Methodology for freshwater ecosystem preservation
In the past, freshwater systems were tested on how well they perform functionally and thus only structural information was used as criteria. As a result of this limitation, long-term effects of the harm caused to freshwater ecosystems were not suitably monitored. The TARGET project has developed an integrated set of tools, which complement the already existing procedures for assessing river quality. But they are capable of much more than that. The in situ bioassay tools supply information regarding the condition of the ecological processes in water ecosystems, which play a vital role in assessment. Furthermore, they furnish a reference database for determining the quality of the ecological targets. The on-line database permits additional users to provide necessary information in order for assessment of the freshwater ecosystem to take place. It can also selectively pull and transfer all the gathered data for further analysis and use. The tools implemented consist of two types of bioassays that were applied in three ecoregions, including Portugal, The Netherlands and the UK. These were first tested in field sites without any present contaminants in order to increase the biological relevance of the bioassays. In addition to the database, mathematical models were created to ensure validation. Seasonal preparation of in situ tests was executed at least twice at selected sites to acquire insight into temporal variability in response. Environmental information was collected for each site and data was stored in a standard database format. A group of water managers from local, regional and /or national organisations was founded to tests the sites and supply data along with their expertise. Future plans for implementing the tools include applying the approaches to other systems such as marine and lake environments and refining methodologies concerning complicated issues regarding ecological unity of systems. Those involved in management decision-making in both local and national environmental agencies should find this methodology useful for pollution control and assuring river basin quality.
