WFD Ecological Quality Indicators Are Poorly Correlated with Water Levels in River Catchments in Tuscany (Italy)

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires European countries to achieve a good ecological status of surface water bodies and demands that River District Authorities define ecological flows consistently. Nevertheless, the relationship between ecological and hydrological indicators is not fully understood and not straightforward to apply because ecological and hydrological indicators are monitored by different institutions, with different timings and purposes. This work examines the correlation between a set of ecological indicators monitored by environmental agencies (STAR-ICMi, LIMeco, IBMR, and TDI) and water levels with assigned durations monitored by the hydrologic service in Tuscany (central Italy). Reference water levels are derived from stage-duration curves obtained by the statistical analysis of daily levels in the same year of ecological sampling. The two datasets are paired through a geospatial association for the same river reach and the correlation is measured through Pearson’s r. The results show poor correlation (r between −0.33 and −0.42) between ecological indicators and hydrologic variables, confirming the findings observed in other Italian catchments with different hydrologic regimes, climate, and anthropogenic pressures. Nevertheless, the negative correlations show a decreasing water quality with water depths, i.e., in the lower part of the catchments more affected by anthropogenic pressures. These findings suggests that the determination of ecological flows with a purely hydrological approach is not sufficient for achieving WFD objectives in the study area.

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Development of a fish-based index for the assessment of the ecological status of Lake Balaton in the absence of present day reference condition

Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

10.1051/kmae/2020002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

András Specziár ◽

Tibor Erős

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Native Fish ◽

Lake Balaton ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Key Species ◽

Good Ecological Status ◽

Electric Fishing

A fish-based index is proposed to indicate the ecological status of Lake Balaton, Hungary in accordance with the standard of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Balaton fish index (BFI) synthetises information of 13 lake-specific fish metrics including gillnetting and electric fishing data of species richness of native assemblages, relative abundance, biomass and age structure of native key species, representation of non-native species and general health status. The main anthropogenic pressures considered were the degradation of littoral habitats, invasion of non-native fish species, eutrophication and fishing/angling including stocking. Ecological quality ratio (EQR) is assessed by relating actual fish assemblage metrics to the supposed undisturbed reference status of Lake Balaton reconstructed by expert judgement based on recent and historic information on the fish fauna and its changes. Values of BFI were consistent and indicated good ecological status of Lake Balaton in the period of 2005–2018. This study provides an example on how an EQR assessment methodology might be established in unique habitats with no possibilities for statistical evaluation of pressure-respond relationships and exact determination of the reference status.

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Functional diversity of the macro‑invertebrate community in the port area of Kerkennah Islands (Tunisia)

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.25 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 93 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

N. ALOUI‑BEJAOUI ◽

A. AFLI

Keyword(s):

Functional Diversity ◽

Functional Organization ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Water Turbidity ◽

Port Area ◽

Navigation Channel ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Good Ecological Status ◽

Physical And Chemical

The harbour area of Sidi Youssef in Kerkennah islands is characterized by specific anthropogenic pressures linked to fishing activities. To study the functional diversity of benthic macro invertebrates, 10 stations located around the port and along the ship canal were sampled by SCUBA diving. Collected invertebrates were identified, counted and preserved. For the functional organization of the community, the most common biodiversity indices and functional groups were assessed at each station, and main physical and chemical parameters were measured. Results showed that the main apparent anthropogenic stress, that could lead to negative impacts on the studied area, was related to dredging/harbour activities. Suspension feeders, consisting essentially of polychaetes, which may be disturbed by water turbidity, dominated the stations farthest from the port, where the intensity of harbour activities is obviously reduced. On the contrary, carnivores dominated inside the port, possibly benefiting from fish scraps discarded at the area, while stations close to the port appeared to be more balanced trophically. The applied biotic indices showed that the area is in good ecological status, except of the navigation channel and the port entrance, which were slightly degraded.

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

10.1101/419804 ◽

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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The Influence of Flow Regime on Ecological Quality, Bird Diversity, and Shellfish Fisheries in a Lowland Mediterranean River and Its Coastal Area

Water ◽

10.3390/w11050918 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 918 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Oscar Belmar ◽

Carles Ibáñez ◽

Ana Forner ◽

Nuno Caiola

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Environmental Flows ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Model Performance ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Ecological Quality ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Discharge Data ◽

Mantis Shrimp

Designing environmental flows in lowland river sections and estuaries is a challenge for researchers and managers, given their complexity and their importance, both for nature conservation and economy. The Ebro River and its delta belong to a Mediterranean area with marked anthropogenic pressures. This study presents an assessment of the relationships between mean flows (discharges) computed at different time scales and (i) ecological quality based on fish populations in the lower Ebro, (ii) bird populations, and (iii) two shellfish fishery species of socioeconomic importance (prawn, or Penaeus kerathurus, and mantis shrimp, or Squilla mantis). Daily discharge data from 2000 to 2015 were used for analyses. Mean annual discharge was able to explain the variation in fish-based ecological quality, and model performance increased when aquatic vegetation was incorporated. Our results indicate that a good ecological status cannot be reached only through changes on discharge, and that habitat characteristics, such as the coverage of macrophytes, must be taken into account. In addition, among the different bird groups identified in our study area, predators were related to river discharge. This was likely due to its influence on available resources. Finally, prawn and mantis shrimp productivity were influenced up to a certain degree by discharge and physicochemical variables, as inputs from rivers constitute major sources of nutrients in oligotrophic environments such as the Mediterranean Sea. Such outcomes allowed revisiting the environmental flow regimes designed for the study area, which provides information for water management in this or in other similar Mediterranean zones.

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Influence of Anthropogenic Loads on Surface Water Status: A Case Study in Lithuania

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084341 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4341

Author(s):

Laima Česonienė ◽

Daiva Šileikienė ◽

Vitas Marozas ◽

Laura Čiteikė

Keyword(s):

Total Nitrogen ◽

Water Status ◽

Arable Land ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Agricultural Pollution ◽

Good Ecological Status ◽

Water Catchment ◽

Lake Basins

Twenty-six water bodies and 10 ponds were selected for this research. Anthropogenic loads were assessed according to pollution sources in individual water catchment basins. It was determined that 50% of the tested water bodies had Ntotal values that did not correspond to the good and very good ecological status classes, and 20% of the tested water bodies had Ptotal values that did not correspond to the good and very good ecological status classes. The lake basins and ponds received the largest amounts of pollution from agricultural sources with total nitrogen at 1554.13 t/year and phosphorus at 1.94 t/year, and from meadows and pastures with total nitrogen at 9.50 t/year and phosphorus at 0.20 t/year. The highest annual load of total nitrogen for lake basins on average per year was from agricultural pollution from arable land (98.85%), and the highest total phosphorus load was also from agricultural pollution from arable land (60%).

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Monitoring Skeletal Anomalies in Big-Scale Sand Smelt, Atherina boyeri, as a Potential Complementary Tool for Early Detection of Effects of Anthropic Pressure in Coastal Lagoons

Water ◽

10.3390/w13020159 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 159

Author(s):

Chiara Leone ◽

Francesca De Luca ◽

Eleonora Ciccotti ◽

Arianna Martini ◽

Clara Boglione

Keyword(s):

Early Detection ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Anthropogenic Impacts ◽

Coastal Lagoons ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Morphological Examination ◽

Skeletal Anomalies

Mediterranean coastal lagoons are increasingly affected by several threats, all concurrently leading to habitat degradation and loss. Methods based on fish for the assessment of the ecological status are under implementation for the Water Framework Directive requirements, to assess the overall quality of coastal lagoons. Complementary tools based on the use of single fish species as biological indicators could be useful as early detection methods of anthropogenic impacts. The analysis of skeletal anomalies in the big-scale sand smelt, Atherina boyeri, from nine Mediterranean coastal lagoons in Italy was carried out. Along with the morphological examination of fish, the environmental status of the nine lagoons was evaluated using a method based on expert judgement, by selecting and quantifying several environmental descriptors of direct and indirect human pressures acting on lagoon ecosystems. The average individual anomaly load and the frequency of individuals with severe anomalies allow to discriminate big-scale sand smelt samples on the basis of the site and of its quality status. Furthermore, a relationship between skeletal anomalies and the environmental quality of specific lagoons, driven by the anthropogenic pressures acting on them, was found. These findings support the potentiality of skeletal anomalies monitoring in big-scale sand smelt as a tool for early detection of anthropogenic impacts in coastal lagoons of the Mediterranean region.

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Macrophyte assessment in European lakes: Diverse approaches but convergent views of ‘good’ ecological status

Ecological Indicators ◽

10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.06.056 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

pp. 185-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Sandra Poikane ◽

Rob Portielje ◽

Luc Denys ◽

Didzis Elferts ◽

Martyn Kelly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Status ◽

Good Ecological Status

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Its present state overmoistened landscape systems of Lviv Region

Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Geography ◽

10.30970/vgg.2014.45.1188 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 347-354

Author(s):

N. Blazhko

Keyword(s):

Key Words ◽

Present State ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Ecological Condition ◽

Wetland Landscape ◽

Current State ◽

Destabilizing Factors ◽

Good Ecological Status ◽

Stabilizing Factors

Reviewed the current state of wetland landscape systems (PLC) Lviv region. Highlighted areas PLC of good ecological status, with a satisfactory ecological condition and unsatisfactory environmental conditions. Key words: overmoistened landscape systems (OLS)peat, peat, drainage improvement, environmental stabilizing factors, environmental destabilizing factors.

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An environmental database for the status of freshwater in Greece

Global NEST Journal ◽

10.30955/gnj.000229 ◽

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.

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KOSMOS: An Open Source Underwater Video Lander for Monitoring Coastal Fishes and Habitats

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21227724 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (22) ◽

pp. 7724

Author(s):

Dominique Pelletier ◽

Justin Rouxel ◽

Olivier Fauvarque ◽

David Hanon ◽

Jean-Paul Gestalin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Work Experience ◽

Collective Intelligence ◽

Low Cost ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Digital Fabrication ◽

Quality Data ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Underwater Video ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Technical Specifications

Background: Monitoring the ecological status of coastal ecosystems is essential to track the consequences of anthropogenic pressures and assess conservation actions. Monitoring requires periodic measurements collected in situ, replicated over large areas and able to capture their spatial distribution over time. This means developing tools and protocols that are cost-effective and provide consistent and high-quality data, which is a major challenge. A new tool and protocol with these capabilities for non-extractively assessing the status of fishes and benthic habitats is presented here: the KOSMOS 3.0 underwater video system. Methods: The KOSMOS 3.0 was conceived based on the pre-existing and successful STAVIRO lander, and developed within a digital fabrication laboratory where collective intelligence was contributed mostly voluntarily within a managed project. Our suite of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering skills were combined with ecological knowledge and field work experience. Results: Pool and aquarium tests of the KOSMOS 3.0 satisfied all the required technical specifications and operational testing. The prototype demonstrated high optical performance and high consistency with image data from the STAVIRO. The project’s outcomes are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA license. The low cost of a KOSMOS unit (~1400 €) makes multiple units affordable to modest research or monitoring budgets.

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