICAL - CHEMICAL Index, ratio,... BIOLOGICAL Number, Index, Score, Ratio, Percentage,... PHYSICAL- HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL Values, ratios,... Assessment methods – ‘methodology’ ! RAPID ASSESSMENT METHODS Saprobic indices: - pollution impact Diversity indices: - taxa richness - eveness / balance Biotic indices: - water quality / pollution impact - integrity Similarity indices: - community comparison Ph-C indices: - water quality / pollution impact Habitat indices: - catchment scale assessment Assessment Methods (5) MULTIMETRICS Structure metrics: (EPT, Jaccard coeff., …) Community balance m.: (EPT/Chiron., HBI, …) Functional feeding group: (scrapers/filter-feeders, …) Statistical procedures (ANOVA, Coeff. of variance, …) vs.?

18. RAPID ASSESSMENT METHODS General assessment Mainly impact assessments Rather simple to apply Broad Standardised ? More related to operational monitoring No specialisation needed More distinction between species Identification on species level or higher MULTIMETRICS Specific assessment Ecosystem functioning More complex to apply Detailed Flexible ? More related to investigative monitoring Expertise is important More identification of species Identification on species level or lower Is there any distinction between rapid assessment and multimetric methods? Assessment Methods (6) Ecological modelling D P S I R EQS ?! ? ?

19. Assessment Methods (7) PHYSICAL- HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL METHODS PHYSICAL - CHEMICAL METHODS BIOLOGICAL METHODS COMBINING METHODS INTEGRATING METHODS COMPARING METHODS A + B + C = ?A, B, C ABCA B C - EQR - BI vs. FC vs. Hydrom. IBI BSI (= triad of invert., chir.deform & PhC sedim.) Application: e.g.

20. Assessment Methods Procedure 1. Sampling / inventory 2. Sample treatment 3. Analyses / identification 4. Data handling 5. Data storage and management 6. Reporting scope resources