Classifying aquatic macrophytes as indicators of eutrophication in European lakes

Aquatic macrophytes are one of the biological quality elements in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) for which status assessments must be defined. We tested two methods to classify macrophyte species and their response to eutrophication pressure: one based on percentiles of occurrence along a phosphorous gradient and another based on trophic ranking of species using Canonical Correspondence Analyses in the ranking procedure. The methods were tested at Europe-wide, regional and national scale as well as by alkalinity category, using 1,147 lakes from 12 European states. The grouping of species as sensitive, tolerant or indifferent to eutrophication was evaluated for some taxa, such as the sensitive Chara spp. and the large isoetids, by analysing the (non-linear) response curve along a phosphorous gradient. These thresholds revealed in these response curves can be used to set boundaries among different ecological status classes. In total 48 taxa out of 114 taxa were classified identically regardless of dataset or classification method. These taxa can be considered the most consistent and reliable indicators of sensitivity or tolerance to eutrophication at European scale. Although the general response of well known indicator species seems to hold, there are many species that were evaluated differently according to the database selection and classification methods. This hampers a Europe-wide comparison of classified species lists as used for the status assessment within the WFD implementation process.     

First steps in the Central-Baltic intercalibration exercise on lake macrophytes: where do we start?

The Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000) defines macrophytes as one of the biological groups required for the ecological assessment of European surface waters. Several indices for macrophyte assessment have been proposed or are currently in use by different European states. As a first step towards performing an intercalibration of these indices a common dataset was developed. This dataset contains abundance data on 789 macrophyte species from 316 different lake sites in ten European countries. Various common species and genera were identified as indicators of reference and impacted conditions within the dataset. Cluster analysis of macrophyte data, supported by non-metric multidimensional scaling, indicated that clusters formed were more reflective of their source country rather than lake type. This might be caused by differences in regional climate, biogeography, monitoring techniques, or a combination of these factors. A total of six national indices were applied to assign quality classes to the lakes. However, this produced results that often differed by one or two quality classes for the same site. We foresee that a more precise intercalibration exercise is necessary, and it should be based on more detailed data considering both seasonality and the latitudinal differences within the area covered.     

Lipopolysaccharide-induced release of arachidonic acid and prostaglandins in liver macrophages: regulation by Group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2, but not by Group V and Group IIA secretory phospholipase A2.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces a delayed release (lag phase of 2-4 h) of arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin (PG) D2 in rat liver macrophages. Group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) becomes phosphorylated within minutes after the addition of LPS. The phosphorylated form of cPLA2 shows an enhanced in vitro activity. The Ca2+ dependence of cPLA2 activity is not affected by phosphorylation of the enzyme. In addition, LPS induces an enhanced expression of cPLA2 mRNA (after 2-4 h) and an enhanced expression of cPLA2 protein (after 8 h). The cellular cPLA2 activity is enhanced about twofold 24 h after LPS treatment. Liver macrophages constitutively express mRNAs encoding Groups V and IIA secretory PLA2 (sPLA2). LPS has no effect on the levels of Groups V and IIA sPLA2 mRNA expression. Despite mRNA expression, Groups V and IIA sPLA2 protein and sPLA2 activity are not detectable in unstimulated or LPS-stimulated liver macrophages. Collectively, these and earlier [Mediators Inflammation 8 (1999) 295.] results suggest that in liver macrophages the LPS-induced delayed release of AA and prostanoids is mediated by phosphorylation and an enhanced expression of cPLA2, a de novo expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, but not by the actions of Group V or Group IIA sPLA2.     

Sampling techniques and inter-surveyor variability as sources of uncertainty in Polish macrophyte metric for lake ecological status assessment

According to the Water Framework Directive, the results of the ecological status assessment should be accompanied with estimates of the level of confidence and precision of the determination. The Polish macrophyte-based method for lake assessment (Ecological State Macrophyte Index, ESMI) was tested for its uncertainty. The data from 12 lakes surveyed using four modifications of the sampling procedure, different numbers of transects and by two or three independent surveyors were analysed and the risk of misclassification was estimated. The choice of the sampling technique had no effect on abundance parameters (C _max and %cover), but it affected significantly the taxonomic composition indices (H and J′). It did not influence, however, the final assessment result, since in all the methods used, the ESMI values were comparable and showed no significant differences of means. Although the mean ESMI values were statistically indifferent and gave the same assessment result irrespective of the number of transects surveyed, the lower the number of transects, the higher the SD value and the more uncertain the assessment result. The risk of misclassification of the 12 lakes varied from 0.5% to over 40% depending on the sampling standard deviation value and the proximity of the index observed value to the class boundary.     

Ecological status assessment of European lakes: a comparison of metrics for phytoplankton, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish

Data on phytoplankton, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish from more than 2000 lakes in 22 European countries were used to develop and test metrics for assessing the ecological status of European lakes as required by the Water Framework Directive. The strongest and most sensitive of the 11 metrics responding to eutrophication pressure were phytoplankton chlorophyll a, a taxonomic composition trophic index and a functional traits index, the macrophyte intercalibration taxonomic composition metric and a Nordic lake fish index. Intermediate response was found for a cyanobacterial bloom intensity index (Cyano), the Ellenberg macrophyte index and a multimetric index for benthic invertebrates. The latter also responded to hydromorphological pressure. The metrics provide information on primary and secondary impacts of eutrophication in the pelagic and the littoral zone of lakes. Several of these metrics were used as common metrics in the intercalibration of national assessment systems or have been incorporated directly into the national systems. New biological metrics have been developed to assess hydromorphological pressures, based on aquatic macrophyte responses to water level fluctuations, and on macroinvertebrate responses to morphological modifications of lake shorelines. These metrics thus enable the quantification of biological impacts of hydromorphological pressures in lakes.     

Measurements of uncertainty in macrophyte metrics used to assess European lake water quality

Uncertainty is an important factor in ecological assessment, and has important implications for the ecological classification and management of lakes. However, our knowledge of the effects of uncertainty in the assessment of different ecological indicators is limited. Here, we used data from a standardized campaign of aquatic plant surveys, in 28 lakes from 10 European countries, to assess variation in macrophyte metrics across a set of nested spatial scales: countries, lakes, sampling stations, replicate transects, and replicate samples at two depth-zones. Metrics investigated in each transect included taxa richness, maximum depth of colonisation and two indicators of trophic status: Ellenberg’s N and a metric based on phosphorus trophic status. Metrics were found to have a slightly stronger relationship to pressures when they were calculated on abundance data compared to presence/absence data. Eutrophication metrics based on helophytes were found not to be useful in assessing the effects of nutrient pressure. These metrics were also found to vary with the depth of sampling, with shallower taxa representing higher trophic status. This study demonstrates the complex spatial variability in macrophyte communities, the effect of this variability on the metrics, and the implications to water managers, especially in relation to survey design.     

Global patterns in the metacommunity structuring of lake macrophytes: regional variations and driving factors

Oecologia - We studied community–environment relationships of lake macrophytes at two metacommunity scales using data from 16 regions across the world. More specifically, we examined (a)...