Rudy Vannevel Canada, Montreal 24.12.2002

1
Rudy VannevelCanada, Montreal2-4.12.2002
Methods and guidelines for the rapid assessment
of biological diversity of inland water
ecosystems

• FLEMISH ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
• A. Van de Maelestraat 96
• B-9320 Erembodegem
• BELGIUM

2
DPSIR Assessment framework (Source EEA)
3
D P S I R
?
environmental description
?
Ecological criteria
purposes
Assessment Methods
Policy criteria
Non-ecological methodological criteria
Management criteria
resources
scope
4
Relation DPSIR vs. Working Groups EU-WFD
Driving forces
WATECO
Pressures
Responses
IMPRESS
State
Impacts
REFCOND MONITORING INTERCALIBRATION
HMWB
5
D P S I R
?
purposes
Assessment Methods
Policy criteria
Management criteria
resources
6
DPSIR vs. Assessment types
D P S I R
D!
P?
Pressure assessm.
D!
P!
I?
Impact assessm. / Indicator assessm.
D?
P?
I!
Pressure assessm. / Resource assessm.
D?
P?
I?
R?
Scenario-analysis
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 R
Identify threats to focal species and habitats
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, ...
Indices, ecological changes, effects on habitat
spp., health of water systems, ...
Impact reduction options, management options,
sustainable exploitation of a sp., ...
8
DPSIR D vs. P
Uses and functions of water bodies -
nature-oriented functions biodiversity,
spawning grounds, fish migration, corridor,
... - basic functions - human-oriented
functions effluent discharges, shipping, agric
ulture, aquaculture, fishing, drinking water
production, recreation, ...
Driving forces population growth increasing
mobility climate change ...
D P S I R
Pressures pollutants fishing channelisation spec
ies migration water abstraction erosion ...
9
D P S I R
Ecological criteria
environmental description
WATER SYSTEM COMPARTMENTS w. column, w.
sediments, river banks, biota, suspended solids,
w. course,...
WATER TYPOLOGY SCALE habitats, water bodies,
stream catchments, river basins, ...
WATER TYPES streams, rivers, lakes,
transitional w., coastal w.,
X
X
X
X
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)
POLICY ENTITIES Water quantity, Water quality,
Hydromorphology, Ecology (biodiversity)
X
10
Assessment Methods
Management criteria
Non-ecological methodological criteria
resources
scope
Time Money Expertise
Taxa Geography Site selection Data Analysis
11
Management criteria
resources
Money
Time
Expertise
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 selection
Taxa
Geography
Data
Analysis

• 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
Natural characterist.
Metrics sinuosity, dimensions, slope, bank
structure, pool-riffle pattern, ...
Physical parameters pH, conductivity,
Chemical param. eutrophicating p., oxygen
depleting p., dangerous substances, ...
Criteria presence, abundance, tolerance, occuran
ce, rareness, vulnerability, endemic/invasive, ...
Metrics, parameters, criteria
?
?
?
Huets fish zones, RIVPACS, ...
Prati-index, Bolton-index, ...
Biotic index, Diversity index, ...
Methods
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, m
ulivariate 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 criteria
accuracy
sensitivity of method
16
Assessment Methods (4)
BIOLOGICAL
Criteria richness/presence, abundance, tolerance
, occurance, rareness, vulnerability, endemic/inva
sive, ...
Identification level individuals, species, high
er taxa, ...
Discriminating value weighing
scores, individual scores, metrics, ...
Deriving results by calculation, index
table, class boundaries, ...


Number, Index, Score, Ratio, Value, ...
1 or more criteria
accuracy
sensitivity of method
17
Assessment Methods (5)
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
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
Assessment Methods (6)
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 Flex
ible ? 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?
?
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 ABC
A B C

• EQR
• BI vs. FC vs. Hydrom.

IBI
Application e.g.
BSI ( triad of invert., chir.deform PhC
sedim.)
20
Assessment Methods Procedure
1. Sampling / inventory 2. Sample treatment
3. Analyses / identification 4. Data
handling 5. Data storage and management 6.
Reporting
resources
scope