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Exploring the robustness of macrophyte-based classification methods to assess the ecological status of coastal and transitional ecosystems under the Water Framework Directive

  • WATER BODIES IN EUROPE
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Abstract

Identifying and quantifying the factors that contribute to the potential misclassification of the ecological status of water bodies is a major challenge of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The present study compiles extensive biomonitoring data from a range of macrophyte-based classification methods developed by several European countries. The data reflect spatial and temporal variation as well as inter-observer variation. Uncertainty analysis identified that factors related to the spatial scale of sampling generally contributed most to the uncertainty in classifying water bodies to their ecological status, reflecting the high horizontal and depth-related heterogeneity displayed by macrophyte communities. In contrast, the uncertainty associated with temporal variation was low. In addition, inter-observer variation, where assessed, did not contribute much to overall uncertainty, indicating that these methods are easily transferable and insensitive to observer error. The study, therefore, suggests that macrophyte-based sampling schemes should prioritize large spatial replication over temporal replication to maximize the effectiveness and reliability of water body classification within the WFD. We encourage conducting similar uncertainty analyses for new/additional ecological indicators to optimize sampling schemes and improve the reliability of classification of ecological status.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all the different people involved in the monitoring programs of Catalonia, Balearic Is. and Croatia for their work in the field and laboratory. We also thank Michael Dunbar and Ralph Clarke for their assistance in statistical analyses and Rohan Arthur for his inputs in the manuscript. This research was funded by l’Agencia Catalana de l’Aigua, EEMA – Avaliação do Estado Ecológico das Massas de Água Costeiras e de Transição e do Potencial Ecológico das Massas de Água Fortemente Modificadas (POVT-03-0133-FCOES-000017) and WISER (Water bodies in Europe: Integrative Systems to assess Ecological status and Recovery) funded under the 7th EU Framework Program, Theme 6 (Environment including Climate Change, Contract No.: 226273).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CSIC), C/d’Accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes (Girona), Spain

    Oriol Mascaró & Teresa Alcoverro

  2. Institute of Oceanology, BAS, Parvi May Str. N 40, P.O. Box 152, 9000, Varna, Bulgaria

    Kristina Dencheva

  3. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain

    Isabel Díez & José M. Gorostiaga

  4. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark

    Dorte Krause-Jensen & Thorsten J. S. Balsby

  5. Department of Global Change Research, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles (Illes Balears), Spain

    Núria Marbà

  6. AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea, z/g, 2010, Pasaia, Spain

    Iñigo Muxika

  7. Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of Coimbra, Largo Marques Pombal, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

    João M. Neto

  8. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, I. Meštrovića 63, 21000, Split, Croatia

    Vedran Nikolić

  9. National Agricultural Research Foundation, Fisheries Research Institute, 640 07, Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece

    Sotiris Orfanidis

  10. Center for Coastal and Marine Research, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NIVA, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway

    Are Pedersen

  11. Department of Ecology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Marta Pérez & Javier Romero

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  1. Oriol Mascaró
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  2. Teresa Alcoverro
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  8. Núria Marbà
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  9. Iñigo Muxika
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  11. Vedran Nikolić
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  12. Sotiris Orfanidis
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  13. Are Pedersen
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  14. Marta Pérez
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  15. Javier Romero
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oriol Mascaró.

Additional information

Guest editors: C. K. Feld, A. Borja, L. Carvalho & D. Hering / Water bodies in Europe: integrative systems to assess ecological status and recovery

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Mascaró, O., Alcoverro, T., Dencheva, K. et al. Exploring the robustness of macrophyte-based classification methods to assess the ecological status of coastal and transitional ecosystems under the Water Framework Directive. Hydrobiologia 704, 279–291 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1426-0

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