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Environmental Change
Network
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Indicators of Freshwater QualityThe quality and quantity of some water resources are changing due to a variety of environmental pressures (e.g. water shortages and flood management, acidification, nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) and pollution). These activities are driven by both commercial and social issues, and do not necessarily need to occur next to a water resource to affect its quality. Factors contributing to these issues range from increasing population, changes in land use and a variety of commercial developments. Given the potential impacts of human activity, it is important to identify the how these water bodies are being affected and whether conditions worsen or improve with time and management initiatives. The Environmental Change Network has a number of freshwater sites that routinely monitor a wide range of parameters according to a set of standard protocols. The data from these sites have been used to provide water quality indicators that can be linked to the possible drivers of environmental change and the impacts they can have on water resources. Data for four chemical parameters (nitrate, phosphate, sulphate and pH) and freshwater invertebrates have been graphed and interpreted. These particular parameters have been selected as they are closely linked to the pressures of acidification and eutrophication.
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