{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]],"date-time":"2026-03-08T00:56:13Z","timestamp":1772931373645,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":106,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,6,19]],"date-time":"2012-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1340064000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Freshwater Biology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Summary<\/jats:title><jats:p>1.\u2002Recent studies have demonstrated that there is generally no unambiguous relationship between plant species composition and specific environmental conditions in rivers. Nevertheless, indices of environmental pressures based on macrophytes are flourishing, because of the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).<\/jats:p><jats:p>2.\u2002We first reviewed nine such indices against 13 criteria for bioindicators. Then, using data from France and England, we tested whether the IBMR (Macrophyte Biological Index for Rivers) and LEAFPACS (predictions and classification system for macrophytes) methods could reliably indicate nutrient and hydromorphological pressures. Finally, we used an improved bootstrapping method to estimate accuracy.<\/jats:p><jats:p>3.\u2002Currently, most indices lack ecological meaning for a variety of reasons, including partial sampling (backwaters are excluded); reliance on list of taxa (there are identification difficulties) rather than structure and functions; correlation rather than causation; application within a limited biogeographical area; reliance on \u2018expert\u2019 judgement; high precision but poor accuracy; poorly defined reference conditions; lack of independent tests; and an inability to discriminate reliably between the target pressures of interest from confounding background variables.<\/jats:p><jats:p>4.\u2002IBMR was a far better indicator of pH (or HCO<jats:sub>3<\/jats:sub>\u2010<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>CO<jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>) than it was of soluble reactive phosphorus, SRP (or SRP\u2010NH<jats:sub>4<\/jats:sub>). While there was a highly significant correlation between IBMR and SRP after removing the effect of pH, the relationship was weak (<jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic><jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\u2003=\u20030.08, <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2003=\u2003215, <jats:italic>P\u2003<\/jats:italic>&lt;<jats:italic>\u2003<\/jats:italic>0.001).<\/jats:p><jats:p>5.\u2002LEAFPACS is a multi\u2010metric method summing up five individual indices, each compliant with the WFD. Its individual metrics were not better correlated with nutrient and hydromorphological pressures (with <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic><jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\u2003&lt;\u20030.1, <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2003=\u200362, <jats:italic>P\u2003<\/jats:italic>&lt;<jats:italic>\u2003<\/jats:italic>0.05) than was the IBMR. The meaning of the overall metric is questionable.<\/jats:p><jats:p>6.\u2002There are problems in determining the precision of the indices, owing to uncertainties in recording, but they are less than the uncertainties in determining accuracy (because species optima and tolerances are sometimes poorly known).<\/jats:p><jats:p>7.\u2002Reliable information is needed to improve the state of our rivers. Macrophyte indices are able to detect statistically significant pressures from a large population of sites but cannot be applied at specific sites, as required by the WFD, owing to large uncertainties and low explanatory power. Typically, more than 90% of the variability in macrophyte indices is attributed to factors other than human pressure. The WFD would be better served by a simpler, holistic approach based on our current mechanistic understanding of river processes. These findings are likely to apply also to other taxonomic groups (macroinvertebrates, diatoms, fish) used in the assessment of purported ecological quality and to palaeolimnological measures of reference status.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2012.02834.x","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,6,19]],"date-time":"2012-06-19T15:30:10Z","timestamp":1340119810000},"page":"1745-1759","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":71,"title":["River macrophyte indices: not the Holy Grail!"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"57","author":[{"given":"BENO\u00ceT O. L.","family":"DEMARS","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"JACQUELINE M.","family":"POTTS","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"MICH\u00c8LE","family":"TR\u00c9MOLI\u00c8RES","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"GABRIELLE","family":"THI\u00c9BAUT","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"NATHALIE","family":"GOUGELIN","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"VINCENT","family":"NORDMANN","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_7_2_1","volume-title":"D\u00e9termination de l\u2019Indice Biologique Macrophytique en Rivi\u00e8re (IBMR)","author":"AFNOR","year":"2003"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1003833419359"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4020-5583-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s002679910017"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2004.04.014"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1127\/1863-9135\/2008\/0173-0237"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2008.02003.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo618"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1468279"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.1990.0062"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_12_1","first-page":"215","article-title":"Bioindicateurs et diagnostic des syst\u00e8mes \u00e9cologiques","volume":"17","author":"Blandin P.","year":"1986","journal-title":"Bulletin d\u2019Ecologie"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2005.01426.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2427.1998.00273.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0025-5564(86)90031-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00032121"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00877430"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1890\/0012-9615(2000)070[0645:POSMIT]2.0.CO;2"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0078-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-3800(02)00255-7"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_21_1","volume-title":"Water in the Balance","author":"Covich A.P.","year":"1995"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_22_1","volume-title":"Variability Components for Macrophyte Communities in Rivers","author":"Davey A.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2008.02124.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_24_1","volume-title":"Assessment of the Trophic Status of Rivers Using Macrophytes","author":"Dawson F.H.","year":"1999"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_25_1","first-page":"1553","article-title":"Relationship between biological and chemical indicators of surface water quality","volume":"23","author":"De Pauw N.","year":"1988","journal-title":"Verhandlungen der Internationalen Vereinigung f\u00fcr Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_26_1","unstructured":"DemarsB.O.L.(1997)Classification des Hydrophytes sur la Base des Traits de l\u2019Histoire de Vie.DEA thesis Paris XI (Orsay) Institut National Agronomique Paris Grignon Paris VI (PM Currie) Glasgow."},{"key":"e_1_2_7_27_1","unstructured":"DemarsB.O.L.(2002)Aquatic Vascular Plants in Nitrate\u2010rich Calcareous Lowland Streams: do they Respond to Phosphorus Enrichment and Control?PhD thesis University of Leicester Leicester."},{"key":"e_1_2_7_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2007.01817.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.797"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2008.09.012"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1003203512565"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_32_1","volume-title":"Assessment of the Impact of Nutrient Removal on Eutrophic Rivers","author":"Demars B.O.L.","year":"2002"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2004.01329.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolind.2012.04.011"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.844"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2009.04.017"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2005.01360.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2007.01924.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1899\/08-090.1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2427.1999.00509.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2009.02306.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s100219900003"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-374794-5.00001-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0067-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00024453"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2997735"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_47_1","first-page":"219","volume-title":"The Ecological Basis for River Management","author":"Harper D.M.","year":"1995"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09593338209384094"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_49_1","volume-title":"River Plants of Western Europe","author":"Haslam S.M.","year":"1987"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.947"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_51_1","first-page":"233","article-title":"Des indices macrophytiques pour estimer la qualit\u00e9 des cours d\u2019eau fran\u00e7ais: premi\u00e8res propositions","volume":"27","author":"Haury J.","year":"1996","journal-title":"Ecologie"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0175-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_53_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1468475"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_54_1","volume-title":"Mean Trophic Rank: a User\u2019s Manual","author":"Holmes N.T.H.","year":"1999"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_55_1","volume-title":"A Treatise on Limnology. Volume III. Limnological Botany","author":"Hutchinson G.E.","year":"1975"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.1050"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2005.01375.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0101-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0100-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1890\/02-0422"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.0022-0477.2001.00620.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_62_1","volume-title":"Software for Ecological and Paleoecological Data Analysis and Visualisation","author":"Juggins S.","year":"2003"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1099-0755(199901\/02)9:1<159::AID-AQC319>3.0.CO;2-M"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_64_1","first-page":"17","article-title":"Macrophytes as bioindicators","volume":"147","author":"Kohler A.","year":"2003","journal-title":"Archiv f\u00fcr Hydrobiologie, Supplement"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_65_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8137.2010.03543.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_66_1","volume-title":"The Identity of Ranunculus subgenus batrachium in the River Itchen","author":"Lansdown R.V.","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_67_1","volume-title":"A Field Guide to the Riverine Plants of Britain and Ireland. Including Selected Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, Lichens and Algae","author":"Lansdown R.V.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2664.2007.01315.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00682511"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_70_1","volume-title":"The Golden Ratio. The Story of Phi, the Extraordinary Number of Nature, Art and Beauty","author":"Livio M.","year":"2002"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_71_1","volume-title":"Gaia: the Practical Science of Planetary Medicine","author":"Lovelock J.","year":"1991"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_72_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2475\/ajs.282.4.401"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_73_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1641\/B570307"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_74_1","volume-title":"The Broads","author":"Moss B.","year":"2001"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.545"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_76_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-007-0601-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_77_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2008.04.029"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_78_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2009.02381.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_79_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.592"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_80_1","first-page":"345","article-title":"Nature conservation: water quality criteria and plants as water quality monitors","volume":"86","author":"Newbold C.","year":"1987","journal-title":"Water Pollution Control"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_81_1","volume-title":"Trophic Adaptations of Aquatic Plants","author":"Newbold C.","year":"1979"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_82_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1127\/0003-9136\/2006\/0166-0099"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_83_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2012.01.026"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_84_1","volume-title":"River Macrophyte Sampling: Methodologies and Variability","author":"Pentecost A.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_85_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/415416a"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_86_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2009.02241.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_87_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1899\/08-082.1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_88_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00012736"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_89_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00317857"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_90_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2745.1999.00416.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_91_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/iroh.200390005"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_92_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2134\/jeq1993.00472425002200030026x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_93_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0304-3770(90)90073-T"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_94_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-006-0093-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_95_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2009.02369.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_96_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1899\/08-171.1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_97_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature09440"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_98_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0048-9697(01)00926-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_99_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1151716"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_100_1","first-page":"156","volume-title":"Bathymetrical Survey of the Freshwater Lochs","author":"West G.","year":"1910"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_101_1","volume-title":"The Ecological Classification of UK Rivers Using Aquatic Macrophytes","author":"Willby N.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_102_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2427.2000.00523.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_103_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006-3207(03)00153-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_104_1","first-page":"277","volume-title":"Freshwater Ecosystems and Aquaculture Research","author":"Woodward G.","year":"2010"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_105_1","unstructured":"WrightJ.F.(2000)An introduction to RIVPACS. In:Assessing the Biological Quality of Fresh Waters. RIVPACS and other Techniques(EdsJ.F.Wright D.W.Sutcliffe&M.T.Furse) pp.1\u201324.Freshwater Biological Association Cumbria UK."},{"key":"e_1_2_7_106_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1899\/07-121.1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_107_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Ecohydrology. Processes, Models and Case Studies","author":"Zalewski M.","year":"2008"}],"container-title":["Freshwater Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2427.2012.02834.x","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2012.02834.x","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,15]],"date-time":"2023-10-15T16:17:19Z","timestamp":1697386639000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2012.02834.x"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,6,19]]},"references-count":106,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2012.02834.x"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2427.2012.02834.x","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0046-5070","1365-2427"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0046-5070","type":"print"},{"value":"1365-2427","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,6,19]]}}}