Page 19 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

Aim of the Freshwater Biology and Ecology Handbook

This handbook aims to give access to the key The handbook provides an insight into the work needed
development work and technical documentation by regulatory and monitoring organisations to provide
supporting the introduction of the Water Framework robust evidence of the condition of rivers and lakes, and
Directive in Europe. the certainty required to drive the investment needed
to protect and improve water resources. The key WFD
The European ecological and biological methods and principles apply to all river basins but may need to be
datasets have been developed over the past 30 years and modified and recalibrated to meet the specific geographic
have been brought into alignment to meet the needs of and ecological situations found in specific river basins.
the WFD.
The handbook focuses on ecological methods applicable
European Water Framework Directive Guidance can to surface waters – primarily, rivers. Similar principles
be broadly separated into trans-European Common can be applied to lakes, transitional waters and marine
Implementation Strategy (CIS) guidance, Member State monitoring, but these are beyond the scope of this book.
or national guidance, environment agency/competent Groundwater is also an important water resource, but
authority implementation guidance and field instructions, the general absence of animal and plant ecosystems
and this is how the guidance is presented here. In addition, in underground systems mean that chemical and
examples of the use of ecological and biological quantitative methods are generally used to assess
information for reporting and public information are given. quality and yield in groundwater.

Aim

To provide open and structured access to biological

and ecological methods and guidance needed to

improve and accelerate the protection of river health

in the UK, EU and overseas.

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