Page 185 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

Other evidence Other evidence

Reporting

Data analysis Data
biotic indices analysis &
& status diagnosis
classification
Compliance
Laboratory with Programme Laboratory
analysis Surveillance objectives of measures analysis
and PASS FAIL Investigative
operational monitoring
monitoring

Field Field
Field
monitoring
monitoring monitoring
and data
and data Review Review and data
collection collection
collection

WFD status classification Non-classification

Figure 4.1
Other investigative methods – the investigative monitoring cycle and its relation to the surveillance and operational monitoring cycle

The aim of investigative monitoring is to identify the causes understand the mechanisms by which environmental
of failures to meet environmental objectives, including their pressures affect ecology, including ecosystem function,
location, and to help develop appropriate programmes of responses to particular pressures and effects on
measures to restore quality. Investigations are also used population sizes.
to measure the impacts of pollution and other incidents so
that they can be stopped or controlled, and this includes When a programme of measures has been identified, the
collecting evidence for legal action where environmental site will enter operational monitoring, to check that the
laws have been broken. management measures have the desired effect and that
compliance with the environmental quality objectives
In addition, investigations are used to assess the quality has been achieved. This may run parallel with the
of environments or biotas for which formal classification investigational monitoring described here.
methods have not been developed and to help us to

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