prEN 16150
(Main)Water quality - Guidance on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates from rivers and streams
Water quality - Guidance on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates from rivers and streams
This document gives guidance on procedures for the pro-rata multi-habitat sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates in rivers and streams. The term “pro-rata” reflects the intention to sample all the main riverine habitats present at a monitoring site according to the proportion of the site that it covers. It is an objective way to divide sampling effort among the different habitats.
This guidance is applicable to all flowing waters, both artificial, modified and natural. This design enables comparable samples to be collected from any type of river, regardless of the habitats present.
The pro-rata multi-habitat sampling is an overall approach rather than a specific method.
This document is designed to:
- support environmental and conservation agencies to meet the monitoring requirements of the WFD (Article 8, Annex II, and Annex V);
- generate data sets appropriate for monitoring and reporting of sites designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive ensure that samples for comparing the overall composition of invertebrates from different stream types are comparable;
- ensure samples for environmental quality assessments across different stream types are comparable even when sampled by different people; and
- support river management and restoration initiatives.
The pro-rata multi-habitat sample (MHS) provides:
- a consistent way of sampling sites that is not dependent on the presence of particular types of habitat; and
- guidance on a user-friendly strategy for collecting biological data depending on the distribution of substrate type.
It is also ideal for:
- understanding the distribution of biological community types across different physical river types; and
- quality assessments based on deviation from reference, as adopted in the European Water Framework Directive.
Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die pro-rata Multi-Habitat-Probenahme benthischer Makroinvertebraten in Fließgewässern
Dieses Dokument gibt eine Anleitung zum Verfahren der pro-rata Multi-Habitat-Probenahme von benthischen Makroinvertebraten in Fließgewässern. Der Begriff „pro-rata“ spiegelt die Zielsetzung wider, alle an einem Monitoringstandort vorhandenen Haupthabitate in Flüssen entsprechend dem Anteil der Probenahmestelle, den sie abdecken, zu beproben. Es handelt sich um ein objektives Verfahren zur Aufteilung des Aufwands für die Probenahme auf die verschiedenen Habitate.
Diese Anleitung gilt für alle Fließgewässer und umfasst künstliche, veränderte und natürliche Fließgewässer. Dieser Probenahmeentwurf ermöglicht die Entnahme vergleichbarer Proben aus jeder Art von Flüssen, unab
hängig von den vorhandenen Habitaten.
Beim pro-rata Multi-Habitat-Probenahmeverfahren handelt es sich eher um einen allgemeinen Ansatz als um ein spezifisches Verfahren.
Dieses Dokument wurde erstellt, um:
- Umwelt- und Artenschutzbehörden bei der Einhaltung der Uberwachungsanforderungen der Wasserrah
menrichtlinie (Artikel8, AnhangII und AnhangV) zu unterstützen;
- Datensätze zu erstellen, die für die Uberwachung und Berichterstattung von Probenahmestellen geeignet sind, die im Rahmen der Habitat-Richtlinie und der Vogelschutzrichtlinie ausgewiesen wurden, um sicher
zustellen, dass Proben für den Vergleich der Gesamtzusammensetzung von Wirbellosen aus verschiedenen Fließgewässern vergleichbar sind;
- sicherzustellen, dass Proben für die Bewertung der Umweltqualität verschiedener Fließgewässertypen miteinander vergleichbar sind, auch wenn die Proben von verschiedenen Personen entnommen wurden; und
- Initiativen zur Bewirtschaftung und Renaturierung von Flüssen zu unterstützen.
Die pro-rata Multi-Habitat-Probe (MHS) liefert:
- eine einheitliche Art der Probenahme an Stellen, die nicht vom Vorhandensein bestimmter Habitattypen abhängig ist; und
- Leitlinien für eine benutzerfreundliche Strategie zur Erfassung biologischer Daten in Abhängigkeit von der Verteilung des Substrattyps.
Sie ist auch ideal für:
- das Verständnis der Verteilung biologischer Lebensgemeinschaftstypen über verschiedene physische Flusstypen; und
- Qualitätsbewertungen auf der Grundlage von Abweichungen von der Vergleichsbasis, wie in der Europäischen Wasserrahmenrichtlinie festgelegt.
Qualité de l’eau - Lignes directrices pour l’échantillonnage des macro-invertébrés benthiques en rivières et cours d’eau au prorata des surfaces de recouvrement des habitats présents
Le présent document fournit des recommandations relatives aux modes opératoires d’échantillonnage multi-habitats au prorata des macro-invertébrés benthiques dans les cours d’eau. Le terme « prorata » reflète l’intention d’échantillonner tous les principaux habitats fluviaux présents sur le site de surveillance conformément aux proportions du site couvert. Il s’agit d’une façon objective de répartir les efforts d’échantillonnage sur les différents habitats.
Les recommandations sont applicables à tous les cours d’eau, qu’ils soient artificiels, modifiés ou naturels. Cette conception permet de prélever des échantillons comparables dans tout type de rivière, quels que soient les habitats présents.
L’échantillonnage multi-habitats au prorata est une approche globale plutôt qu’une méthode spécifique.
Le présent document est destiné à :
- soutenir les agences de protection de l’environnement et de conservation afin de satisfaire aux exigences de surveillance de la DCE (Article 8, Annexe II et Annexe V) ;
- générer des ensembles de données appropriés pour la surveillance et la création de rapports concernant les sites désignés dans la Directive sur les habitats naturels et la Directive Oiseaux en veillant à ce que les échantillons destinés à comparer la composition globale de la population d’invertébrés de différents types de cours d’eau soient comparables ;
- s’assurer que les échantillons destinés aux évaluations de la qualité environnementale dans différents types de cours d’eau sont comparables, même lorsqu’ils sont prélevés par différentes personnes ;
- soutenir les initiatives de gestion et de restauration des rivières.
L’échantillonnage multi-habitats au prorata fournit :
- une méthode cohérente d’échantillonnage des sites qui ne dépend pas de la présence de types d’habitats en particulier ;
- des recommandations relatives à une stratégie conviviale de collecte de données biologiques en fonction de la répartition des types de substrat.
Cette méthode est également idéale pour :
- comprendre la répartition des types de communautés biologiques dans les différents types physiques de cours d’eau ;
- réaliser des évaluations de qualité fondées sur l’écart par rapport à une référence, comme mentionné dans le cadre de la Directive-cadre européenne sur l’eau (DCE).
Kakovost vode - Navodilo za vzorčenje bentoških nevretenčarjev v sorazmerju z zastopanostjo habitatov v rekah in potokih
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-2025
Kakovost vode - Navodilo za vzorčenje bentoških nevretenčarjev v sorazmerju z
zastopanostjo habitatov v rekah in potokih
Water quality - Guidance on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling of benthic
macroinvertebrates from rivers and streams
Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die pro-rata Multi-Habitat-Probenahme benthischer
Makroinvertebraten in Flüssen geringer Tiefe (watbar)
Qualité de l'eau Lignes directrices pour léchantillonnage des macroinvertébrés
benthiques en cours deau peu profonds au prorata des surfaces de recouvrement des
habitats présents
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16150
ICS:
13.060.10 Voda iz naravnih virov Water of natural resources
13.060.70 Preiskava bioloških lastnosti Examination of biological
vode properties of water
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2025
ICS 13.060.70 Will supersede EN 16150:2012
English Version
Water quality - Guidance on pro-rata multi-habitat
sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates from rivers and
streams
Qualité de l'eau ¿ Lignes directrices pour Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die pro-rata
l¿échantillonnage des macroinvertébrés benthiques en Multi-Habitat-Probenahme benthischer
cours d¿eau peu profonds au prorata des surfaces de Makroinvertebraten in Flüssen geringer Tiefe (watbar)
recouvrement des habitats présents
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 230.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16150:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Description of the sampling approach . 8
4.1 General. 8
4.2 Features common to all methods based on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling . 9
4.2.1 Sampling site . 9
4.2.2 Comparable size samples . 9
4.2.3 Sampling device . 9
4.2.4 Sampling units . 9
4.2.5 Determination of habitats at the site . 10
4.2.6 Sample treatment . 10
4.2.7 Other records . 10
4.3 The most widely used pro-rata multi-habitat sampling methods . 11
5 Field sampling procedures . 11
5.1 Factors limiting effective multi-habitat sampling (MHS) . 11
5.2 Features common to all pro-rata multi-habitat sampling methods . 11
5.2.1 General. 11
5.2.2 Estimation of habitat composition . 11
5.2.3 Allocation of sampling units or effort . 11
Annex A (informative) Examples of pro-rata multi-habitat methods . 12
Annex B (informative) National standard methods based on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling . 25
European foreword
This document (prEN 16150:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 230 “Water
analysis”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 16150:2012.
— provide more complete guidance about the standard’s application, aims and purpose;
— updated and enlarged list of normative references;
— revised list of terms and definitions reflecting the revised content of the main document and transfer
of description of STAR-AQEM method to an Annex;
— major revision, replacing the description of the STAR-AQEM method by a description of the pro-rata
multi-habitat approach;
— new part describing features common to all methods based on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling;
— new part describing the most widely used methods based on pro-rata multi habitat sampling;
— this part has been reduced to a description of common procedures with detailed description of the
STAR-AQEM method transferred to A.1;
— A.1: Description of STAR-AQEM method, transferred from Part 5 of the previous version;
— A.2: New part describing the Austrian method for large rivers;
— A.3: New part describing the RIVPACS method;
— A.4: New part describing the French method for shallow rivers; and
— Annex B: New part listing methods based on pro-rata multi-habitat sampling.
Introduction
This document sets out the fundamental principles of pro-rata multi-habitat sampling, its objectives and
the circumstances in which it should be applied. Whereas, EN 16150:2012 described one of the possible
techniques among the existing pro-rata multi-habitat sampling techniques. The aim of this revision is to
provide a better understanding of the rationale for this approach, describing more than one technique,
including that described in the previous version of this document as examples in the Annexes.
Pro-rata multi-habitat sampling can be applied to all surface waters, including small streams, large rivers,
springs, subterranean streams, temporary and intermittent streams. Standard sampling methods for
some of these types of habitats are still in development and not all these habitats are included in national
monitoring schemes.
It is suitable for national and regional monitoring networks for classifying ecological status under the
European Water Framework Directive (WFD). All water bodies in all EU member states are classified
under this Directive.
In contrast to small streams, large rivers cannot be inspected on foot, even at low flow. Deeper water with
relatively poor visibility sometimes makes the habitats invisible to the observer and prevents the
selective collection of samples. Where water depth varies through the year, sessile and less mobile
macroinvertebrates are more commonly found below the low-flow water level. For these reasons,
representative sampling from the banks is restricted to low-flow periods, but the water level of large
rivers is often too high for very long periods to get representative samples from the bank. In such cases,
it is advisable to survey with a sampling technique independent of the water level; for example, using a
grab, air-lift sampler, or dredge. Deployed from a boat or ship, samples should be taken across large rivers
to cover the main habitat gradients of flow and depth even if they are not visible. In all cases, the sampling
method should not be changed within one water body.
The pro-rata multi-habitat sampling technique does not replace other techniques. If the same habitat is
present at all monitoring sites, pro-rata multi-habitat sampling is not necessary because samples can
always be collected from this habitat and both reference values and samples associating different
environmental qualities will also be based on samples from that habitat. Results will be more directly
comparable between sites. Sampling from one habitat type reduces variation and, therefore, provides a
more consistent overall assessment. It also avoids variation caused by observer bias in the assessment of
habitat cover. The training burden is also reduced. The best habitat for practical and biological reasons
are shallow riffles with gravel substrates.
If the same type of habitat is not present at every site, it may be necessary to sample from a selection of
habitats. This approach is only practicable if at least one of the few habitats chosen to use are found in all
monitoring sites. The steps that can be taken to make data comparable across samples taken by this
approach are the same as for pro-rata MHS, such as expressing results as a proportion of their reference
value, which can be based on reference sites or models covering the same combinations of habitats.
Because not every habitat is sampled, this approach is not covered by this documents.
1 Scope
This document gives guidance on procedures for the pro-rata multi-habitat sampling of benthic
macroinvertebrates in rivers and streams. The term “pro-rata” reflects the intention to sample all the
main riverine habitats present at a monitoring site according to the proportion of the site that it covers.
It is an objective way to divide sampling effort among the different habitats.
This guidance is applicable to all flowing waters, both artificial, modified and natural. This design enables
comparable samples to be collected from any type of river, regardless of the habitats present.
The pro-rata multi-habitat sampling is an overall approach rather than a specific method.
This document is designed to:
— support environmental and conservation agencies to meet the monitoring requirements of the WFD
(Article 8, Annex II, and Annex V);
— generate data sets appropriate for monitoring and reporting of sites designated under the Habitats
Directive and the Birds Directive ensure that samples for comparing the overall composition of
invertebrates from different stream types are comparable;
— ensure samples for environmental quality assessments across different stream types are comparable
even when sampled by different people; and
— support river management and restoration initiatives.
The pro-rata multi-habitat sample (MHS) provides:
— a consistent way of sampling sites that is not dependent on the presence of particular types of habitat;
and
— guidance on a user-friendly strategy for collecting biological data depending on the distribution of
substrate type.
It is also ideal for:
— understanding the distribution of biological community types across different physical river types;
and
— quality assessments based on deviation from reference, as adopted in the European Water
Framework Directive.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN ISO 10870, Water quality — Guidelines for the selection of sampling methods and devices for benthic
macroinvertebrates in fresh waters (ISO 10870)
EN 17136, Water quality - Guida
...
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