Reassessing Reduced Species List Research Centre/jrc...Reduced Species List developed for the Atlantic coast of southern Spain (Bermejo et al., in press). ... Codium spp encrusting**

REASSESSING REDUCED SPECIES LISTRicardo Bermejo, Juan José Vergara, Gina de la Fuente & Ignacio Hernández

Acronym: RSL

Method name: Reduced Species List

WISER ID: XXXX

Scientific literature:

- Wells, E., Wilkinson, M., Wood, P., Scanlan, C. (2007). The use of macroalgal species richness and composition on intertidal rocky seashores in the assessment of ecological quality under the European Water Framework Directive. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 55: 151-161

- López-Royo, C., Silvestri, C., Pergent, G., Casazza, G. 2009. Assessing human-induced pressures on coastal areas with publicly available data. J. Environ. Manag. 90, 1494-1501.

- Bermejo, R., Vergara, J.J., Hernández I. (2011). Application and reassessment of the reduced species list index for macroalgae to assess the ecological status under the Water Framework Directive in the Atlantic coast of Southern Spain. Ecological Indicators, xx: xx-xx (in press)

General Information

GIG: NE Atlantic

Category: Coastal Waters

BQE: Macroalgae (intertidal)

RSL‐index use the taxonomical composition of intertidal rocky seaweed assemblages obtained from a RSL to assess the ecologicalstatus. The evaluation is based on five elements:

1 Species Richness Corrected.2 Proportion of Red Seaweeds Number of red seaweeds 3 Proportion of Green Seaweeds. 4 ESG Ratio Proportion ESG 5 Proportion of Oportunists.

Some elements have been changed and a new RSL have been developed to adapt the index to the ecological characteristics of the Atlantic coast of southern Spain.

Description of RSL-index

3 ‐ Necessary informationMethodology

Field surveying: Stratified sampling, registering all subhabitats (pools, caves and emerged substrate).

Surveyed area: 50 – 60 m width of the whole rocky intertidal shore

Survey month(s): May to September

Survey period for Intertidal zone: Preferably during spring low tides

Nº survey occasions: 1 per sampling season

Recommended Nº of replicates per site: 1.

Taxonomical level: Based on a predefined Reduced Species List suitable for the biogeographic region, where species are classified as "Opportunistic (yes/no)”, “ESG-I/ESGII” and “Green/Red/Brown algae” (table 1).

Table 1. Reduced Species List developed for the Atlantic coast of southern Spain (Bermejo et al., in press).

CHLOROPHYTA Bryopsis spp.

Chaetomorpha spp.

Cladophora spp.

Codium spp erect*

Codium spp encrusting** Codium bursa

Derbesia spp.

Flabellia Petiolata

Pedobepsia simplex

Enteromorpha spp. Ulva spp.

Valonia utricularis

OCHROPHYTA

Cladostephus spongiosus

Colpomenia sinuosa

Cystoseira compressa

Cystoseira spp. Cystoseira usneoides

Dictyota dichotoma

Dictyopteris polypodioides

Fucus spiralis

Halopteris spp. Saccorhiza polyschides

Padina pavonica

Laminaria ochroleuca

Ectocarpus & Sphacelaria

ESG II

II (o)

II

II

II II

II (o)

I

II

II (o) II (o)

II

ESG

I

II

I

I I

II

II

I

II I

I

I

II (o)

RHODOPHYTA Delesseriaceae***

Asparagopsis armata

Botryocladia botryoides

Caulacanthus ustulatus

Ceramium spp.

Chondracanthus Acicularis Corallina sp.

Gelidium microdon

Gelidium spinosum

Gelidium corneum

Gelidium pusillum Gymnogongrus & Ahnfetiopsis

Halopithys incurva

Halurus equisetifolius

Hildenbradia rubra

Jania rubens Laurencia obtusa

Lithophyllum byssoides

Lithophyllum dentatum

Lithophyllum incrustans

Nemalion helminthoides Lomentaria articulata

Osmundea pinnatifida

Osmundea hybrida

Peyssonnelia spp.

Plocamium cartilagineum Pterocladiella capillacea

Pterosiphonia complanata

Rhodymenia & Schottera

Sphaerococcus coronopifolius

ESG I

II

I

I

II

II II

I

II

I

II I

I

II

I

I II

I

I

I

I II

I

II

I

II II

II

I

II

Corrected species richness for Atlantic coast of Southern Spain (Bermejo et al., 2011). Expected species richness = 6.3371 * e0,0982 · Shore score

Correction Factor (CF) = 23*/expected species richness

Corrected species richness = CF * observed species richness * Average shore description of 13 for the coast of Southern Spain, which corresponded to an expected richness of 23 species.

Table 2. Scoring system to calculate the correction factor (Wells et al., 2007).

Equations to calculate the Ecological Quality Ratio (Wells et al., 2007)

when the value of the element increased with increasing EQREQR = {((value – lower CR)/CW) x EQR BW} + lower EQR BR

when the value of the element decreased with increasing EQREQR = Upper EQR BR - {((value – lower CR)/CW) x EQR BW}

Where CR was the Class Range, CW the Class Width, BR was the EQR Band Range and BW was the EQR Band Width.

Common elements

Table 3. (Bermejo et al., in press).

Corrected species richness

Number of red seaweeds

Proportion of green seaweeds

Proportion of ESGI Proportion of opportunists

EQR-RSL

Bad

< 10

< 5

> 0.55

< 0.15 > 0.30

< 0.20

Poor

11 - 19

6 - 9

0.55 - 0.35

0.15 - 0.25 0.30 - 0.15

0.20 - 0.40

Moderate

20 - 26

10 - 13

0.35 - 0.25

0.25 - 0.35 0.15 - 0.10

0.40 - 0.60

Good

27 - 29

14 - 18

0.25 - 0.20

0.35 - 0.40 0.10 - 0.05

0.60 - 0.75

High

> 29 (34)

> 18 (25)

< 0.20

> 0.40 < 0.05

> 0.75

A case of study: Piscinas Bolonia

Presence of turbidity No (2)

Sand scour No (2)

Chalk shore Not considered (*)

Dominant shore Large overhangs (3)

Subhabitat Wide rock pool (4)

Large crevices (-)

Large overhangs (-)

Nº of subhabitats 3 (3)

Dominant biota Corallina & Cystoseira

Total 14

Intertidal scoring system

* Chalk shore element has been not considered because this kind of shore is not present in southern Spain.

Opportunist ESG Species N I Cladostephus spongiosus N II Colpomenia sinuosa N I Cystoseira spp. N I Cystoseira usneoides N II Dictyota dichotoma N I Fucus spiralis N I Padina pavonica N I Saccorhiza polyschides N I Sargassum vulgare N II Stypocaulon & Halopteris N II Asparagopsis armata N II Ceramium spp. N II Chondracanthus acicularis N II Corallina sp. N I Gelidium microdon N II Gelidium spinosum N I Gelidium corneum N II Gelidium pusillum N I Gymnogongrus y Ahnfetiopsis N I Hildenbrandia rubra N I Jania rubens N I Lithophyllum byssoides N II Lithophyllum incrustans N I Osmundea pinnatifida N I Peyssonnelia spp. N II Plocamium cartilagineum N I Pterosiphonia complanata N I Rhodymenia y Schottera N I Sphaerococcus coronopifolius N II Bryopsis spp. N II Cladophora spp. N II Codium spp encrusting** Y II Enteromorpha spp. (=Ulva) Y II Ulva spp. N II Valonia utricularis


Corrected species richness for Atlantic coast of Southern Spain Expected species richness = 6.3371 * e0.0982 · 14 = 25Correction Factor (CF) = 23/25 = 0.92Corrected species richness = 0.92 * 35 ≈ 32

Corrected species richness 32

Nº of red seaweeds 19

Proportion of chlorophytas 0.17

Proportion of ESGI 0.51

Proportion of opportunist 0.06


when the value of the element increased with increasing EQR (Corrected Species Richness, Number of red seaweeds, Proportion of ESG I).

EQR = {((

value

- lower CR

)/

CW ) x EQR BW

} +

lower EQR BR

EQR CSR = {((

32 - 29 )/

5 ) x 0.2 } +

0.8 = 0.84

EQR red = {((

19 - 18 )/

6 ) x 0.2 } +

0.8 = 0.83

EQR ESGI

= {((

0.51 - 0.40 )/

0.10 ) x 0.2 } +

0.8 = 0.84when the value of the element decreased with increasing EQR (Proportion of Green Seaweeds, Proportion of Opportunist)


EQR = Upper EQR BR

-{((

value - lower CR )/ CW) *EQR BW }

EQR green = 1 -{((

0.17 - 0 )/ 0.60 ) * 0.2 } = 0.83

EQR opport = 0.8 -{((

0.06 - 0.05 )/ 0.05) * 0.2 } = 0.77


Total = Mean value of EQR elementsTotal = (0.84+0.83+0.84+0.83+0.77)/5 = 0.82

0.85 > 0.75 (table 3) HIGH Ecological Status Class

PRESSURES: NONE(according López-Royo et al. 2009)

Land use (Natural > 90%)Industry = None

River = NoneIndustrial port = None

Artificial estructures (No) Sample point x

El Len

tiscal

1,5 Km

A case of study: Puerto de Algeciras

Reduced Species List Opportunist ESG Species

N II Gelidium pusillum

N II Bryopsis spp.

Y II Chaetomorpha spp.

N II Cladophora spp.

Y II Enteromorpha spp.

I ntert idal scoring system Presence of turbidity Yes (0)

Sand Scour No (2)

Chalk shore No considered (x)

Dominant shore Rock ridge (4)

Subhabitat Wide shallow rock pool (4)

Basic rock pools (-)

Large crevices (-)

Large overhangs (-)

Nº of subhabitats ≥4 (4)

Dominant biota Mussels

Total 1 4

* Chalk shore element has been not considered because this kind of shore is not present in southern Spain.

Species richness 5

Nº of red seaweeds 0.2

Proportion of chlorophytas 1




Corrected species richness for Atlantic coast of Southern Spain Expected species richness = 6.3371 * e0.0982 · 14 = 25Correction Factor (CF) = 23/25 = 0.92Corrected species richness = 0.92 * 5 ≈ 5

Corrected species richness 5

Nº of red seaweeds 0.2

Proportion of chlorophytas 1




when the value of the element increased with increasing EQR (Corrected Species Richness, Number of red seaweeds, Proportion of ESG I).

EQR = {((

value

- lower CR

)/

CW ) x EQR BW

} +

lower EQR BR

EQR CSR = {((

5 - 0 )/

10 ) x 0.2 } +

0 = 0.10

EQR red = {((

1 - 0 )/

5 ) x 0.2 } +

0 = 0.04

EQR ESGI

= {((

0 - 0 )/

0.25 ) x 0.2 } +

0 = 0.00when the value of the element decreased with increasing EQR (Proportion of Green Seaweeds, Proportion of Opportunist)


EQR = Upper EQR BR - {(( value - lower CR )/

CW) *EQR BW }

EQR green = 0.2 - {(( 0.80 - 0.55 )/

0.45 ) * 0.2 } = 0.09

EQR opport = 0.2 - {(( 0.40 - 0.35 )/

0.65) * 0.2 } = 0.17


Total = Mean value of EQR elementsTotal = (0.10+0.04+0.00+0.09+0.17)/5 = 0.08

0.08 < 0.20 (table 3) BAD Ecological Status Class

Polluted river

Industrial area

Algeciras habour

Outfall without treatementAlgeciras cityx Sample point

1,5 Km

HIGH PRESSURES(according López-Royo et al. 2009)

Land use (Urban > 50%)Industry < 10km

River < 10kmIndustrial port < 10km

Artificial estructures (Yes)

Documents

Reassessing Reduced Species List Research Centre/jrc...Reduced Species List developed for the Atlantic coast of southern Spain (Bermejo et al., in press). ... Codium spp encrusting**