River Invertebrate Classification
Tool
WFD72C
June 2008
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background to research
The Regulatory Agencies in the UK (the Environment Agency; Scottish
Environment Protection Agency; and the Environment & Heritage
Service) currently use RIVPACS III+ software to classify the ecological
quality of rivers. However, because RIVPACS III+ pre-dates the WFD,
there has been a requirement to ensure that the RIVPACS reference sites
are fully WFD compliant, to add new biotic indices to the RIVPACS
models, and to improve the robustness of the RIVPACS software to fully
meet the needs of the Agencies in their delivery of WFD monitoring.
These issues have been addressed in this project and have led to the
development of new RIVPACS IV predictive models that will be programmed
into a new River Invertebrate Classification Tool being built by SEPA.
This new system will be based on a modern software programming
language, be compatible with the agencies’ computer systems
and include the ability to predict new biological indices, produce
biological status assessments based on these new indices and be able to
estimate the errors involved in using these new indices. Because access
to the new system will be essential for the UK Agencies to be able to
implementation the WFD, the new tool will be readily and freely
available to anyone who might seek to use it.
Objectives of research
- The overall objective of the project was to produce a new
set of RIVPACS predictive models for use within a new River
Invertebrate Classification Tool that will be used to classify the
ecological status of rivers for Water Framework Directive compliance
monitoring
- The new RIVPACS models constructed with this project
required considerably enhanced functionality compared to RIVPACS III+
to properly address the monitoring requirements of the UK Agencies in
their implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Key findings and
recommendations
This project has produced new RIVPACS IV models with considerably
enhanced functionality compared to RIVPACS III+. These models
incorporate:
- A full revision of the taxonomic framework of RIVPACS to
bring the taxonomy up-to-date and enable compatibility across
the revised Maitland, Furse code and National Biodiversity Network
taxon coding systems used across the UK Agencies and beyond
- Predictions that fully satisfy the WFD definition of
‘reference condition’ by adjusting predictions for
certain stream types and by removal of sites that were not in reference
condition when sampled
- Allocation of actual abundance values to family level
records in the RIVPACS reference data set. Lack of actual abundance
data, especially at family level, has affected all versions of RIVPACS
and has constrained the types of biotic indices that RIVPACS can predict
- Extension to the suite of biotic indices so that the new
system can predict a wider range of reference state
“expected” index values. This enables full WFD
quality reporting capabilities as well as providing the system with the
general functionality to predict a much wider range of indices e.g.
intercalibration indices, stress-specific indices, and ecological and
functional trait indices
- Extension of the uncertainty/errors module to estimate and
assess uncertainty in (i) assignment to status class and (ii)
comparison of samples for temporal change in quality and status. This
needs to be done for a wider range of biotic indices (including those
incorporating abundance data)
These new RIVPACS IV models can be used by the UK Agencies across Great
Britain and Northern Ireland in their WFD compliance monitoring. All of
the algorithms, variables and data necessary to build these models have
been provided to SEPA for programming into a new River Invertebrate
Classification Tool that will be disseminated free of charge to all
interested users
Key words: RIVPACS IV, River Invertebrate Classification Tool, Water
Framework Directive
Copies of this report are available from the Foundation, in electronic
format on CDRom at £20.00 + VAT or hard copy at
£50.00, less 20% to FWR members.
N.B.
The report is available for download from the SNIFFER Website