Abstract
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires river assessment systems based on benthic invertebrates. The AQEM project is developing, at a European scale, such a methodology, based on a comparison of communities of reference streams and degraded streams. The project is focussing on three main impact types: morphological degradation, organic pollution and acidification.
This paper presents the outline of the AQEM project with special emphasis on:
- an overview of assessment systems with benthic invertebrates presently applied in Europe
- an overview of stream typology approaches in Europe
- the selection process of the stream types investigated in AQEM
- the criteria used to select reference sites
- the design of the sampling programme
- the microhabitat-based sampling method applied in AQEM
- the links and possibilities of integration between AQEM and existing assessment systems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 345-361 |
Journal | International Review of Hydrobiology |
Volume | 88 |
Issue number | 3/4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2003 |
Keywords
- river habitat survey
- running-water sites
- classification
- assemblages
- prediction