Towards science based wetland standards in Scotland

Johan Schutten

Senior Wetland Ecologist

SEPA

Scottish wetlands driven by water:climate, topography and geology

Why does SEPA regulate wetlands? Water Framework Directive and WEWS Act (2004)

Groundwater body characterisation (risk screening) Groundwater body classification (significant

damage cause by the status of the gw body) Surface water body classification (via vegetation as

part of Hydromorph quality element) Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act (2004) (advising

SNH) Flood risk management (Scotland) Act (2009) (risk

assessment) Climate change (Scotland) Act (2009) (C-store and

accumulation in properly managed wetlands) CAR:

Application screening Licensing determinations Impact analysis

What knowledge do we need to do our job?

What wetland types exist in Scotland Where are these wetlands (inventory) How sensitive are these wetland types to

antropogenic pressures (nutrients, change in water supply); i.e Devising standards

Scottish Wetland Types Functional types to enable risk screening Easy recognisable by non-specialist staff Defines 17 wetland habitat types (including 10

sub-types) Functional wetland types – based on general

habitat, landscape and hydrological setting Each wetland type has one or more field

indicators (soil, landscape, vegetation) Project produced a field manual, identification

sheets, survey forms, and training material http://www.sepa.org.uk/science_and_research

/what_we_do/biodiversity/wetlands.aspx

Functional Scottish wetland typology

Scottish Wetland Inventory

Partnership project: SNH, RSPB, SWT

Collates existing digitised and non-digitised spatial wetland information; deliver summer 2011 + gap analysis to inform further stages

Available via the new ‘Scotland’s Environment Web’

Legend

ClydeWetlandInventory

<all other values>

WFD95TYPE1

Bog

Fen

Fen/Bog

Reedbed

Springs, flushes and seepag

Swamp

Wet Grassland

Wet Heath

Wet Woodland

Wet Woodland/Bog

Wetland science Science based standards:

Dedicated observation / monitoring in Scotland, in co-operation with SNH and landowners

Learn from literature and apply to the Scottish climate and geology (EA / Europe and further afield)

7 wetland complexes under 4-y monitoring (2009-2013; Envirocentre & Sniffer projects),

Choosen on basis of target wetland types, geology, climate, topography

water balance: rain, surface water level, groundwater level (100 observations, 50+ automated, hourly)

219

219.1

219.2

219.3

219.4

219.5

219.6

219.7

219.8

219.9

220

06/02/200900:00

26/02/200900:00

18/03/200900:00

07/04/200900:00

27/04/200900:00

17/05/200900:00

06/06/200900:00

26/06/200900:00

16/07/200900:00

05/08/200900:00

25/08/200900:00

Date and time

Wat

er le

vel i

n M

25 In

sh M

arsh

es

level duration curves

Water level standards

Wetland Chemical standards Develop chemical triggers (N and P species) that screen out

wetlands NOT at risk With UKTAG Wetland Task Team and Groundwater task

team Co-operation sought from EU: GW-C Values (for a limited number of wetland types, based on

Scottish Wetland typology) for consultation end 2011 Data:

Scotland: 56 GWDTE’s in SSSI and in good condition with direct linked groundwater monitoring points (with SEPA GTT) AND

7 wetland complexes in our monitoring program (5 in good condition, 2 likely impacted)

England/Wales: 125+ GWDTE’s in SSSI and in good condition with direct linked groundwater monitoring points

NI and Irish EPA info At this stage no EU data, but building after WG-C

involvement

Nitrate (as N, mg/l)

Conclusions 17 useful Scottish wetland vegetation types,

based on function Wetland inventory delivers phase 1 in summer

2011 Wetland monitoring provides data for quantity

and quality standards Monitoring runs over 4y (to 2013)

Preliminary level data very good need further analysis

Preliminary quantity data is used for WFD risk screening, for consultation end 2011

Questions