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 European Standard gives guidance on procedures for the pro rata Multi-Habitat-Sampling (MHS) of benthic macro invertebrates in wadeable rivers and streams. The term "pro-rata" reflects the intention to sample adequate proportions of riverine habitats with reference to their percentage occurrence.
The pro-rata MHS technique does not replace other techniques, but is rather, alongside other applications, a fundamental requisite of some multi-metric assessment approaches used to evaluate the ecological status of running waters. The method described in this document is one of the possible techniques among the existing pro-rata MHS techniques.
The MHS methodology is based on Rapid Bioassessment Protocols [1], the procedures of the Environment Agency for England and Wales [2], the Austrian Guidelines for the Assessment of the Saprobiological Water Quality of Rivers and Streams [3], the AQEM sampling manual [4], the AQEM & STAR site protocol [5], EN 27828, the Austrian Standards M 6232 and M 6119-2 [6], [7], the German Standard DIN 38410-1 [8] and the French Standard XP T90-333 [9].
This European Standard also describes in a detailed manner how to sample different habitats that might be suitable for sampling approaches other than Multi-Habitat-Sampling.
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
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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