SIST EN 14184:2014

Water quality - Guidance for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters

This European Standard specifies a method for surveying aquatic macrophytes in running waters for the purpose of assessing ecological status, using these organisms as elements of biological quality. The information provided by this method includes the composition and abundance of the aquatic macrophyte flora.
This European Standard is applicable to all kinds of surface running water bodies, like natural brooks, streams and rivers and their heavily modified equivalents, as well as to artificial water bodies like canals or run-of-river reservoirs.
The general principles of the approach described in this European Standard may also be applied when monitoring water bodies in the fluvial corridor of a river, such as side channels and oxbows.
It is recognized that for a complete assessment of ecological status, other elements of biological quality should also be assessed.

Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die Untersuchung aquatischer Makrophyten in Fließgewässern

Diese Europäische Norm legt ein Verfahren zur Untersuchung aquatischer Makrophyten in Fließgewässern mit dem Ziel fest, den ökologischen Zustand von Gewässern mit Hilfe dieser Organismen abzuschätzen, indem diese als Qualitätselemente eingesetzt werden. Die nach diesem Verfahren erhaltenen Informationen berücksichtigen die Zusammensetzung und Häufigkeitsverteilung der aquatischen Makrophytenflora.
Diese Europäische Norm ist für alle Typen fließender Oberflächengewässer anwendbar wie natürliche Bäche, Flüsse und Ströme sowie ihre erheblich veränderten Äquivalente. Ebenso ist sie für künstliche Wasserkörper wie Kanäle und Talsperren anwendbar.
Die Grundsätze der in der Europäischen Norm beschriebenen Vorgehensweise können auch für die Überwachung von Gewässerbereichen im Umfeld eines Fließgewässers angewendet werden, z. B. in Seitenkanälen und Altwasserbereichen.
Bekanntlich sollten zur vollständigen Bewertung des ökologischen Zustands weitere Aspekte der biologischen Beschaffenheit abgeschätzt werden.

Qualité de l'eau - Guide pour l'étude des macrophytes aquatiques dans les cours d'eaux

La présente Norme européenne définit une méthode d’étude des macrophytes aquatiques dans les eaux courantes, dans le but d’évaluer leur état écologique, en utilisant ces organismes comme des éléments de qualité biologique. Les informations fournies par cette méthode comprennent la composition floristique et l’abondance des macrophytes aquatiques.
La présente Norme européenne est applicable à tous les types de masses d'eau courante de surface, notamment les ruisseaux naturels, les cours d'eau et les rivières et leurs équivalents fortement modifiés, ainsi que les masses d'eau artificielles telles que les canaux ou les retenues au fil de l'eau.
Les principes généraux de l’approche décrite dans la présente Norme européenne peuvent également être appliqués lors de la surveillance des habitats aquatiques dans le corridor fluvial d’une rivière, tels que les chenaux latéraux et les bras morts.
Il est reconnu que pour une évaluation complète de l’état écologique, il convient également d’évaluer d’autres éléments de qualité biologique.

Kakovost vode - Navodilo za pregledovanje vodnih makrofitov tekočih voda

Standard EN 14184 določa metodo za pregledovanje vodnih makrofitov tekočih voda za ocenjevanje ekološkega stanja, pri čemer se ti organizmi uporabijo kot elementi biološke kakovosti. Informacije, ki jih ponuja ta metoda, vključujejo sestavo in številčnost vodnih makrofitov. Ta evropski standard velja za vse vrste površinskih tekočih vodnih teles, kot so naravni potoki, tokovi in reke ter njihovi močno preoblikovani ekvivalenti, kot tudi za umetna vodna telesa, kot so kanali ali akumulacijska jezera. Splošna načela pristopa iz tega evropskega standarda se lahko uporabljajo tudi za spremljanje vodnih teles v fluvialnem koridorju reke, kot so stranski rokavi in mrtvice. Za popolno oceno ekološkega stanja je treba oceniti tudi druge elemente biološke kakovosti.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 30-Jun-2012
• Publication Date: 13-Apr-2014
• ICS: 13.060.10 - Water of natural resources
• ICS: 13.060.70 - Examination of biological properties of water
• Technical Committee: KAV - Water quality
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 31-Mar-2014
• Due Date: 05-Jun-2014
• Completion Date: 14-Apr-2014
• Directive: 2000/60/EC - Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (substitutes Directive Reference 01/991 - Common Position on WFD)
• Directive: 2009-01-0312 - Pravilnik o monitoringu stanja površinskih voda
• Directive: EUR-PUB - European Union - Public Standards
• Ref Project: EN 14184:2014 - Water quality - Guidance for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters

Relations

• Replaces: SIST EN 14184:2003 - Water quality - Guidance standard for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters
• Effective Date: 01-May-2014

Overview

EN 14184:2014 (CEN) - Water quality - Guidance for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters - specifies a standardized method to survey aquatic macrophyte composition and abundance for the purpose of assessing ecological status. Applicable across natural, heavily modified and artificial running water bodies (brooks, streams, rivers, canals, run‑of‑river reservoirs) and fluvial corridor features (side channels, oxbows), the standard supports consistent monitoring and reporting of macrophyte-based biological quality.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and purpose: Provides a repeatable survey method using aquatic macrophytes as elements of biological quality to inform ecological assessments.
• Survey design: Guidance on planning, timing of initial and repeat surveys, selection of river reaches, representative sites and reference sites that reflect type‑specific, near‑natural conditions.
• Survey units: Use of short survey stretches (survey units) and belt transects to capture species composition and spatial abundance patterns.
• Field procedure and equipment: Lists essential field gear (maps, GPS, waders, rake/grapnel, aqua‑scope, camera, ID keys) and optional equipment for deeper waters (boat, grapnel with depth markings, diving gear).
• Data recording and abundance scales: Standardized recording sheets, quantification scales (coverage/biovolume) and taxonomic identification procedures to ensure comparable datasets.
• Quality assurance: Informative Annex A on principles for interlaboratory comparison, site parameter recording (flow, depth, width, transparency), time limits and reporting to improve reproducibility.
• Interoperability: Recommends sampling approaches consistent with EN ISO 10870 for macrophyte sampling and aligns with monitoring needs under the EU Water Framework Directive.

Practical applications

• Baseline and trend monitoring for water quality and ecological status assessments
• Compliance monitoring and reporting for the Water Framework Directive (WFD)
• Impact assessment for river engineering, restoration and mitigation projects
• Habitat mapping, conservation planning and invasive species surveillance
• Scientific studies comparing macrophyte communities across river types and regions

Who should use this standard

• Environmental agencies and water authorities conducting ecological monitoring
• Field ecologists, aquatic botanists and consultants performing macrophyte surveys
• River basin managers, restoration practitioners and researchers
• Laboratories and organizations participating in interlaboratory comparisons

Related standards and references

• EN ISO 10870 - sampling of macrophytes (referenced for sampling methods)
• Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) - regulatory context for ecological status assessment

EN 14184:2014 ensures standardized, comparable aquatic macrophyte surveys across running waters, improving reliability of ecological status evaluations and supporting effective water quality management.

Standards Content (Sample)

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die Untersuchung aquatischer Makrophyten in FließgewässernQualité de l'eau - Guide pour l'étude des macrophytes aquatiques dans les cours d'eauxWater quality - Guidance for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters13.060.70Preiskava bioloških lastnosti vodeExamination of biological properties of water13.060.10Voda iz naravnih virovWater of natural resourcesICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 14184:2014SIST EN 14184:2014en,fr,de01-maj-2014SIST EN 14184:2014SLOVENSKI
STANDARDSIST EN 14184:20031DGRPHãþD

EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 14184
March 2014 ICS 13.060.70 Supersedes EN 14184:2003English Version
Water quality - Guidance for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters
Qualité de l'eau - Guide pour l'étude des macrophytes aquatiques dans les cours d'eaux
Wasserbeschaffenheit - Anleitung für die Untersuchung aquatischer Makrophyten in Fließgewässern This European Standard was approved by CEN on 11 January 2014.
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. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists 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, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2014 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 14184:2014 ESIST EN 14184:2014

Principles of interlaboratory comparison for macrophyte surveys in running waters – Occurrence and abundance of macrophyte species . 17 A.1 General . 17 A.2 General aspects of quality assurance in aquatic macrophyte survey . 17 A.3 Site selection . 17 A.3.1 General . 17 A.3.2 Site parameters . 18 A.3.2.1 Flow . 18 A.3.2.2 Depth . 18 A.3.2.3 Width . 18 A.3.2.4 Transparency . 19 A.3.3 Survey unit number, length and demarcation . 19 A.3.4 Aquatic vegetation characteristics suitable for IC . 19 A.4 Independence of participant’s results . 19 A.5 Field protocol and time limit . 20 A.5.1 General aspects . 20 A.5.2 Time limit for the field survey . 20 A.6 Data collection for the whole group of participants . 20 A.7 Reference values for the survey . 20 A.7.1 General . 20 A.7.2 Reference values for species number, taxonomic correctness and abundance of species . 20 SIST EN 14184:2014

NOTE 1 In river types where the macrophyte vegetation is rather sparse or shows scattered distribution sampling sites are often located where the best development of macrophytes is found. Regarding the whole length of the reach this may result in over-estimating the abundance of the aquatic vegetation. Figure 1 — Discrete survey stretches — by assessing a contiguous set of survey stretches throughout its whole length (see Figure 2);
NOTE 2 This arrangement of sampling sites covers a longer stretch of the reach in a contiguous way which avoids sparing river length where the aquatic vegetation is less dense or more scattered. This results in a more realistic description of macrophyte distribution in some river types (e. g. upper and middle reaches, and especially large rivers). Figure 2 — Contiguous set of survey stretches — by belt transects located within the reach (see Figure 3).
NOTE 3 This arrangement requires careful selection of the location of belt transects, otherwise effects equal to those described in Note 1 may influence the result. Figure 3 — Belt transects Individual discrete survey stretches and/or belt transects may be located within a river reach or water body, to prove representativeness of species composition and abundance for the full length of the reach. Contiguous survey stretches fulfil these conditions a priori, since they cover a considerable length of the reach, but in most cases only selected sites of limited length are used for assessing ecological status. Upstream and downstream limits of the survey stretches, or the location of a belt transect shall be determined with a GPS instrument and recorded on the data sheet. If belt transects are used, physical features such as bridges, weirs, etc. should be absent from the section of river covered by the belt. Record the date of the survey, the name or initials of the surveyor and any other relevant information that will assist the execution of future surveys. SIST EN 14184:2014

6 10 to 25 6 50 to 60
7 25 to 50 7 60 to 70
8 50 to 75 8 70 to 80
9 > 75 9 80 to 90
10 90 to 100 All estimator scales produce data in 'classes' (in contrast to e. g. biomass assessment of weight per area, which produces decimal data). Data of such 'categorical' character do not allow the use of the arithmetic mean in further calculation, e. g. statistical comparison. Rather, the median (the value in the centre of the data series) or in special cases the mode (the most frequent value) shall be used in statistical procedures. NOTE As a general
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