Biological Workshop April 21/22, 2008 Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Croatia Twinning Project Introduction to the development of the

Biological Workshop April 21/22, 2008

Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Croatia

Twinning Project

Introduction to the development of the German

typology of surface waters and definition of reference

conditions

Mario Sommerhäuser

Emschergenossenschaft – Lippeverband



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„Aquae sunt talis qualis terra per quam fluunt.“

Plinius the Elder, Naturalis historia, Book 31, § 52, Z. 5

Typology of surface waters is not a new invention…



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The typology of surface waters

For about 100 years (classification of lakes)

Idea: to classify the large variety of natural water

bodies to more simple and applicable units

From individual water bodies to the idea of types: Lowland streams, Mountain streams …, Sandy streams, Gravel bed streams …

Now essential part of the philosophy of the WFD



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Demands of the WFD

Why is typology so important?

Base for most of the further steps:

Definiton of type-specific reference conditions

Development of type-specific assessment systems

Designation of water bodies

Type-specific sensitivity against different stressors

Program of measures has to care for type-specific features of water bodies



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Decisions needed for typology

System A or System B? Same obligatory factors are used in both

(geographic position, altitude, size, geology) System A prescribes categories for these factors,

and ecoregions for the spatial aggregation of the types=> types remain rough and often do not reflect reality

System B has no prescriptions, permits additional factors; => types more flexible, reflect reality

WFD - Annex II:



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Methodological approaches

Top down approach

Bottom up approach

Abiotic features

Expert opinions

Similarity analyses

Biocoenoses, e. g. MZBR

iver

typ

es



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Advantages and disadvantages of Top down / Bottom up approach

Top down approach… only few abiotic data needed not necessarily biological meaningful (types have to be validated) time-saving (development: weeks – months)

Bottom up approach … huge biotic and abiotic data sets from reference sites needed depends on availability of data and quality of sites biologically meaningful, reference conditions implied time-consuming (up to several years…)



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Example: Stream typology Germany

Philosophy:

one typology for the whole country and all quality components (macrophytes, algae, MZB, fish)

„as many types as necessary, as few as possible“

scientifically sound and politically reasonable

simple approach (start: top down, validation: bottom up)

biologically meaningful

System B



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Parameters

Obligatory parameters:- Ecoregion (Illies 1978)- Geology (Ca, Si, Org)- Size basin size classes 10 - 100 km² 100 - 1 000 km² 1 000 - 10 000 km² > 10 000 km²

(acc. System A)

Optional parameters:- Sub-ecoregions (aquatic landscapes): more differentiated geology (granite, moraines…) valley form slope- dominant substratum (river bed material)

(acc. System B)

Clearly a „B-typology“.



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3 Ecoregions:

4: Alps

9: Lower Mountains

14: Lowlands

Step 1: “Ecoregions” Illies (1978)



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Step 2: Sub-ecoregions

about 40 ‚aquatic landscape units ‘ (=sub-ecoregions)

homogeneous regions for certain stream types

based on geo- morphology



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Definition of sub-ecoregions (aquatic landscapes)

homogeneous regions with respect to the characters of surface waters (due to geology, soils, relief…)

main distribution areas of certain surface water types, but different types can occure e. g. due to changes in longitudinal zonation

can be depicted in maps for orientation



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„Super-Parameter“

integration of many typological relevant parameters as geology, soils, relief, valley sh apes, slope…

important for the drawing of GIS maps of stream types




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biozönotischer Typ

Längszonierung Ausgewählte Gewässerlandschaften und Regionen

nach Briem (2001) Bach Kl.

Fluss Gr.

Fluss Strom

Ökoregion 4: Alpen, Höhe > 800 m

Kalkalpen, Flyschzone 1 1.1

Ökoregion 9 (und 8): Mittelgebirge und Alpenvorland, Höhe ca. 200 - 800 m und höher

Alpenvorland

Tertiäres Hügelland, Niederterrassen, Ältere Terrassen, Altmoränenland 2

Jungmoränenland 3

Auen (über 300 m Breite)

4

Mittelgebirge

Gneis, Granit, Schiefer, übrige Vulkangebiete 5

Buntsandstein, Sandbedeckung 5.1 9

Lössregionen, Keuper, Kreide 6

Muschelkalk, Jura, Malm, Lias, Dogger, Kalke 7 9.1

9.2

Auen (über 300 m) 10

Ökoregion 14: Norddeutsches Tiefland, Höhe < 200 m

Sander, Sandbedeckung, Grund- und Endmoräne 14

Lössregionen 18 15

Grund- und Endmoräne, Ältere Terrassen 16 17


Marschen 22

Jungmoränenland: Grundmoränen 23

Ökoregion unabhängige Typen

Sander, Lössregionen, Auen (vermoort) 11 12


Sander, Grund- und Endmoräne 21

Step 3:Aggregation of sub-ecoregions

Aggregated sub-ecoregions (base type)+ Longitudinal Zonation (biocoenotic type)

Step 4:Longitudinal zonation



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Biocoenotic analysis of whole Germany (ecoregions)

Biocoenotic analysis of several 1000 data sets up to now (best available sites, most of them preclassified as „very good“ or „good ecological status“)

Step 5: Biological validation



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NMS_EPTCOM_gen_total_20.11.2002; Stress: 0,285

Achse 1: 41,8 %

Ach

se 2

: 32,

0 %

Ökoregion

AlpenVoralpenMittelgebirgeTiefland

NMS „Germany “

Lowlands

Lower Mountains/(Pre)Alpine area

„non-metric multidimen-sional scaling“ (NMS)

Ordination diagram: similiar data sets (sites) are close together, different data sets are apart



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NMS_EPTCOM_adju_05112002_spring; Stress: 0,18

Achse 2: 27,1 %

Ach

se 3

: 31

,4 %

"Substrat-Größentyp"

keine AngabenSandbachmittelgr. Sandflussgr. SandflussKiesbachmittelgr. Kiesflussgr. Kiesflussorganischer Bach

Typ 20

Typ 17Typ 15

Typ 16Typ 14 (+13)

Typ 11

NMS Lowlands:

biocoenotic stream types



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Product I: Typology and Types

Table of 25 biocoenotic relevant stream types for Germany



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25 stream types:

4 types for the Alps and the Alpine foothills

8 types for the Central highlands

9 types for the Central lowlands

4 „Ecoregion-independent“ types

Product I: Typology and Types



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depiction of stream types as digital map base: WFD-relevant river

network short description of the types („passports“) serve as a legend for the map

Product II: Map of stream types (GIS)



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Most common stream types of Germany:

Type 5: Small coarse substrate dominated, siliceous

highland rivers (17 %)

Type 14: Small sand dominated lowland rivers (11 %)

Type 19: Small streams in riverine floodplains (9%)

Typ 19: 9

%

Typ 1: 6%

Typ 5: 17

%

Typ 5.1: 7 %

Typ 14: 11 %

Typ 6: 8 %

Typ 15: 5 %

Typ 9: 5

%Typ 7: 5

%

Typ 16: 4 %



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Common stream type of the Ecoregion 4 Alps:Type 1: Alpine streams (95 %)

Common stream type of the Ecoregion 9 (8) Central Highlands:Type 5: Small coarse substrate dominated siliceous highland rivers (28 %)

Common stream type of the Ecoregion 14 Central plain:Type 14: Small sand dominated lowland rivers (28 %)



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Remarks:„... nowadays almost completely destroyed, due to intense land use in fertile loess areas.“

Product III: Type descriptions as passports

Morphological features:„... very distinct stream type... , winding to meandering in unregular arches in a U-shaped valley, ... naturally most deep cut stream type.Water often cloudy due to natural erosion of fine minerally particles from the bottom (clay, loam, loess).“

Substratum: „... dominant fine minerally particles (clay, loam, loess), organic materials rarely to be found, often aggregations of particles to slab, marl ...“

Biocoenoses: Macrophytes and Phytobenthos: „... aquatic flora only rarely to be found due to cloudy water. Mainly float leaf plants occuring e. g. Potamogeton pectinatus...“

Available in English: www.wasserblick.net or the HR

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comparable to high ecological status, (= no or only minimum deviance from undisturbed conditions in hydromorphology, water qualiy and biocoenoses) starting point of assessment!

Basis

1. best available surface waters

2. modelling, reconstruction

3. historical data

combinations

Reference conditions



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Criteria for reference conditions (AQEMconsortium 2002, REFCOND toolbox)

Land use : Influence of urbanisation, land use and forest management should be as low as possible

Morphology and stream habitats Floodplain at reference site: natural climax vegetation, extensive forests no migration barriers no removal of coarse woody debris no bank and bed fixation



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Criteria for reference conditions

Hydrology and regulation no alteration of natural regime no or only minor alteration of hydrology by dams, reservoirs, weirs, or sediment retaining structures no water abstraction etc.

Water quality no point-source pollution no point-source eutrophication no acidification no alteration of thermal regime no salinisation no toxic substances

Especially for large rivers and in the

lowlands: impossible!



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1. Data base of near-natural rivers or river stretches



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2. Historical data: example River Ems 1850-2000



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3. Reconstruction, modelling: River Sieg, 1822

Sandy habitats at the stream margins:Ephemera danicaseveral Leptoceridae

Wood accumulations:Macronychus quadrituberculatusPotamophilus acuminatusStenelmis canaliculata

Abandoned channels and floodplain ponds:Siphlonurus aestivalisSeveral Dytiscidae, Haliplidae, Gyrinidae



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Conclusions: stream typology of Germany

top down typology acc. to System B has been developed by expert opinion (integration of existing regional typologies)

base of typology: map of aquatic landscapes (sub-ecoregions)

biocoenotic validation: data base from existing data sets and new collected data has been compiled afterwords

typology could ± be validated „bottom up“ with these data sets

GIS map of stream types has been designed

types have been described in passports

typology as living document and iteration: can be updated in future

accepted by scientific projects and legislation



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Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!



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Costs and time needed

typology acc. to System B: some months / 0 € (national experts)

map of aquatic landscapes (sub-ecoregions): 3 years / 75,000 € (private company) !!! hint: map was too detailed, can be developed much faster / ~ 40,000 €

biocoenotic validation: ongoing process since 4 years / ~ 60,000 € (scientific institute) !!! hint: data can be collected within the monitoring

GIS map of stream types: 1 year / 60,000 € (private company)

passports: some months / 0 € (national experts)



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Informations needed for typologies of surface waters (acc. to System B)

rough differentiation of the country and the regions (ecoregions, altitude, size classes, geology, e. g. acc. System A)

(digital) maps of surface waters, geology, soils, topography, relief/altitude lines, borderlines of ecoregions; historical maps

selection of relevant optional parameters for the definition of biocoenotic meaningful types - maybe different for the (sub-)ecoregions

(if available:) data sets of reference sites (abiotic and biotic data)

interdisciplinary experts who know their country and ist surface waters !



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typologies of neighbor countries differ due to different abiotic conditions and slightly different methods

Examples of stream typologies from neighbor countries



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usually System B was chosen, parameters were partly different

in medium sized and large countries number of types varies between 20–30

Examples of stream typologies from neighbor countries

Documents

Biological Workshop April 21/22, 2008 Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Croatia Twinning Project Introduction to the development of the