WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms, streams and lakes Maria Kahlert, SLU WATERS is coordinated by WATERS is financed by AARHUS AU UNIVERSITY Hafok AB
WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms Diatom method in Sweden only streams Main indices IPS ACID Acidity Eutrophication & Organic pollution Additional indices TDI %PT Eutrophication Organic pollution Used for classifica.on of water quality status Used for assessment of acidity IPS: Indice de Polluo- sensibilité Spécifique (Cemagref 1982) %PT: PolluDon Tolerant Valves (Kelly 1998) TDI: Trophic Diatom Index (Kelly 2008) ACID: ACidity Index for Diatoms (Andrén & Jarlman 2008)
Aim: to keep the existing method, but develop missing parts
Tasks WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms Main objectives To validate existing and develop new stream indices for eutrophication, acidification, alterations of hydromorphology and forestry To quantify the uncertainty associated with the use of benthic diatom metrics To develop a diatom lake method To test the use of other benthic algal variables, in a cost-effective way, such as the use of pigment data, for assessing ecological status 4.3.1 Review of methods done (report) 4.3.2 Compilation of data done until 2009 4.3.3 Indicator development and improvement ongoing 4.3.4 Uncertainty planned for the last 2 years of 4.3.5 Integrated assessment WATERS new data continuously with gradient study data in collaboration with the project Delprogram kiselalger & SLUs FoMA
Lake method finished 2012 = stream method WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms done/plans Review of method (Kahlert 2011a, b) 2013 Broströmmen /Dalälven Validation: existing diatom method works well Preliminary for assessment of eutrophication, organic index for pollution and acidity toxic Gaps: substances method for lakes and for toxic substances finished 2012 information on small-scale variation (uncertainty) Collection of rare monitoring/information on certain stream stream sites types: small, high altitude, polluted, acid 2010 - ongoing (especially ph 5.5-6.2), alkaline (ph > 8), nutrient rich (especially in northern Sweden) Benthic algal biomass monitoring/information on biomass, BenthoTorch production and ecosystem functioning of 2010, 2012/13 non-diatom algae
7800000 7600000 7400000 7200000 7000000 6800000 y 6600000 6400000 6200000 6000000 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 1200 1250 Tot-P [µg/l] Fig. 1. Geografisk fördelning av vattendrag med kiselalgsprovtagningar sedan år 2000 (n=1521). Ekologiskt status (klassade med kiselalgsindex): hög, god, måttlig, otillfredsställande, dålig. Fig. 2. Geografisk fördelning av vattendrag med kiselalgsprovtagningar sedan år 2000 (n=1521). Surhetsgrupp (klassade med kiselalgsindex): alkaliskt, nära neutralt, måttligt surt, surt, mycket surt.
WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms Publications Kahlert M. (2011a). Framtagande av gemensamt delprogram Kiselalger i vattendrag : Underlag för utformning av övervakningsprogram och verifiering av kiselalgsindex. Länsstyrelsen i Blekinge, Rapport 2011:6, 62 pp. http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/blekinge/sv/publikationer/rapporter/2011/pages/rapport-20116.aspx Kahlert M. (2011b). Jämförande test av kiselalgers och bottenfaunas lämplighet som indikatorer för närsaltshalt och surhet inom miljömålsuppföljningen. Länsstyrelsen i Blekinge, Rapport 2011:5, 74 pp. http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/blekinge/sv/publikationer/rapporter/2011/pages/rapport%202011%207.aspx Kahlert, M. (2012). Utveckling av en miljögiftsindikator kiselalger i rinnande vatten. Länsstyrelsen Blekinge län, Karlskrona, Report 2012:12, 40 pp. http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/blekinge/sv/publikationer/rapporter/2012/pages/201212.aspx Gottschalk, S. & Kahlert, M. (2012). Shifts in taxonomical and guild composition of littoral diatom assemblages along environmental gradients. Hydrobiologia 694: 41-56. DOI 10.1007/s10750-012-1128-7 Kahlert, M. & Gottschalk, S. 2009. Kiselalger som indikatorer i sjöar. Sötvatten 16-19 Kahlert, M. & Gottschalk, S. Benthic diatom communities in lakes and streams of Sweden why are they different, and does it matter for monitoring? Submitted to Freshwater Science. Kelly M., Urbanic G., Acs E., Denys L.,Kahlert M., Karjalainen S., Kennedy B., Marchetto A., Morin S., Picinska- Fałtynowicz J., Schoenfelder J.; Schoenfelder I. Comparing aspirations: intercalibration of ecological status concepts across Europe using littoral diatoms. Manuscript.
WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms Development within WATERS Aim: to keep the existing method, but develop missing parts, as Lake method Method for toxic substances Relate existing indices to significant changes in reference communities according to the WFD (eventually for different stream types or ecoregions) Separate natural nutrient rich sites from eutrophicated ones Adjust index values for certain diatom taxa to improve IPS Enhance harmonized diatom analysis by workshops and use of DynTAXA with pictures and explanations to minimize the largest error of the method Uncertainty analysis with inclusion of additional indices in analysis Include biomass, production and ecosystem functioning of non-diatom algae (according to the WFD)?
WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms plans 2013 Gradient study 2012/2013 Impact of hydromorphology and forestry on diatoms and other benthic algae BenthoTorch measurements on entire community Comparison with other indicators Include data later than 2009 in a more complete validation Validate index for toxins with experimental analyses Multivariate analysis of Swedish Diatom communities: Reference communities in different stream types and main factors and thresholds impacting diatoms
WP 4.3 Benthic diatoms nuvarande indikatorer enligt gällande bedömningsgrund pågående arbete i WATERS i förhållande till nuvarande indikatorer; sker vidareutveckling av befintliga indikatorer eller nyutveckling av indikatorer? varför? några ord om riktning för nya indikatorer;