1. Biological methods to detect the effects of hydrological and morphological pressures Introduction and overview of questionnaire responses

3. WISER method database - http://www.wiser.eu/results/method-database/

4. Method overview: Which human pressures are detected?
Figure from Birk et al., 2012

5. Questionnaire on biological methods
MS were asked to identify biological methods to detect the effects of hymo pressures for the four water categories
Name of method
Identify pressures to which the method responds
Has the method been intercalibrated?
Is the method included in the WISER methods overview?
Additional information from intercalibration was considered for this presentation

6. Questionnaire responses
9 MS provided information on biological methods:
Rivers – 7 MS (AT. BE/W, DE. IT, NL, NO, SI)
Lakes – 5 MS (AT, DE, NL, NO, SI)
Coastal waters – 2 MS (ES, NL)
Transitional waters – 3 MS (IT, NL)

7. River methods
Focus on invertebrates and fish; both hydrology and morphology pressures; multimetric indices responding to multiple pressures
Methods intercalibrated, but not specifically for hymo
Invertebrates
mostly “general pressure” methods
Only few methods specifically aimed at hymo (SI: SMEITH)
Fish
Response to hymo and other pressures well documented
Not specifically targeted at hymo (but see AT - FIA)

8. Lake methods Focus on fish, benthic fauna, phytoplankton
Fish fauna – AT, NL, NO
IC: Validation only with expert judgement or other pressures
Benthic fauna - DE, SI, NL
IC: All 3 methods validated for HM pressures (sign pressure-response relationships with lake shore modification metrics and indices)
Macrophytes - AT, NL, NO
AT, NL – validation and IC only for eutrophication
NO – new method for HM pressures
Phytoplankton/ Phytobenthos
NL – method validated/ IC only for eutrophciation
Lake methods

9. Coastal waters methods
Only 4 methods reported: Benthic fauna (2x), Macroalgae/Sea Grasses, Phytoplankton
Benthic fauna (ES, NL)
IC: validation with multipressure index
Sea Grasses (NL)
IC: response to hymo not specifically demonstrated
Phytoplankton (ES)
Residence time

10. Transitional waters methods
Benthic fauna (ES, IT, NL)
IC: validation with multipressure index
Fish (ES, NL)
IC: no specific information on response to hymo pressures (validation with multipressure index)
Macroalgae / Sea Grasses (IT, NL)
IC: response to hymo pressure not specifically demonstrated

11. Presentations: Rivers – AT (Gisela Ofenboeck)
Lakes – NO (Odd Terje Sandlund)
Coastal/Transitional – ES (Angel Borja)

12. Questions for session B – Biological Methods
Are current biological assessment methods appropriate to pick up hydromorphological alterations?
Has response to hymo pressures been demonstrated? If not, why not?
What features of method design make a biological method suitable or unsuitable for hymo pressures?
What further method development is ongoing/needed?
Now (for next RBMP)
Longer term