ECOFRAME Ecological quality and functioning of shallow lake ecosystems with respect to the needs of the European Water Framework Directive

Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   28/2/2000         Duration: 24 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-1999-00039
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Water resources and their management -->Water resources and their management Overview
Project objectives:
The ECOFRAME project addresses the practical implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive for shallow lowland lakes as one example of the many ecotypes 
covered by the Directive. Biological variables will be refined and tested for reproducibility, relevance and comparability among ecoregions; criteria
for recognising different ecological statuses from 'high' to 'bad' will be developed; and common features among ecotypes will be identified for eventually
combine some ecotype characteristics in order to simplify the classification system for its application by end-users.
Project Summary:
The Water Framework Directive requires member states to distinguish ecological status of their waters compared with high quality sites . Guidelines are given 
but the details of how to distinguish these statuses are not. This proposal concerns shallow lakes among the many potential lake ecotypes covered by the WFD.
Over sixty European lakes will be monitored, strictly according to the Directive. The details of what is measured among the biological variables will be refined
and tested for reproducibility, relevance and comparability among ecoregions .The proposal will develop criteria for recognising different ecological
statuses, from bad to high and will check that the proposed high status sites are justified by using diatom and chemical palaeo-ecological methods .Using existing
large data bases, it will seek common features among ecotypes that may allow some ecotypes to be combined, thus simplifying the system, where appropriate for
users. It will further improve our knowledge of how these systems , function and propose a monitoring and classification system, in consultation with user
groups, that should be usable states in implementing the Directive .
Achieved Objectives:
Project Book published by Wiley:  
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi ... 
            
Product Descriptions:

            
Additional Information:

            
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/104087531/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Prof Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/07/2003 17:48:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  29/09/2006 16:36:00