| Title | The European reference condition concept: a scientific and technical approach to identify minimally impacted River ecosystems |
| Abstract | One objective of the European Union (EU)'s Water Framework Directive (WFD: Directive 2000/60/EC) is for all European surface waters to achieve 'good status' by 2015. In support of this objective, the EU has facilitated an intercalibration exercise to ensure harmonized definitions of the status of water bodies, reflecting the deviation of their properties (mainly biotic assemblages) from a minimally disturbed state, termed the "reference condition". One of the major challenges of the WFD has been to find common approaches for defining reference conditions and to define the level of anthropogenic intervention allowed in reference sites. In this paper we describe how river reference sites were selected in the Central-Baltic region of Europe. A list of pressure criteria was provided and 14 Member States (MSs) categorized each criterion according to the method (i.e. measured, field inspection, etc.) used for reference site screening. Additionally, reference landuse and water-chemistry thresholds were agreed among countries in order to base reference site selection on objective criteria. For land-use criteria, a reference threshold and a rejection threshold were established. Sites with all criteria below the reference threshold were considered to be reference sites; sites having most criteria below the reference threshold and only some parameters between the reference and rejection threshold were "possible reference sites". These sites were retained only after carefully checking the cumulative effects of the pressures using local expertise, and a posteriori water-chemistry evaluation was necessary. In general, the most widespread method for defining a reference site was the measurement of pressures, followed by field inspections and expert judgment. However, some major pressures (e.g. hydromorphological alteration) were evaluated in a number of different ways (e.g. measured, field inspection, expert judgment). Our meta-analyses reveal a need to reinforce standardization in the application of pressure criteria by Member States. The pressure criteria identified in this exercise should be refined and tested with biological data to help in the further validation of minimally disturbed sites (i.e. the WFD "reference condition") and to provide a firm foundation for ecological status assessment. This in turn would ensure that there is pan-European comparability when evaluating the achievement of environmental objectives. |
| Source | Science of the total environment 420, pp. 33–42 |
| Keywords | Reference condition Europe Rivers Pressure criteria Thresholds Invertebrates |
| Journal | Science of the total environment |
| Editor | Elsevier, Lausanne ;, Paesi Bassi |
| Year | 2012 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| Authors | Pardo I., Gómez-Rodríguez C., Wasson J.-G., Owen R., Bund W., van de Kelly M.G., Bennett C., Birk S., Buffagni A., Erba S., Mengin N., Murray-Bligh J., Ofenböck G. |
| Text | 192708 2012 Reference condition Europe Rivers Pressure criteria Thresholds Invertebrates The European reference condition concept a scientific and technical approach to identify minimally impacted River ecosystems Pardo I., Gomez Rodriguez C., Wasson J. G., Owen R., Bund W., van de Kelly M.G., Bennett C., Birk S., Buffagni A., Erba S., Mengin N., Murray Bligh J., Ofenbock G. Department of Ecology and Animal Biology. University of Vigo, Spain Cemagref, France Scottish Environment Protection Agency, UK European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Italy Bowburn Consultancy, 11 Monteigne Drive, Bowburn, Durham DH6 5QB, UK University of Duisburg Essen, Department of Applied Zoology/Hydrobiology, Germany CNR IRSA, Water Research Institute, Italy Environment Agency, UK Bundesministerium fur Land und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft, Austria One objective of the European Union EU s Water Framework Directive WFD Directive 2000/60/EC is for all European surface waters to achieve good status by 2015. In support of this objective, the EU has facilitated an intercalibration exercise to ensure harmonized definitions of the status of water bodies, reflecting the deviation of their properties mainly biotic assemblages from a minimally disturbed state, termed the reference condition . One of the major challenges of the WFD has been to find common approaches for defining reference conditions and to define the level of anthropogenic intervention allowed in reference sites. In this paper we describe how river reference sites were selected in the Central Baltic region of Europe. A list of pressure criteria was provided and 14 Member States MSs categorized each criterion according to the method i.e. measured, field inspection, etc. used for reference site screening. Additionally, reference landuse and water chemistry thresholds were agreed among countries in order to base reference site selection on objective criteria. For land use criteria, a reference threshold and a rejection threshold were established. Sites with all criteria below the reference threshold were considered to be reference sites; sites having most criteria below the reference threshold and only some parameters between the reference and rejection threshold were possible reference sites . These sites were retained only after carefully checking the cumulative effects of the pressures using local expertise, and a posteriori water chemistry evaluation was necessary. In general, the most widespread method for defining a reference site was the measurement of pressures, followed by field inspections and expert judgment. However, some major pressures e.g. hydromorphological alteration were evaluated in a number of different ways e.g. measured, field inspection, expert judgment . Our meta analyses reveal a need to reinforce standardization in the application of pressure criteria by Member States. The pressure criteria identified in this exercise should be refined and tested with biological data to help in the further validation of minimally disturbed sites i.e. the WFD reference condition and to provide a firm foundation for ecological status assessment. This in turn would ensure that there is pan European comparability when evaluating the achievement of environmental objectives. 420 Published version Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0048 9697 Science of the total environment Science of the total environment Sci. total environ. andreastefano.buffagni BUFFAGNI ANDREA STEFANO stefania.erba ERBA STEFANIA TA.P04.032.003 La risposta delle comunita acquatiche bioindicatori e WFD |
