HR: 14:00h
AN: NB13D-03 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: The use of Reference Conditions in European Bioassessment and Restoration of Inland Waters.
AU: * Johnson, R K
EM: richard.johnson@ma.slu.se
AF: Department of Environmental Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, uppsala, SE-75007 Sweden
AB: The landscape of much of Europe has been altered for centuries, rendering the identification of pristine or even minimally disturbed ecosystems difficult in many regions. Recognising that aquatic resources are deteriorating at an alarming rate, the European Community recently agreed on a set of measures to retain and restore the integrity of inland waters. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is unique in many respects. For example, cognisant that present-day environmental problems require a more holistic approach to ecosystem management, the Directive has shifted focus from individual sites (lakes or river stretches) to viewing aquatic ecosystems more holistically and interconnected, thereby recognising that aquatic ecosystems are nested within and an integral part of the landscape. This view is clearly manifested in that catchment planning and management plans (aka River Basin Management Plans) are an intricate part of the WFD. This talk will review some of the advancements that have been made in European assessment of inland waters, with focus on: (i) the methods currently used to establish reference conditions, (ii) the challenging aspect of identifying reference conditions for a wide variety of ecosystem types, and (iii) the use of reference conditions for establishing restoration targets in a changing environment.
DE: 4239 Limnology
DE: 4804 Benthic processes/benthos
DE: 4815 Ecosystems, structure and dynamics
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly