Principles of biological classification

European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
© iStockphoto.com/ansonsaw
Support of Water Policy Reforms
towards Integrated Water Resources Management
WORKSHOP ON
ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
Principles of biological classification
Georg Wolfram
Kyiv, 19-20 June 2018

 The WFD aims at achieving a good ecological status (GES)
and a good chemical status in all surface waters.
 One of the main challenges: same understanding of GES
among all countries
 The harmonisation of the understanding of GES across
Europe was garantueed by the intercalibration of
assessment methods. During this process, all methods were
checked, compared and statistically evaluated.
KEY OBJECTIVE OF THE WFD
2

WHAT IS A METHOD?
3

WHAT IS A METHOD?
4

WHAT IS A METHOD?
5
„Samples are taken following the AQEM method
(multi-habitat sampling, modified)“
Haase et al. 2004

WHAT IS A METHOD?
6

WHAT IS A METHOD?
7
ID
km
Site
Status
78
498 Russenski Lom
good
79
488 Downstream Ruse
good
432 Arges
moderate
80
429 Downstream Arges poor
81
378 Chiciu / Silistra
good
235 Giurgeni
high
167 Braila
high
82
154 Siret
good
84
130 Reni
moderate

1. Which water body shall be assessed? (category, type)
2. What is the expected key pressure?
3. What is the most sensitive biological quality element?
4. Which sampling method is most appropriate?
5. How shall the sample be processed in the lab?
6. How shall the data be analysed?
7. WFD compliance check & statistical evaluation
HOW TO BEGIN
8

Water category
natural river
Type
a small lowland river
Ecoregion: 16
Geology: Siliceous
Altitude: 200-500 m asl
Catchment area: 10-100 km2
EXAMPLE 1
1. CATEGORY AND TYPE?
9
http://www.freeworldmaps.net
Alex Zelenko, Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License

 Organic pollution
 Physical alterations of the banks
 Hydrological impacts from water abstraction
EXAMPLE 1
2. KEY PRESSURE?
10
Andrew Curtis, Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) USDA NRCS Photo Gallery, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Big Sky Fishing, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

EXAMPLE 1
3. MOST SENSITIVE QUALITY ELEMENT?
11
Rivers
Macrophytes Diatoms Zoobenthos Fish
Pollution
Temperature ● ●
Organic pollution ● ●
Nutrients ● ● ●
Salinisation ● ● ● ●
Hydromorphology
Discharge fluctuations ● ● ●
Morph. alterations ● ●
Impoundment ● ● ●
River continuum ● ●
Morphology ● ●

EXAMPLE 1
12
Lakes
Macrophytes Phytoplankton Zoobenthos Fish
Pollution
Nutrients ● ●
Nutrients (locall impact) ● ●
Hydromorphology
Water level fluctations ● ● ●
Continuum (tributaries) ●
Morphology ● ● ●

13
Rivers
Macrophytes Diatoms Zoobenthos Fish
Pollution
Temperature ● ●
Nutrients ● ● ●
Salinisation ● ● ● ●
Hydromorphology
Discharge fluctuations ● ● ●
Morph. alterations ● ●
Impoundment ● ● ●
River continuum ● ●
Morphology ● ●
Most sensitive, well-established field/lab methods, long tradition (saprobic index)
EXAMPLE 1

In wadable rivers:
 multi-habitat-sampling (MHS)
 1 sampling date per year
Requirements:
 MHS net (500 µm mesh size),
waders, vessels, boxes
 Training in MHS sampling
technique (in the field 1-2
persons)
EXAMPLE 1
4. FIELD METHOD?
14
© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

EXAMPLE 1
SAMPLE PROCESSING: FIELD OR LAB?
15
Field methods Lab methods
Time quick time-consuming
Lab equipment – microscopes
Training only field field and lab (taxonomy)
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +
Good vs moderate – +

EXAMPLE 1
16
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

EXAMPLE 1
17
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

EXAMPLE 1
18
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

EXAMPLE 1
19
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

EXAMPLE 1
20
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

EXAMPLE 1
21
Costs Low high
Significance
High vs bad + +

 Sorting (AQEM approach, EN 16150)
 Identification under the microscope
 Taxonomical level depending on the
assessment method
Requirements:
 AQEM grid
 Training in MHS sorting
 Training in identification of
invertebrates
EXAMPLE 1
5. LAB METHOD
22
Haase et al. 2004
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Public Domain Mark 1.0GcG(jawp), Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

 Taxonomy
 at first step: family level
 for some groups extend to genus/species
EXAMPLE 1
5. LAB METHOD
23
© W. Lechthaler (eutaxa)

EXAMPLE 1
5. LAB METHOD
24
family level

EXAMPLE 1
5. LAB METHOD
25
species level

 MS Excel, Asterics,
Statistical software packages
“And the result is …
But: A metric/index is not the same thing as a WFD compliant
assessment method!
 open questions:
 Reference conditions
 Boundary setting
 Pressure-response relationship …
EXAMPLE 1
6. DATA ANALYSIS
26
14.6”

Water category
lake
Type
a deep stratified lake or reservoir
Ecoregion: 24
Geology: Siliceous
Altitude: >800 m asl
Mean depth: 40 m
Max. depth: 80 m
EXAMPLE 2
1. CATEGORY AND TYPE?
27
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
John Fielding, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 Water level fluctuations?
 Eutrophication?
EXAMPLE 2
2. KEY PRESSURE?
28
Greenpeace China, Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)
© G. Kum (DWS Hydr-Ökologie)

EXAMPLE 2
29
Lakes
Macrophytes Phytoplankton Zoobenthos Fish
Pollution
Nutrients ● ●
Nutrients (locally) ● ●
Hydromorphology
Water level fluctations ● ● ●
Continuum (tributaries) ●
Morphology ● ● ●
Most sensitive, well-established field/lab methods, long tradition (chlorophyll-a)

EXAMPLE 2
4. FIELD METHOD
30
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Water temperature [°C]
25
20
15
10
5
0
Waterdepth[m]
epilimnion
metalimnion
hypolimnion
thermocline
8,9
7,8
6,9
20,9
20,1
17,7
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Water temperature [°C]
25
20
15
10
5
0
Waterdepth[m]
Secchi depth
euphotic zone
14,1
aphotic zone
= Secchi depth x 2.5
compensation level
= max T

 Several sampling dates
 Central part of the lake (deepest point)
 Temperature profile (stratification?)
 Secchi depth (euphotic zone)
 Chemical samples from different water depths,
e.g. 0 m, 5 m, 10 m, 20 m, 40 m, 60 m, above ground
 Phytoplankton samples from the epilimnion or the euphotic
zone (integrative or bulk sample from several depth)
e.g. 0 m, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, 6 m and 7 m
EXAMPLE 2
4. FIELD METHOD
31
© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydr-Ökologie)

Requirements:
 Boat (+ winch)
 Water sampler, vessels,
cooling boxes
 Secchi disk
 Temperature sensor
 (O2, pH, EC probes)
 Optionally plankton net (30-40 µm) for fresh samples
 Training in water and plankton sampling technique
EXAMPLE 2
4. FIELD METHOD
32
© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydr-Ökologie)

 Chemical analysis (nutrients …)
 Phytoplankton: Chlorophyll-a,
Utermöhl countings
Requirements:
 (Chemical lab – nutrients as supporting information)
 Microscope (transmission microscope for fresh samples,
inverted microscope for quantitative Utermöhl countirngs)
 Training in microscope handling and phytoplankton
identification
EXAMPLE 2
5. LAB METHOD
33
Mateus S. Figueiredo, CreativeCommons (CC BY 4.0)

 MS Excel, Statistical software packages
But: Data on Chlorophyll-a concentration allow defining the
trophic state, but are not the same thing as a WFD compliant
assessment method!
 open questions:
 Reference conditions
 Boundary setting
 Pressure-response relationship
 …
EXAMPLE 2
6. DATA ANALYSIS
34

STANDARDISATION & QUALITY ASSURANCE
35
 Standardisation
 Legal implementation
 Documentation
 Training
 Control

36
 Standardisation  AQEM protocol, national guidelines
 avoid too much freedom (expert judgment)
© G. Wolfram (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

37
 Legal implementation  Legally binding
(e.g. Austrian Water Law)
Matt Wade, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

38
 Documentation  Write down everything, which might be
relevant for the assessment result
 field and lab protocols
 comprehensive and standardised reports
 who did when what how?
EPIRB Project© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

40
 Control  Internal and external audits
 ring tests
 Prepare permanent slides
 Keep original samples for later control
(up to several years)
© S. Hintermaier (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

Principles of biological classification

More Related Content

Similar to Principles of biological classification

More from EU Water Initiative plus for Eastern Partnership

Recently uploaded

Principles of biological classification