Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intercalibration of assessment methods for macrophytes in lowland streams: direct comparison and analysis of common metrics

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The results of four macrophyte assessment methods (French Indice Biologique Macrophytique en Rivière, German Reference Index, British Mean Trophic Rank and Dutch Macrophyte Score) were compared, based on plant survey data of medium-sized lowland streams in Central Europe. To intercalibrate the good quality class boundaries two alternative methods were applied: direct comparison and the use of “common metrics”. While the French and British methods were highly related (R2>0.75), the German RI showed less (0.20<R2<0.55) and the Dutch DMS least correlation (R2<0.10) with other methods. Of 70 macrophyte metrics tested only Ellenberg_N was considerably related to three of the national assessment methods, thus representing a potential common metric for intercalibration. Comparison of quality class boundaries via regression analysis using both intercalibration approaches revealed major differences between classifications of the French, German and British methods, which are, in addition, related in a nonlinear way.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • NF T90-395, 2003. Water quality – Determination of the Macrophytes biological index for rivers (IBMR). Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR), Saint Denis La Plaine

  • S. Birk D. Hering (2006) ArticleTitleDirect comparison of assessment methods using benthic macroinvertebrates: a contribution to the EU Water Framework Directive intercalibration exercise Hydrobiologia 566 401–415

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Birk D. Hering (2002) ArticleTitleWaterview Web-Database: a comprehensive review of European assessment methods for rivers FBA News 20 4

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Birk U. Schmedtje (2005) ArticleTitleTowards harmonisation of water quality classification in the Danube River Basin: overview of biological assessment methods for running waters Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Supplement “Large Rivers” 16 171–196

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Buffagni S. Erba S. Birk M. Cazzola C. Feld T. Ofenböck J. Murray-Bligh M. T. Furse R. T. Clark D. Hering H. Soszka W. v. d. Bund (2005) ArticleTitleTowards European Inter-calibration for the Water Framework Directive: Procedures and examples for different river types from the E.C. project STAR. 11th STAR deliverable. STAR Contract No: EVK1-CT 2001-00089 Quaderni Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque 123 1–468

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Buffagni S. Erba M. Cazzola J. Murray-Bligh H. Soszka P. Genoni (2006) ArticleTitleThe STAR common metrics approach to the WFD intercalibratin process: Full application for small, lowland rivers in three European countries Hydrobiologia 566 379–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of the European Communities, 1991. Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC. Official Journal of the European Communities, L135/40–52, 30 May 1991, Brussels

  • CIS WG 2.A Ecological Status (ECOSTAT), 2004. Guidance on the intercalibration process. Agreed version of WG 2.A Ecological Status meeting held 7–8 October 2004 in Ispra. Version 4.1. 14. October 2004. ECOSTAT, Ispra

  • Elbersen, J. W. H., P. F. M. Verdonschot, B. Roels & J. G. Hartholt, 2003. Definitiestudie KaderRichtlijn Water (KRW). I. Typologie Nederlandse Oppervlaktewateren. Alterra-rapport 669. ALTERRA, Wageningen

  • H. Ellenberg H. E. Weber R. Düll V. Wirth W. Werner D. Paulißen (1992) Indicator Values of Plants in Central Europe Erich Goltze Göttingen

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission, 2000. Directive 2000/60/EC. Establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. European Commission PE-CONS 3639/1/100 Rev 1, Luxembourg

  • Furse, M., D. Hering, O. Moog, P. Verdonschot, R. K. Johnson, K. Brabec, K. Gritzalis, A. Buffagni, P. Pinto, N. Friberg, J. Murray-Bligh, J. Kokes, R. Alber, P. Usseglio-Polatera, P. Haase, R. Sweeting, B. Bis, K. Szoszkiewicz, H. Soszka, G. Springe, F. Sporka & I. Krno, 2006. The STAR project: context, objectives and approaches. Hydrobiologia 566: 3–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Hering, D., R. K. Johnson, S. Kramm, S. Schmutz, K. Szoszkiewicz & P. F. M. Verdonschot, in prep. Assessment of European rivers with diatoms, macrophytes, invertebrates and fish: A comparative metric-based analysis

  • N. T. H. Holmes J. R. Newman S. Chadd K. J. Rouen L. Saint F. H. Dawson (1999) Mean Trophic Rank: A User’s Manual. R & D Technical Report E38 Environment Agency Bristol

    Google Scholar 

  • N. T. H. Holmes B. A. Whitton (1975) ArticleTitleMacrophytes of the river Tweed Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 42 369–381

    Google Scholar 

  • G. A. Janauer (2001) ArticleTitleIs what has been measured of any direct relevance to the success of the macrophyte in its particular environment? Journal of Limnology 60 IssueIDSuppl. 33–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Janauer, G. A., P. Hale & R. Sweeting (eds), 2003. Macrophyte inventory of the river Danube: A pilot study. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Supplement “Large Rivers” 147 (1–2): 1–229

  • M. G. Kelly B. A. Whitton (1998) ArticleTitleBiological monitoring of eutrophication in rivers Hydrobiologia 384 55–67 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1003400910730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Kohler (1978) ArticleTitleMethoden der Kartierung von Flora und Vegetation von Süßwasserbiotopen Landschaft & Stadt 10 73–85

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Korte K. Weyer ParticleVan de (2005) ArticleTitleDie Bewertung von Fließgewässern mit Makrophyten gemäß EU-WRRL - Ergebnisse des Vergleichs von zwei Bewertungsverfahren Wasser und Abfall 9/2005 46–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Leyssen, A., P. Adriaens, L. Denys, J. Packet, A. Schneiders, K. van Looy & L. Vanhecke, 2005. Toepassing van verschillende biologische beoordelingssystemen op Vlaamse potentiële interkalibratielocaties overeenkomstig de Europese Kaderrichtlijn Water – partim “Macrofyten”. Instituut voor Natuurbehoud in opdracht van VMM, Brussels

  • P. Meilinger S. Schneider A. Melzer (2005) ArticleTitleThe reference index method for the macrophyte-based assessment of rivers – a contribution for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in Germany International Review of Hydrobiology 90 322–342 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXmtl2gsLc%3D Occurrence Handle10.1002/iroh.200410768

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pall, K., V. Moser, J. Schaumburg, C. Schranz, & P. Meilinger, 2005. Ergebnisse zur Interkalibrierung der Fließgewässerbewertung mit Makrophyten (Option 3: Vergleich Deutschland-Österreich). Oral presentation held at the conference of the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Limnologie” in Karlsruhe, 28 September 2005

  • E. C. Pielou (1966) ArticleTitleThe measurement of diversity in different types of biological collections Journal of Theoretical Biology 13 131–144 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0022-5193(66)90013-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pot, R., 2005. QBWat – ecologische beoordeling van waterkwaliteit conform de Europese Kaderrichtlijn Water. Version 1.01

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameSYSTAT Software Inc (2002) TableCurve 2D – Version 5.01 SSI Richmond CA

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Schaumburg C. Schranz J. Foerster A. Gutowski G. Hofmann P. Meilinger S. Schneider U Schmedtje (2004) ArticleTitleEcological classification of macrophytes and phytobenthos for rivers in Germany according to the Water Framework Directive Limnologica 34 283–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaumburg, J., U. Schmedtje, B. Köpf, C. Schranz, S. Schneider, P. Meilinger, D. Stelzer, G. Hofmann, A. Gutowski & J. Foerster, 2005. Makrophyten und Phytobenthos in Flüssen und Seen. Leitbildbezogenes Bewertungsverfahren zur Umsetzung der EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie. Informationsbericht Heft 1/05. Bayerisches Landesamt für Wasserwirtschaft, München

  • S. Schneider (2000) Entwicklung eines Makrophytenindex zur Trophieindikation in Fließgewässern Shaker Verlag Aachen

    Google Scholar 

  • C. E. Shannon W. Weaver (1949) Mathematical Theory of Communication University of Illinois Press Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • E. H. Simpson (1949) ArticleTitleMeasurement of diversity Nature 163 688

    Google Scholar 

  • V. Sládeček (1973) ArticleTitleSystem of water quality from the biological point of view Archiv für Hydrobiologie Beiheft Ergebnisse der Limnologie 7 1–218

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Szoszkiewicz T. Ferreira T. Korte A. Baattrup-Pedersen J. Davy-Bowker M. O’Hare (2006) ArticleTitleEuropean river plant communities: the importance of organic pollution and the usefulness of existing macrophyte metrics Hydrobiologia 566 211–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Van de Weyer, K., 2003. Kartieranleitung zur Erfassung und Bewertung der aquatischen Makrophyten der Fließgewässer in Nordrhein-Westfalen gemäß den Vorgaben der EU-Wasser-Rahmenrichtlinie. LUA-Merkblätter Nr. 39. Landesumweltamt (LUA) NRW, Düsseldorf

  • Van den Berg, M. S., H. C. Coops, R. Pot, W. Altenburg, R. Nijboer, T. v. d. Broek, M. Fagel, G. Arts, R. Bijkerk, H. v. Dam, T. Ietswaart, J. v. d. Molen, K. Wolfstein, D. d. Jong & H. Hartholt, 2004. Achtergronddocument referenties en maatlatten waterflora. RIZA, Lelystad

  • D. T. Molen Particlevan der M. Beers M. S. v. d. Berg T. v. d. Broek R. Buskens H. C. Coops H. v. Dam G. Duursema M. Fagel T. Ietswaart M. Klinge R. A. E. Knoben J. Kranenbarg J. d. Leeuw R. Noordhuis R. C. Nijboer R. Pot P. F. M. Verdonschot T. Vriese (2004) Referenties en maatlatten voor rivieren ten behoeve van de Kaderrichtlijn Water – version July 2004 Alterra Wageningen

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Wiegleb (1988) Analysis of flora and vegetation in rivers: concepts and applications J. J. Symoens (Eds) Vegetation of Inland Waters Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht 311–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiegleb, G., 1991. Die Lebens- und Wuchsformen der makrophytischen Wasserpflanzen und deren Beziehung zur Ökologie, Verbreitung und Vergesellschaftung der Arten Tuexenia 11: 135–147

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrobiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45117, Essen, Germany

    Sebastian Birk, Thomas Korte & Daniel Hering

Authors
  1. Sebastian Birk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas Korte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel Hering
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sebastian Birk.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Birk, S., Korte, T. & Hering, D. Intercalibration of assessment methods for macrophytes in lowland streams: direct comparison and analysis of common metrics. Hydrobiologia 566, 417–430 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0080-9

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0080-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation