10.5061/DRYAD.H3TS8
Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette
Aarhus University
Göthe, Emma
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Aarhus University
Riis, Tenna
Aarhus University
Andersen, Dagmar K.
Aarhus University
Larsen, Søren E.
Aarhus University
Data from: A new paradigm for biomonitoring: an example building on the
Danish Stream Plant Index
Dryad
dataset
2017
2017-10-10T00:00:00Z
2017-10-10T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.12676
1381599 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Despite intensive efforts for more than a decade to develop Water
Framework-compliant assessment systems, shortcomings continue to appear.
In particular, the lack of reference conditions has hindered the
development of assessment systems capturing the heart of the Water
Framework Directive (WFD) – that ecological status should be set as the
deviation from the natural, undisturbed condition. Recently, the Danish
Stream Plant Index (DSPI) was developed. This system contrasts existing
systems in that it builds on an expert interpretation of the normative
definitions of ecological status classes in the WFD without taking
pressure–impact relationships into account. Here, we substantiate the
approach taken in the development of DSPI and examine whether the DSPI
class decreases with increasing level of anthropogenic stress and,
additionally, whether the deviation from the natural undisturbed condition
increases with decreasing DSPI class sensu WFD using trait composition of
plant assemblages from Danish streams around year 1900 as a reference. We
furthermore examine the trait composition of the vegetation in sites
classified into different DSPI status classes to explore whether
predictable patterns exist that can be used to identify the ultimate
cause(s) of failure to meet ecological goals and help guide the selection
of appropriate mitigation measures. We observed that DSPI declined with
several parameters indicative of environmental stress in Danish streams
and, furthermore, that the deviation from the natural undisturbed
condition regarding the trait composition of plant communities declined
with increasing DSPI, implying that the trait composition of plant
communities in the high DSPI status class was most similar to those
occurring in Danish streams around year 1900. We also found that trait
characteristics capable of disentangling important stressors in Danish
streams varied consistently among sites classified into different DSPI
classes. Based on our findings, we call for new thinking. We suggest that
more effort should be directed at describing reference conditions and
interpreting the normative definitions of good, moderate, poor and bad
instead of focusing solely on developing assessment systems using
pressure–impact frameworks. We find this particularly important with
respect to streams as these are seldom impacted by only a single stressor.
Baattrup-Pedersen et al._DVPI_PHYS AND CHEM_MEE2016DVPI and physical and
chemical dataBaattrup-Pedersen et al._DVPI_CWM_MEE2016DVPI and plant trait
characteristics