Report on Harmonisation of freshwater biological methods

Table 1. European methods for monitoring and assessment of macrophytes in watercourses.Method Country ReferenceWFD method for macrophytes Austria no referenceMacrophyte monitoring Denmark Skriver 1999Macrophyte monitoring Estonia no referenceIndice Biologique Macrophytes en RivièreAFNOR (Association FrançaiseFrance(I.B.M.R.)de Normalisation) 2002PHYLIB Germany Schaumburg et al. 2004Method for the survey of aquaticmacrophytes in running watersLatvia Cimdins et al. 1995KRW-Maatlatten for Aquatic FloraTheNetherlandsMolen et al. 2004Macrophyte assessment Norway no referenceMacrophyte monitoringMean Trophic Ranking (MTR)SwedenUnitedKingdomSwedish EnvironmentalProtection Agency 2000Holmes et al. 199932. Composition and abundance of in-stream macrophytes are recorded in the field byvisual inspection from the banks or by wading in the stream. Larger watercourses areinvestigated by boat or diving. In some countries aqua-scopes are employed, whichare specifically designed tools to survey the plant growth underneath the watersurface. Rakes or grapnels are used to remove macrophytes for abundance estimationor further taxonomic identification.33. Sampling area differs between individual methods. In the Nordic countriesseparate transects of 0.25 * 0.25 m² are sampled. The French and Latvian methodsspecify to survey an area of at least 100 m². Other schemes prescribe the investigationof stream reaches of 100 m or 500 m.34. Latvia and Norway follow the standard EN 14184:2003 Water quality: Guidancestandard for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters.35. Most commonly macrophytes are identified to species level, which is usually donein the field. Uncertain identifications are verified in the laboratory by referring toherbarium species.36. Two different schemes to record macrophyte abundance are in use. In mostcountries the relative coverage of the macrophyte community is measured. Methodsapplied in Austria and Germany specify the ‘plant mass estimate’ which accounts forthe three-dimensional extension of the plant stand. In both options abundance is74