Disentangling the multiple stressors acting on stream ecosystems to support restoration priorities

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Azzellino ◽  
S. Canobbio ◽  
S. Çervigen ◽  
V. Marchesi ◽  
A. Piana
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Stream Ecosystems ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
The Status ◽  
Regression Techniques ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
Economic Considerations ◽  
The Eu

Stream ecosystems may suffer from the effects of multiple stressors. Planning restoration actions without knowing the relative weight of each stressor might lead to disproportionately costly or ecologically meaningless measures. This is particularly relevant under the EU Water Framework Directive where economic considerations play a role in justifying exemptions from the overarching aim of the directive of achieving the good ecological status in all the EU water bodies by 2015. In this study, we correlated the status of macroinvertebrate assemblages with many environmental variables at 120 monitoring stations (surveyed in 2009–2011) in the streams of Lombardy, Italy. We used a combination of regression techniques to disentangle the effects of the different stressors. Furthermore, different profiles of ecological quality were associated with the dominant stressors. Finally, examples are given about how these study findings provide elements to identify restoration scenarios that maximize the effectiveness/cost ratio.

Hurdles for implementation of constructed wetlands as Nature-based Solutions in Sweden

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián Andrés García Murcia ◽  
Fernando Jaramillo ◽  
Sofia Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Status ◽  
Natural Wetlands ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
Background Context

<p>Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea has been one of the major environmental issues during the last century partly due to extensive land-use change, loss of natural retention systems, and insufficient management. European legislation such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) attempts to guide the recovery of good ecological status from freshwater to the sea, and suggests wetlands as ecosystems that can potentially contribute to achieving this goal. Wetlands are considered remarkable Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for improving water quality by diminishing the nutrient loads. This study aims to set a background context of the WFD implementation in Sweden, determine the status of constructed wetlands, and evaluate the stakeholders’ perspectives to identify the main administrative hurdles of wetland implementation in Sweden. For this purpose, we conducted a narrative review, database analysis, and semi-structured interviews with members of the institutions involved in water management. Our results show that it is essential to find synergies among the WFD and other directives to expand cross-sectoral cooperation, implement adjustments on the funding scheme that includes restoration and maintenance of natural wetlands, and increase compensation periods and cost ceiling. Likewise, it is crucial to perform significant improvements in the monitoring system, including more frequent data collection, as well as exploring new strategies to capture landowners’ interest in the implementation of NbS, such as the Catchment Officers program. Finally, we suggest paludiculture as a promising farming practice to increase proprietors’ attention on novel market alternatives, and in turn, to provide benefits for climate, water, and biodiversity.</p><p><strong>Keywords </strong>Wetlands management · Water Framework Directive · Nature-based Solutions · Eutrophication · Semi-structured interviews · Sweden</p>

Workshop 5 (synthesis): water pollution abatement as related to ecosystem protection

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 165-168
Author(s):  
C. Hagebro ◽  
T. Chiuta ◽  
T. Belgrove
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Pollution Abatement ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Stakeholder Collaboration ◽  
Ecosystem Indicators ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Eu

Water pollution exerts major stress on water systems and the challenge is to ensure security in river basins for both water-dependent activities and for the aquatic ecosystems. The workshop focused on protection of good ecological status, quality criteria, priorities for action, and on achievement of sustainable improvements. The three keynote speakers presented the concept applied in the EU Water Framework Directive, the need for a multi-stakeholder collaboration in order to reach a good ecological status of waters and a concrete example of interactive planning of water protection measures in a transboundary lake. The additional paper presentations addressed specific pollution problems in catchments, the effect of environmental user fees and ecosystem indicators.

scholarly journals A rule-based modelling concept to simulate hydromorphological measures – a tool for the design of programmes of measures for the EU Water Framework Directive

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
H. Nacken
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Eu Water Framework Directive ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
European Water ◽  
Promising Solution ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Abstract. Hydromorphological deficits are of real concern regarding the goals of the European Water Framework Directive to reach a good ecological status. The effects of measures that change the morphological structure of a river is hard to predict. Existing methods to simulate this process in a traditional numerical model can not be applied to whole river systems. Using a rule-based modelling concept to find feasible measures and predict the impact of those measures is a very promising solution.

scholarly journals Comparison of the effectiveness of kick and sweep hand net and Surber net sampling techniques used for collecting aquatic macroinvertebrate samples

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojana Tubic ◽  
Natasa Popovic ◽  
Maja Rakovic ◽  
Аna Petrovic ◽  
Vladica Simic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
The Status ◽  
Status Assessment ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Metrics ◽  
Assessment Sensitivity ◽  
The Eu

The objective of this work is to analyze the effectiveness of two widely used methods for collecting aquatic macroinvertebrate samples: the semiquantitative kick and sweep (K&S) and quantitative Surber net (SN) techniques. Based on our data, the methods were fully comparable as regards analysis of the macroinvertebrate metrics most often used in ecological status assessment (sensitivity/tolerance parameters), while K&S was found to be more successful in the evaluation of biodiversity. Thus, both methods could be used for routine monitoring of the status of water bodies, according to the recommendation of the EU Water Framework Directive, while for research, K&S is more advanced. K&S is also more effective timewise for material collecting. SN sampling is a quantitative method and could thus be used in studies of aquatic ecosystem productivity.

scholarly journals Legal framing for achieving ‘good ecological status’ for Malaysian rivers: Are there lessons to be learned from the EU Water Framework Directive?

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 251-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasyikah Md Khalid ◽  
Mazlin Bin Mokhtar ◽  
Faridah Jalil ◽  
Suhaimi Ab Rahman ◽  
Christopher Spray
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Eu Water Framework Directive ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Eu

scholarly journals Rozwój przepisów prawnych w zakresie bioindykacji środowiskowej a stan jakości wód jeziorowych

2019 ◽  
pp. 375-393
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Zębek ◽  
Agnieszka Napiórkowska-Krzebietke
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Status ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Water Law ◽  
Priority Substances ◽  
Legal Regulations ◽  
Chemical Status ◽  
The Status ◽  
Good Ecological Status

This article shows the genesis of legal regulations in the range of environmental bioindication in national legislation as a result of the implementation of EU solutions. The most important legal act in EU is the FrameworkWater Directive while the Water Law of 2017 in Poland. The main purposeof these legal acts is to maintain a good status, especially ecological status orpotential of water bodies based on bioindication. Changes in this area contributed to detailing and standardizing of the biological indicators of waters,which allow for a more detailed examination of the status of waters and defning the directions of their protection. The assessment of water quality inWarmian-Mazurian Voivodship indicates that approximately 30% of the lakes studied in 2010–2017, had at least good ecological status or potential. In70% of the lakes, primarily phytoplankton (the most sensitive bioindicator)decided on lowering to below good ecological status/potential. Recently, thefnal assessment of the status (ecological plus chemical) of water bodies hasbeen more rigorous due to chemical status based on exceeded content of priority substances in fsh (i.e. in another important bioindicator)

In or Out?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. De Vries
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Alternative State ◽  
Empirical Measurement ◽  
The Status ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Eu

This chapter introduces a benchmark theory of public opinion towards European integration. Rather than relying on generic labels like support or scepticism, the chapter suggests that public opinion towards the EU is both multidimensional and multilevel in nature. People’s attitudes towards Europe are essentially based on a comparison between the benefits of the status quo of membership and those associated with an alternative state, namely one’s country being outside the EU. This comparison is coined the ‘EU differential’. When comparing these benefits, people rely on both their evaluations of the outcomes (policy evaluations) and the system that produces them (regime evaluations). This chapter presents a fine-grained conceptualization of what it means to be an EU supporter or Eurosceptic; it also designs a careful empirical measurement strategy to capture variation, both cross-nationally and over time. The chapter cross-validates these measures against a variety of existing and newly developed data sources.

scholarly journals Land-use and agriculture in Denmark around year 1900 and the quest for EU Water Framework Directive reference conditions in coastal waters

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bent T. Christensen ◽  
Birger F. Pedersen ◽  
Jørgen E. Olesen ◽  
Jørgen Eriksen
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Eu Water Framework Directive ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to protect the ecological status of coastal waters. To establish acceptable boundaries between good and moderate ecological status, the WFD calls for reference conditions practically undisturbed by human impact. For Denmark, the nitrogen (N) concentrations present around year 1900 have been suggested to represent reference conditions. As the N load of coastal waters relates closely to runoff from land, any reduction in load links to agricultural activity. We challenge the current use of historical N balances to establish WFD reference conditions and initiate an alternative approach based on parish-level land-use statistics collected 1896/1900 and N concentrations in root zone percolates from experiments with year 1900-relevant management. This approach may be more widely applicable for landscapes with detailed historic information on agricultural activity. Using this approach, we find an average N concentration in root zone percolates that is close to that of current agriculture. Thus, considering Danish coastal waters to be practically unaffected by human activity around year 1900 remains futile as 75% of the land area was subject to agricultural activity with a substantial potential for N loss to the environment. It appears unlikely that the ecological state of coastal waters around year 1900 may serve as WFD reference condition.

Regulating Proxy Advisors Through Transparency: Pros and Cons of the EU Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaia Balp
Keyword(s):  
Status Quo ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
European Regulation ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Status ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Proxy Advisors ◽  
Legal Constraints ◽  
The Eu

This article outlines potential pros and cons of a future European regulation of proxy advisory firms, as set forth in the Commission’s Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2007/36/EC. After summarizing criticisms concerning the proxy advisory industry, and findings regarding its de facto influence on investors’ voting conduct both in the US and in the European context, the article adverts to why the power of proxy advisors appears to be overestimated. Uncertainty on the status quo of the industry’s actual impact on key decisions in listed companies, as well as costs associated with a regulation, need to be considered for assessing the suitability of the rules drafted to ensure adequate levels of independence and quality of voting recommendations. While transparency rules may be preferred to stricter legal constraints or requirements in a first stage, possible shortcomings of the Draft Directive exist that may undermine its effectiveness. Analyzing the amendments to the Proposal adopted by the European Parliament, and the Council’s Presidency compromise text, may suggest a preferable approach as regards single rules still making their way through the European legislative process.

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