Using generic environmental indicators as part of the ...lagis koreni 0.0089 phyllodoce mucosa...

Using generic environmental indicators

as part of the alien species

assessment tool box

under the different EU Directives.

21/11/2013, NIS conference

Gert Van Hoey, Kris Hostens

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Animal Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be

Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Nature Directives

2

Water Framework Directive

Improving the health of the marine ecosystem

Nature Directives

3

Increasing amount of human induced pressures

http://visserijnieuws.punt.nl/index.php?foto=true&id=314027&fgroep=16166

Sednet,

Lisbon

2013

I don’t like the fishermen, but

could I be friends with the aliens?

Alien species

5

Alien species (syn: non-native, non-indigenous, foreign, exotic,

introduced) - a species, subspecies or lower taxon (such as a variety,

race, provenance or stock), introduced outside its natural past or

present distribution; includes any part, gametes, seeds, eggs, or

propagules of such species that might survive and subsequently

reproduce (COP 6, decision VI/23)

These species negatively affect biological diversity and as a

consequence, also affect human and animal health and production in

agriculture and fisheries.

EU member state policy: Invasive species strategy

Alien species

6

A key component is the establishment and maintenance of a

national alien species database.

National: http://ias.biodiversity.be

List of Alien species in the Belgian Marine Waters available at

VLIZ (http://www.vliz.be/): Checklist for aquatic alien species in

the Belgian part of the North Sea and adjacent estuaries.

http://ias.biodiversity.be/

7

64 observed alien

species (3% of BERMS

species list)

A lot of arthropods and

molluscs.

Still a strong increase

in new observations

Sednet,

Lisbon

2013

Being on a list is one thing, but does it mean that they really disturb

our community?

Nature Directives

9

Water Framework Directive

They include the assessment of alien species in one or another way.

Nature Directives

10

Alien species are considered as a

pressure

Non-indigenous species is a

descriptor Realization

Challenge May not be present at high status

Measures to remove or reduce the

impact are scarce

Measures to remove or reduce the

impact are scarce

Way to go Research has to focus on the effect of alien species (function, niche) on

the ecosystem

Prevention of further invasions by early warning systems (precautionary

principle)

Nature Directives

11

Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous

species

Indicators for Belgium:

Introduction of new by human introduced non-indigenous species

macrofauna and flora (>1mm)

compared to the initial assessment

(2012) need to be avoided.

The releative abundance of the

invasive species Ensis directus

within muddy sand and Crepidula

fornicate in soft and hard substrates

does not increase.

No expliciet assessment

A significant invasive alien

species pressure should affect

the ecological status

Need to be detected by the

generic status assessments, or

lower the status when an

invasive alien species is

present (Vandekerkhove et al.,

2013)

Not mentioned

May not influence the

conservation objectives

WFD

12

Sednet,

Lisbon

2013

When should a manager get worried about my

alien friends?

Generic indicator: BEQI

14

As shown within the WFD, generic status assessments can pick up the consequences

of invasive species pressures.

Generic indicators from other descriptors within MSFD (biodiversity, sea floor

integrity, …)

E.g. the Benthic indicator BEQI (benthic ecosystem quality index) (www.beqi.eu):

- It is a generic benthic indicator used in Belgium under the WFD and MSFD for

assessing the status of soft-bottom habitats.

- This method evaluates the current status compared to a defined ‘reference’ state

within habitat/water body

- Consists of 3 levels:

-Ecosystem level: Relation primary production/benthic biomass - Habitat level: Area surface habitats / eco-elements

- Community level: Evaluation of the benthic community within a habitat based on density,

biomass, number of species and species composition (similarity)

http://www.beqi.eu/

Example 1: Ensis directus

15

2009 Density

surface value score status Ensis directus

density 3,80 3206 0,476 Moderate 452

similarity 3,80 0,61 0,439 Moderate

species 3,80 78 0,526 Moderate

average of parameters 0,480 Moderate

density 2,10 3061 0,000 Bad 1502


species 2,10 45 0,700 Good

average of parameters 0,393 Poor

density 1,80 5059 0,841 High 766




density 1,40 2677,1 0,000 Bad 2081


species 1,40 47 0,820 High


density 0,50 322 0,968 High 142


species 0,50 20 0,689 Good

average of parameters 0,733 Good

density 1,20 695 0,998 High 133



average of parameters 0,667 Good

Zon

e 1

Nephtys

cirro

sa

Macoma

balthic

a

Zon

e 3

Abra

alb

aNephtys

cirro

sa

Zon

e 2

parameterAssessment EQR

Habitats

Abra

alb

aNephtys

cirro

sa

Increase of status

Ensis directus

Invader has a bad

influence on

habitat density

Status Belgian Coast 2009


16

Bray Curtis similarity calculations

CONTRIBUTING SPECIES to parameter SIMILARITY

Species name Contr. dissimil.

ensis 0.0126 spio filicornis 0.0099

spiophanes bombyx 0.0091

lagis koreni 0.0089

phyllodoce mucosa 0.0087

spio martinensis 0.0083

magelona 0.0079

phyllodoce laminosa 0.0071

spisula subtruncata 0.0071

phyllodoce groenlandica 0.0065

----------------------------------------------------------------

Similarity EQR No. of species EQR Density EQR Biomass EQR Final EQR

MODERATE (0.432) MODERATE (0.530) GOOD (0.15) POOR (0.000) 0.394

2002 - 2004

Bad Poor Moderate Good High Bad Poor Moderate Good High

0.769 0.486 0.243 EQR scores 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0

EQR score: 0.432

1 0 0.729

Assessment : 0.54

Reference values

1 0.4 0.2 0 0

shift

Status Dutch Coast 2002-2004

Van Hoey et al., 2007


17

Similarity EQR No. of species EQR Density EQR Biomass EQR Final EQR

MODERATE (0.432) MODERATE (0.530) GOOD (0.15) POOR (0.000) 0.394

SPECIES SCORING HIGHEST ABSOLUTE BIOMASS DIFFERENCES WITH

REFERENCE

Species name biomass diff. ASS.biom REF.biom

Ensis (2002-2004) 190.2379 190.9609 0.7229 echinocardium cordatum 5.3074 8.7154 3.4080

lanice conchilega 4.6229 5.4674 0.8444

donax vitatus 1.1317 1.1317 0.0000

nephtys assimilis 0.2932 0.2932 0.0000

.....

spisula subtruncata -8.1498 1.0850 9.2348

macoma balthica -2.7655 0.6360 3.4016

magelona -2.0719 0.1641 2.2360

nephtys hombergii -1.0027 0.3829 1.3856

tellina fabula -0.5890 1.4257 2.0147

Contribution of Ensis to biomass in other years:

Ensis (1999-2001) 3.9570 4.6800 0.7229 (position 2)

Ensis (1996-1998) 28.0477 28.7707 0.7229 (position 1)

Ensis (1993-1995) 0.1467 0.6745 0.7229 (position 7)

2002 - 2004

Ensis biomass

0

50

100

150

200

250

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

ref 1993-1995 1996-1998 1999-2001 2002-2004

value (g/m²)

EQR

Parameter biomass



Ensis stock along the Dutch Coast.

Example 2: Crassostrea gigas Evaluated at level 2 (habitat)

as eco-element

Occurs in Oosterscheldt and Waddensea

in concurrence with mussel beds

The extent of Crassostrea banks can be negatively evaluated

(further increase of surface area reduces the ecological status)

e.g. the eco-element maps of the Oosterscheldt, with in blue the mussel aquaculture

areas and in red the Crassostrea gigas banks


Example 3: Marenzelleria viridis

- Marenzellaria viridis invasion detected mainly

by biomass parameter

- Less by density and similarity

- Overall not really detected, due to high EQR of

number of species

Van Hoey et

al., 2007

Example 4: New alien species

New taxa (species) arriving in the system (compared to the reference

species list) will be listed by the analyses of the parameter ‘number of

species'.

- Alien species

- Latitudinal shifts due to climate

- New insights in taxonomy

- Accidental species (e.g.

characteristic for other habitat,

sampling strategy)

Sednet,

Lisbon

2013

So what?

Conclusion

The examples show that it is not easy to pick up signals on newly

arrived alien species, but that patterns in invasive alien species can be

closely followed.

BEQI-approach helpful tool in evaluating the presence and impact

gradient of alien species:

• Invasive alien species: effect on density, biomass and similarity

• New alien species will appear in the analysis of number of species

• Habitat structuring alien species (Crassostrea giga): surface area

The monitoring and indicator assessment running for all the generic

indicators can assist the assessment of alien species, as required in

descriptor 2 of the MSFD.

Sednet,

Lisbon

2013

Take the right decisions for my alien friends…

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Animal Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be

Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Pictures from:

Karl Van Ginderdeuren and Hans Hillewaert

References:

- Vandekerkhove J., Cardoso A.C., Boon P.J., 2013. Is there a need for a more explicit accounting of invasive alien species under the Water

Framework Directive ? Management of Biological Invasions 4(1): 25-36.

- Van Hoey, G., Drent, J., Ysebaert, T., Herman, P., 2007. The Benthic Ecosystem quality index (BEQI), intercalibration and assessment of

Dutch coastal and transitional waters for the Water Framework Directive. NIOO-CEME report 2007-02, 242pp

- Van Hoey, Gert; Borja, Angel; Birchenough, Silvana; Degraer, Steven; Fleischer, Dirk; Kerckhof, Francis; Magni, Paolo; Buhl-Mortensen,

Lene; Muxika, Iñigo; Reiss, Henning; Schröder, Alexander; Zettler, Michael, 2010. The use of benthic indicators in Europe: from the

Water Framework Directive to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60: 2187-2196

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