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 an other based on trophic ranking (LEAFPACS method). The methods were tested at Europe-wide, regional and national scale as well as by alkalinity category, using 1147 lakes from twelve European states and compared for the regional levels. Definition of boundaries for grouping species as sensitive, tolerant or indifferent to a change in trophic status can be facilitated by assessing the (non-linear) response of well known individual species or groups of species along a phosphorous gradient, such as Chara spp. and large isoetids. In total 48 taxa out of 114 taxa were classified identical 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 are evaluated differently according to the database selection and classification methods.

PENNING Ellis;  DUDLEY Bernard;  MJELDE Marit;  HELLSTEN Seppo;  HANGANU Jenica;  KOLADA Agniezska;  VAN DEN BERG Marcel;  POIKANE Sandra;  PHILLIPS Geoff;  WILLBY Nigel;  ECKE Frauke; 

2009-01-19

SPRINGER

JRC48487

1386-2588,   

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r713nlwp554l6467/?p=7a7a5dfd437243718bfc00387033de75&pi=6,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC48487,   

10.1007/s10452-008-9183-x,