An ecological quality status assessment procedure for soft-sediment benthic habitats: Weighing alternative approaches

Hoey, Gert Van; Cabana, David; Vandendriessche, Sofie; Vincx, Magda; Hostens, Kris

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.09.024

Cited by 35 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…The consequences of environmentally driven changes in biodiversity to BP c , and its relation to ecosystem functioning, have been explored in this way in terrestrial (Bunker et al 2005) and marine habitats (Solan et al 2004a,b); at the local (Lohrer et al 2010;Teal et al 2013) and regional scales (Queir os et al 2011;Birchenough et al 2012;Solan et al 2012); for different contexts (e.g., habitat structure and hypoxia, Queir os et al Van Colen et al 2012;Villn€ as et al 2012); and for a variety of ecosystem functions including productivity , nutrient cycling (Solan et al 2004a), carbon storage (Bunker et al 2005;Solan et al 2012), and decomposition (Josefson et al 2012). By calculating BP c over time, or for different locations or scenarios, changes in the efficiency of the organism-sediment couple can be monitored for compliance in support of management and policy objectives (Painting et al 2012;Van Hoey et al 2013). For example, the effects of simulated changes in benthic com-munity structure have previously been used to explore possible changes in ecosystem properties like sediment organic carbon at the North Sea scale, based on empirically derived relationships between BP c and sediment organic carbon (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A bioturbation classification of European marine infaunal invertebrates

Queirós

Birchenough

Bremner

et al. 2013

Ecology and Evolution

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Bioturbation, the biogenic modification of sediments through particle reworking and burrow ventilation, is a key mediator of many important geochemical processes in marine systems. In situ quantification of bioturbation can be achieved in a myriad of ways, requiring expert knowledge, technology, and resources not always available, and not feasible in some settings. Where dedicated research programmes do not exist, a practical alternative is the adoption of a trait-based approach to estimate community bioturbation potential (BPc). This index can be calculated from inventories of species, abundance and biomass data (routinely available for many systems), and a functional classification of organism traits associated with sediment mixing (less available). Presently, however, there is no agreed standard categorization for the reworking mode and mobility of benthic species. Based on information from the literature and expert opinion, we provide a functional classification for 1033 benthic invertebrate species from the northwest European continental shelf, as a tool to enable the standardized calculation of BPc in the region. Future uses of this classification table will increase the comparability and utility of large-scale assessments of ecosystem processes and functioning influenced by bioturbation (e.g., to support legislation). The key strengths, assumptions, and limitations of BPc as a metric are critically reviewed, offering guidelines for its calculation and application.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A bioturbation classification of European marine infaunal invertebrates

Queirós

Birchenough

Bremner

et al. 2013

Ecology and Evolution

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239

202

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“…As an example, within the studied area it was possible to identify and map the bottom trawling marks, which is considered to be the main pressure on the soft bottoms located at depths greater than 100 m. This information has been used (or is proposed to be used) for the development of different methodological approaches for assessing the seafloor integrity (Galparsoro et al, 2013;Korpinen et al, 2013;Van Hoey et al, 2013), which could contribute to C2 "Condition of benthic community".…”

Section: Benthic Habitat Mapping Within the Marine Strategy Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthic habitat mapping on the Basque continental shelf (SE Bay of Biscay) and its application to the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Galparsoro

Rodríguez

Menchaca

et al. 2015

Journal of Sea Research

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a b s t r a c tBenthic habitats on the Basque continental shelf were mapped based on multibeam echosounder surveys, grab sampling, video surveys and oceanographic monitoring. A total area of 2302 km 2 was classified according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) hierarchical classification. Almost 50% of the area corresponded to rock and other hard substrata and the other 50% corresponded to soft bottoms. The biotic composition of several areas was significantly different from the EUNIS habitat classes described previously; therefore, we propose a total of 13 new classes. The habitat mapping has contributed to improving the knowledge and application of several criteria and indicators used to assess environmental status in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive in relation to the biological diversity descriptors, such as non-indigenous species and seafloor integrity. It is also useful for other descriptors and for developing the sampling design.

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“…MSs evaluate benthic habitat condition under various environmental directives, and with a variety of assessment approaches, e.g., multi-metric benthic indicators (see below) [10]. Most approaches rely on habitat-stratified species-abundance data, collected with a variety of sampling gears.…”

Section: Benthic Habitat Conditionmentioning

confidence: 99%