scholarly journals An environmental database for the status of freshwater in Greece

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Other Information ◽  
The Status ◽  
Freshwater Bodies ◽  
Status Data

An environmental database has been created, recording water bodies at a national level and assembling relevant data collected by various public services and institutions in charge of water resources management and research in Greece. Data consists of physico-chemical parameters, geomorphological descriptions, inventories of fauna and flora species, environmental pressures, vulnerability evaluation and other information useful for the assessment of current and future ecological status. Data gathering has proven to be a challenging task, due to the large number and the generally small size of the surface freshwater bodies as well as the numerous competent services and institutions and the multiple and sometimes conflicting responsibilities that therefore result. The latter is also partly the cause of lack of continuity of data, gaps or sometimes questionable reliability. Performing a global data overview, we note that (a) ecological status can be characterized as good for the majority of the sites, especially for small mountain streams, and (b) the general trend in most cases is degradation of current conditions, related either to anthropogenic pressures or to human activity combined with natural factors. This database, in a more completed and enriched form, could assist in the implementation of 2000/60/EC Directive in Greece and the establishment of reference conditions of surface freshwater systems.

scholarly journals Recent monitoring data of Posidonia oceanica meadows distributed along the Apulian coasts (Eastern-Central Mediterranean Sea) according to the 2000/60 EC Directive

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaetano Costantino ◽  
Nicola Ungaro ◽  
Massimo Blonda ◽  
Marina Mariani ◽  
Daniela Battista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
National Level ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Ionian Sea ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Italian Law ◽  
Sampling Procedures

According to the Water Framework Directive (WFD), a specific monitoring of Posidonia oceanica meadows was carried out along the Apulian coasts by the Regional Agency for the Environmental Prevention and Protection (ARPA Puglia). A total of 17 sites, 11 in the Southern Adriatic Sea and 6 in the Northern Ionian Sea were investigated during two consecutive monitoring cycles (2009-2011 and 2012-2014). Sampling procedures as well as laboratory analyses (phenology and lepidochronology) were carried out according to a common methodological protocol shared at Italian national level (D.M. 260/2010) for the final ecological classification (sensu WFD) using the PREI index. In each meadow, two sampling stations were investigated by scuba divers at the fixed depth of 15 m and in correspondence of the lower bathymetric distribution limit. For each station, 9 shoots counting (40x40 cm square) and 3 covering estimates (around 5 m of radius) were carried out. In addition, 18 orthotropic shoots and a sediment sample were collected as well as some other bio-ecological data (meadow continuity, dead matte presence, bottom type, invasive algae presence, flowering, disturbance sources, lower limit type and depth). The results showed that 29% of sites were classified as “GOOD”, 59% were classified as ”MODERATE” while the remaining 12% as “POOR”, with a general slight improvement of the classification in the last monitoring cycle (2012-2014). Although the ecological quality status of the Apulian Posidonia oceanica meadows (summarized by the PREI index values) reflects the distribution of anthropic pressures on the coast (harbours, industrial and urbanized areas, river’s outlets) along a latitudinal gradient, the classification based on the rules (reference conditions and EQR boundaries for the PREI index) reported in the Italian law (D.M. 260/2010) seems to underestimate the real ecological status. Consequently, a revision of both the actual reference conditions and EQR boundaries is suggested for the BQE Posidonia oceanica in the Apulian marine waters, in order to taking account of the environmental features of two different marine basins as the south-western Adriatic Sea and the north-western Ionian Sea.

Development of tools for ecological quality assessment in polish marine areas according to the Water Framework Directive. Part II — Chlorophyll-a

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Łysiak-Pastuszak ◽  
Włodzimierz Krzymiński ◽  
Łukasz Lewandowski
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Ecological Quality ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
The Baltic

Development of tools for ecological quality assessment in polish marine areas according to the Water Framework Directive. Part II — Chlorophyll-To implement the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) it is necessary to establish tools enabling ecological status quantification on the basis of biological indicators, and to assess reference conditions and relevant environmental pressures for the construction of response curves. This study focuses on the Polish sector of the Baltic Sea. A number of statistically significant linear correlations, linking chlorophyll-

Identification of benthic invertebrate and diatom indicator taxa that distinguish different stream types as well as degraded from reference conditions in Luxembourg

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Dohet ◽  
Henry-Michel Cauchie ◽  
Luc Ector ◽  
Lucien Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Taxonomic Resolution ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
River Types ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Species Being

AbstractThe main objective of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to achieve good ecological status for surface waters in Europe by 2015. The ecological status has to be defined based on near-natural reference conditions. Benthic invertebrates and diatoms are among the key biological elements recommended by the Directive to assess ecological quality of water bodies. The purpose of this study is to identify species associations of these biological elements that are characteristic of the different stream types occurring in Luxembourg and that distinguish degraded from reference conditions. In general, the results reveal that diatoms and invertebrates can be considered as complementary indicators with more diatom species being characteristic of small size stream types and more benthic invertebrate species being associated with larger stream types. Among invertebrates, Trichoptera, Hydrachnidia, Ephemeroptera and Diptera show high affinities for most stream types. Plecoptera, Oligochaeta appear as useful indicators for some particular types. If only reference sites are selected (all river types considered), the number of indicator species drops from 55 to 24 for diatoms and from 81 to 48 for benthic invertebrates. Moreover, for the larger stream type, no reference site was found at all. This trend is likely to be a consequence of the multiple anthropogenic pressures that have affected large parts of European lowland rivers for decades. Our results suggest that Trichoptera, Hydrachnidia, Diptera, Ephemeroptera and Oligochaeta could be considered as best candidate groups for a tiered-taxonomic resolution approach where only taxa which have narrow and specific ecological requirements would be identified to finer levels. In Central Europe, however, since taxonomic soundness and easy recognition are required, only Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera are the groups to be recommended at the present time.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Water Framework Directive: Lessons learned and future perspectives for an ecologically meaningful classification of the status of Greek lakes, Mediterranean region

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Moustaka-Gouni ◽  
Ulrich Sommer ◽  
Athena Economou-Amilli ◽  
George B. Arhonditsis ◽  
Matina Katsiapi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Quality Assessment ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Greek Lakes ◽  
The Status ◽  
National Boundaries

ABSTRACTThe enactment of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) initiated scientific efforts to develop reliable methods for comparing prevailing lake conditions against reference (or non-impaired) states, using the state of a set biological elements. Drawing a distinction between impaired and natural conditions can be a challenging exercise, as it stipulates the robust delineation of reference conditions along with the establishment of threshold values for key environmental variables used as proxies for the degree of system impairment. Another important aspect is to ensure that water quality assessment is comparable among the different Member States. In this context, the present paper offers a constructive critique of the practices followed during the WFD implementation in Greece by pinpointing methodological weaknesses and knowledge gaps that undermine our ability to classify the ecological status of Greek lakes. One of the pillars of WDF is a valid lake typology that sets ecological standards transcending geographic regions and national boundaries. The national typology of Greek lakes has failed to take into account essential components (e.g. surface area, altitude, salinity). WFD compliance assessments based on descriptions of phytoplankton communities are oversimplified and as such should be revisited. Exclusion of most chroococcal species from the analysis of cyanobacteria biovolume in Greek lakes and most reservoirs in the Mediterranean Geographical Intercalibration Group (Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus) is not consistent with the distribution of those taxa in lakes. Similarly, the total biovolume reference values and the indices used in their classification schemes reflect misunderstandings of WFD core principles. This hampers the comparability of ecological status across Europe and leads to quality standards that are too relaxed to provide an efficient target especially for the protection and management of Greek/transboundary lakes such as Lake Megali Prespa, one of the oldest lakes in Europe.

scholarly journals Towards candidature of the Crno jezero (Black Lake) (Durmitor, Montenegro) as a high ecological status (HES) site of the Dinaric Western Balkan ecoregion

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1101-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snezana Radulovic ◽  
Dusanka Laketic ◽  
Z. Popovic ◽  
Ivana Teodorovic
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Quality Assessment ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Chemical Parameters ◽  
Chemical Status ◽  
Biological Quality Elements ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
A Site

The aim of this study was to assess whether the Crno jezero (Black Lake) could be designated as a site possessing specific reference conditions of a glacial lake in the Dinaric Western Balkan ecoregion. The results of a Lake Habitat Survey (LHS), analysis of macrophytes and a basic water quality assessment indicate that the lake is in a near pristine state, particularly with regard to its hydromorphological status, and that it fulfills the requirements of High Ecological Status (HES), as set by the Water Framework Directive. However, to confirm these preliminary findings, an integrated assessment of the ecological and chemical status, using other biological quality elements and a full set of physico-chemical parameters, is necessary.

scholarly journals Seagrass ecosystems status between the sliding baseline syndrome and the need for reference conditions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Montefalcone ◽  
Matteo Vacchi ◽  
Carla Morri ◽  
Marco Ferrari ◽  
Carlo Nike Bianchi
Keyword(s):  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Historical Information ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
The Status ◽  
Seagrass Ecosystems

Marine coastal ecosystems are facing compositional and functional changes due to the increasing human footprint worldwide, and the assessment of their long-term changes becomes particularly challenging in this new "Anthropocene Epoch". Measures of change can be done by comparing the present ecosystem status to a defined baseline representing the reference condition. The "syndrome" of the sliding (or shifting) baselines, which describes the incremental lowering of ecological standards, has become a major concern when long-term changes have to be assessed because an already degraded environment status could be accepted as reference. The challenge of delineating ecosystems change in the context of sliding baselines is particularly relevant along highly anthropized coasts, as the case of the Liguria (NW Mediterranean Sea), where pristine coastal areas could not be expected anymore. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EEC) suggests three approaches to define reference conditions: i) comparison with the status in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); ii) use of historical information; iii) modelling. Here we report recent applications of these three approaches in Liguria to assess the status of seagrass meadow ecosystem. Ligurian MPAs are too recent and often insufficiently enforced, so that Posidonia oceanica meadows developing in MPAs are far from the expected good ecological status. Available historical information on seagrass distribution was sometime unreliable. Models are promising but face intellectual difficulties (e.g., choice of descriptors). Validating historical data with predictive models showed effective in delineating the trajectory of change experienced by the Ligurian seagrass meadows. Many meadows have been lost and most are showing structural degradation, which favoured the substitution by alien green algae of the genus Caulerpa and triggered a phase shift in the seagrass ecosystems, with the consequent loss of biodiversity, functioning and economic value of the ecosystem services provided by healthy meadows.

scholarly journals Recent monitoring data of Posidonia oceanica meadows distributed along the Apulian coasts (Eastern-Central Mediterranean Sea) according to the 2000/60 EC Directive

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaetano Costantino ◽  
Nicola Ungaro ◽  
Massimo Blonda ◽  
Marina Mariani ◽  
Daniela Battista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
National Level ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Ionian Sea ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Italian Law ◽  
Sampling Procedures

According to the Water Framework Directive (WFD), a specific monitoring of Posidonia oceanica meadows was carried out along the Apulian coasts by the Regional Agency for the Environmental Prevention and Protection (ARPA Puglia). A total of 17 sites, 11 in the Southern Adriatic Sea and 6 in the Northern Ionian Sea were investigated during two consecutive monitoring cycles (2009-2011 and 2012-2014). Sampling procedures as well as laboratory analyses (phenology and lepidochronology) were carried out according to a common methodological protocol shared at Italian national level (D.M. 260/2010) for the final ecological classification (sensu WFD) using the PREI index. In each meadow, two sampling stations were investigated by scuba divers at the fixed depth of 15 m and in correspondence of the lower bathymetric distribution limit. For each station, 9 shoots counting (40x40 cm square) and 3 covering estimates (around 5 m of radius) were carried out. In addition, 18 orthotropic shoots and a sediment sample were collected as well as some other bio-ecological data (meadow continuity, dead matte presence, bottom type, invasive algae presence, flowering, disturbance sources, lower limit type and depth). The results showed that 29% of sites were classified as “GOOD”, 59% were classified as ”MODERATE” while the remaining 12% as “POOR”, with a general slight improvement of the classification in the last monitoring cycle (2012-2014). Although the ecological quality status of the Apulian Posidonia oceanica meadows (summarized by the PREI index values) reflects the distribution of anthropic pressures on the coast (harbours, industrial and urbanized areas, river’s outlets) along a latitudinal gradient, the classification based on the rules (reference conditions and EQR boundaries for the PREI index) reported in the Italian law (D.M. 260/2010) seems to underestimate the real ecological status. Consequently, a revision of both the actual reference conditions and EQR boundaries is suggested for the BQE Posidonia oceanica in the Apulian marine waters, in order to taking account of the environmental features of two different marine basins as the south-western Adriatic Sea and the north-western Ionian Sea.

Towards good ecological status of surface waters in Europe - interpretation and harmonisation of the concept

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 169-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.-S. Heiskanen ◽  
W. van de Bund ◽  
A.C. Cardoso ◽  
P. Nõges
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
High Good

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a new legislative framework to manage, use, protect, and restore surface water and groundwater resources and coastal waters in the European Union (EU). The aim is to ensure sustainable water management and to reach good water quality by 2015. The assessment of the ecological status and setting of the practical management goals require several steps. The process has started with the characterisation of the river basins including identification of surface water bodies and types, and identification of significant anthropogenic pressures and impacts. The water bodies will be classified in five quality classes (high, good, moderate, poor, bad) based on the Ecological Quality Ratio, which is a ratio between reference conditions and measured status of the biological quality elements. The normative criteria for high, good and moderate ecological status described in the WFD need to be made operational because those will be used to set the practical quality targets for surface water management. National ecological assessment systems and classifications will be harmonised through the WFD intercalibration exercise in order to ensure an equal level of ambition in achieving good surface waters status all over Europe.

scholarly journals Seagrass ecosystems status between the sliding baseline syndrome and the need for reference conditions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Montefalcone ◽  
Matteo Vacchi ◽  
Carla Morri ◽  
Marco Ferrari ◽  
Carlo Nike Bianchi
Keyword(s):  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Historical Information ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
The Status ◽  
Seagrass Ecosystems

Marine coastal ecosystems are facing compositional and functional changes due to the increasing human footprint worldwide, and the assessment of their long-term changes becomes particularly challenging in this new "Anthropocene Epoch". Measures of change can be done by comparing the present ecosystem status to a defined baseline representing the reference condition. The "syndrome" of the sliding (or shifting) baselines, which describes the incremental lowering of ecological standards, has become a major concern when long-term changes have to be assessed because an already degraded environment status could be accepted as reference. The challenge of delineating ecosystems change in the context of sliding baselines is particularly relevant along highly anthropized coasts, as the case of the Liguria (NW Mediterranean Sea), where pristine coastal areas could not be expected anymore. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EEC) suggests three approaches to define reference conditions: i) comparison with the status in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); ii) use of historical information; iii) modelling. Here we report recent applications of these three approaches in Liguria to assess the status of seagrass meadow ecosystem. Ligurian MPAs are too recent and often insufficiently enforced, so that Posidonia oceanica meadows developing in MPAs are far from the expected good ecological status. Available historical information on seagrass distribution was sometime unreliable. Models are promising but face intellectual difficulties (e.g., choice of descriptors). Validating historical data with predictive models showed effective in delineating the trajectory of change experienced by the Ligurian seagrass meadows. Many meadows have been lost and most are showing structural degradation, which favoured the substitution by alien green algae of the genus Caulerpa and triggered a phase shift in the seagrass ecosystems, with the consequent loss of biodiversity, functioning and economic value of the ecosystem services provided by healthy meadows.

scholarly journals WFD ecological status indicator shows poor correlation with flow parameters in a large Alpine catchment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Larsen ◽  
Maria Cristina Bruno ◽  
Guido Zolezzi
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Running Waters ◽  
Flow Parameters ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ecological Flows

SummarySince the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the ecological status of European running waters has been evaluated using a set of harmonised ecological indicators that should guide conservation and restoration actions. Among these, the restoration of the natural flow regime (ecological flows) is considered indispensable for the achievement of the good ecological status, and yet the sensitivity of the current biological indicators to hydrologic parameters remains understudied. The Italian Star_ICMi well represents other similar WFD indicators; it is a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index officially adopted to assess the ecological status of running waters at the national level. Recent legislation has also included the Star_ICMi as one of the indicators used to assess and prescribe ecological flows in river reaches regulated by water abstraction. However, the relationship between river hydrology and the Star_ICMi index is so far virtually unknown. Using data from the Trentino - Alto Adige Alpine region, we first assessed the relationship between the Star_ICMi and synthetic descriptors of the physico-chemical (LIMeco) and morphological (MQI) status of respectively 280 and 184 river reaches. Then, we examined the relation between the Star_ICMi and a set of ecologically-relevant hydrologic parameters derived from discharge time-series measured at 21 hydrometric stations, representing both natural and regulated river reaches. Although the Star_ICMi showed significant and linear relationships with the physico-chemical character and, slightly, with the morphological quality of the reaches, its response to flow parameters appeared weak or non-existent when examined with linear models. Mixed quantile regressions allowed the identification of flow parameters that represented limiting factors for macroinvertebrate communities and the associated Star_ICMi scores. In particular, the index showed ‘negative floors’ where lower values were observed in reaches with large temporal variation in flow magnitude as well as frequent low and high flow events. The modelled quantiles also tracked the transition of the index from acceptable to unacceptable conditions.The results suggest that while the central tendency of the Star_ICMi index is not strongly influenced by river flow character, some key flow parameters represent limiting factors that allow the index to reach its lowest values, eventually ‘pushing’ the site towards unacceptable ecological conditions. The identification of limiting flow parameters can aid the setting of hydrologic thresholds over which ecological impairment is likely to occur. Overall, however, results imply caution is needed in using biological indicator like the Star_ICMi for the quantitative assessment and design of ecological flows.

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