BINPAS in use
New publications are available. Last updated: 2014-01-29.
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J. Karosienė, J. Kasperovičienė, J. Koreivienė, I. Vitonytė. 2013. Assessment of the vulnerability of Lithuanian lakes to expansion of Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae). Limnologica (2013).
Invasions in aquatic ecosystems can have negative ecological and economic effects. It is important to identify the impacts of non-native species in order to evaluate the outcomes of invasion processes and implement measures of management. A biopollution assessment method (BPL, or biopollution level index) was applied to measure the impact of Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae) on the lakes of Lithuania. It occurred in humic, lobelia and eutrophic lakes. G. semen, comprising abundance up to 1.05×106 cells L−1 and biomass up to 24.8 mg L−1, was assigned as an invasive species that caused recognisable changes on phytoplankton communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. The dominance of G. semen shifted phytoplankton composition from the prevailing small chrysophytes and green algae to the raphidophyte and large dinophytes being dominant. The assessment for the lakes revealed the highest biopollution level (BPL = 3, strong impact) for the lakes in the northern part, and moderate biopollution (BPL = 2, moderate impact) for the other regions of Lithuania.
D. Minchin. 2012. Rapid assessment of the bryozoan, Zoobotryon verticillatum (Delle Chiaje, 1822) in marinas, Canary Islands. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2012).
A rapid assessment, using the abundance and distribution range method, was used to evaluate the status of a large branching bryozoan, Zoobotryon verticillatum attached to the immersed part of marina pontoons in the Canary Islands. Colonies were also found attached to the hulls of leisure craft berthed alongside pontoons at three marinas in Lanzarote during 2012. Low levels of abundance and distribution of the bryozoan occurred in marinas with a freshwater influence whereas in a sheltered marina lacking direct freshwater inputs colonies occurred at 2 per metre of combined pontoon length. While the occurrence of this bryozoan is recent it may be expected to occur elsewhere in Macaronesia most probably spread by leisure craft.
Narščius A., S. Olenin, A. Zaiko, D. Minchin. 2012. Biological invasion impact assessment system: From idea to implementation. Ecological Informatics 7, 46–51
We describe the Biological Invasion Impact / Biopollution Assessment System (BINPAS), an online application for assessment of invasive species impacts. The methodology is based on a classification of the abundance and distribution range of alien species related to the magnitude of their impacts on communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Then formalized data is aggregated in a hybrid ranking and the system provides a “Biopollution Level” (BPL), ranging from “no measurable impact” (BPL=0) to “massive impact” (BPL=4). BINPAS was created using open source web technologies and relational database management systems. The system provides a user-friendly interface to calculate BPL, it allows for the sharing of ecological data, providing inter-regional comparisons and meta-analysis of biological invasion effects at different spatial and temporal scales.
Zaiko A., Lehtiniemi M., Narščius A., Olenin S. 2011. Assessment of bioinvasion impacts on a regional scale: a comparative approach. Biol Invasions, Volume 13, Issue 8, Pages 1739-1765. Click here to view used data.
This paper presents an overall bioinvasion impact assessment on the scale of a large marine region—the Baltic Sea, as defined by the Helsinki Commission. The methodology is based on a classification of the abundance and distribution range of alien species and the magnitude of their impacts on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning aggregated in a ‘‘Biopollution Level’’ index (BPL) which ranges from ‘no impact’ (BPL = 0) to ‘massive impact’ (BPL = 4). The assessment performed for nine Baltic sub-regions revealed that documented ecological impact is only known for 43 alien species out of 119 registered in the Sea. The highest biopollution (BPL = 3, strong impact) occurs in coastal lagoons, inlets and gulfs, and the moderate biopollution (BPL = 2)—in the open sea areas. The methodology was also used to classify species into alien (BPL = 0) versus ‘impacting’ species (BPL[0), which can be divided into ‘potentially invasive’ (BPL = 1) and ‘invasive’ (BPL[1) ones. No clear correlation between the number of established alien and impacting species was found in the sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. The methodology, although requiring a substantial research effort, proved to be useful for interregional comparisons and evaluating the bioinvasion effects of individual alien species.
Olenina, I., Wasmund, N., Hajdu, S., Jurgensone, I., Gromisz, S., Kownacka, J., Toming, K., Vaiciute, D., Olenin, S. 2010. Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: The Baltic Sea case. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60 (2010) 1691–1700. Click here to view used data.
There is an increasing understanding and requirement to take into account the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) in environmental quality assessments. While IAS are listed amongst the most important factors threatening marine biodiversity, information on their impacts remains unquantified, especially for phytoplankton species. This study attempts to assess the impacts of invasive alien phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea during 1980 to 2008. A bioinvasion impact assessment method (BPL – biopollution level index) was applied to phytoplankton monitoring data collected from eleven sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. BPL takes into account abundance and distribution range of an alien species and the magnitude of the impact on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Of the twelve alien/cryptogenic phytoplankton species recorded in the Baltic Sea only one (the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum) was categorized as an IAS, causing a recognizable environmental effect.
Butautytė-Skyrienė, G., Paulauskas, A., Ulevičius, A. Assessment of invasive muskrat Ondatra zibethicus distribution and impacts on ecosystems in Lithuania. 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. DOI: 10.5073/jka.2011.432.014.
After acclimatization muskrats spread over almost all Lithuania and increased to about 40 000 individuals in the 1980s. But since then the number of muskrats has decreased to about 2000 individuals. We used BINPAS (Bioinvasion Impact/Biopollution Assessment System) for terrestrial ecosystems, which is usually using for water ecosystems, to assess the impact of Ondatra zibethicus on native species and communities, on habitats, on ecosystems and the biopollution level (BPL). The impact of muskrats varied between different regions of Lithuania. Widespread and high numbers of muskrats, and strong biopollution of ecosystem functioning were identified in four regions of Lithuania – Nevėžis and Nemunas Rivers, Šalčia River, Varėnė river, Vištytis Regional Park.
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J. Karosienė, J. Kasperovičienė, J. Koreivienė, I. Vitonytė. 2013. Assessment of the vulnerability of Lithuanian lakes to expansion of Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae). Limnologica (2013).
Invasions in aquatic ecosystems can have negative ecological and economic effects. It is important to identify the impacts of non-native species in order to evaluate the outcomes of invasion processes and implement measures of management. A biopollution assessment method (BPL, or biopollution level index) was applied to measure the impact of Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae) on the lakes of Lithuania. It occurred in humic, lobelia and eutrophic lakes. G. semen, comprising abundance up to 1.05×106 cells L−1 and biomass up to 24.8 mg L−1, was assigned as an invasive species that caused recognisable changes on phytoplankton communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. The dominance of G. semen shifted phytoplankton composition from the prevailing small chrysophytes and green algae to the raphidophyte and large dinophytes being dominant. The assessment for the lakes revealed the highest biopollution level (BPL = 3, strong impact) for the lakes in the northern part, and moderate biopollution (BPL = 2, moderate impact) for the other regions of Lithuania.
D. Minchin. 2012. Rapid assessment of the bryozoan, Zoobotryon verticillatum (Delle Chiaje, 1822) in marinas, Canary Islands. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2012).
A rapid assessment, using the abundance and distribution range method, was used to evaluate the status of a large branching bryozoan, Zoobotryon verticillatum attached to the immersed part of marina pontoons in the Canary Islands. Colonies were also found attached to the hulls of leisure craft berthed alongside pontoons at three marinas in Lanzarote during 2012. Low levels of abundance and distribution of the bryozoan occurred in marinas with a freshwater influence whereas in a sheltered marina lacking direct freshwater inputs colonies occurred at 2 per metre of combined pontoon length. While the occurrence of this bryozoan is recent it may be expected to occur elsewhere in Macaronesia most probably spread by leisure craft.
Narščius A., S. Olenin, A. Zaiko, D. Minchin. 2012. Biological invasion impact assessment system: From idea to implementation. Ecological Informatics 7, 46–51
We describe the Biological Invasion Impact / Biopollution Assessment System (BINPAS), an online application for assessment of invasive species impacts. The methodology is based on a classification of the abundance and distribution range of alien species related to the magnitude of their impacts on communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Then formalized data is aggregated in a hybrid ranking and the system provides a “Biopollution Level” (BPL), ranging from “no measurable impact” (BPL=0) to “massive impact” (BPL=4). BINPAS was created using open source web technologies and relational database management systems. The system provides a user-friendly interface to calculate BPL, it allows for the sharing of ecological data, providing inter-regional comparisons and meta-analysis of biological invasion effects at different spatial and temporal scales.
Zaiko A., Lehtiniemi M., Narščius A., Olenin S. 2011. Assessment of bioinvasion impacts on a regional scale: a comparative approach. Biol Invasions, Volume 13, Issue 8, Pages 1739-1765. Click here to view used data.
This paper presents an overall bioinvasion impact assessment on the scale of a large marine region—the Baltic Sea, as defined by the Helsinki Commission. The methodology is based on a classification of the abundance and distribution range of alien species and the magnitude of their impacts on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning aggregated in a ‘‘Biopollution Level’’ index (BPL) which ranges from ‘no impact’ (BPL = 0) to ‘massive impact’ (BPL = 4). The assessment performed for nine Baltic sub-regions revealed that documented ecological impact is only known for 43 alien species out of 119 registered in the Sea. The highest biopollution (BPL = 3, strong impact) occurs in coastal lagoons, inlets and gulfs, and the moderate biopollution (BPL = 2)—in the open sea areas. The methodology was also used to classify species into alien (BPL = 0) versus ‘impacting’ species (BPL[0), which can be divided into ‘potentially invasive’ (BPL = 1) and ‘invasive’ (BPL[1) ones. No clear correlation between the number of established alien and impacting species was found in the sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. The methodology, although requiring a substantial research effort, proved to be useful for interregional comparisons and evaluating the bioinvasion effects of individual alien species.
Olenina, I., Wasmund, N., Hajdu, S., Jurgensone, I., Gromisz, S., Kownacka, J., Toming, K., Vaiciute, D., Olenin, S. 2010. Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: The Baltic Sea case. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60 (2010) 1691–1700. Click here to view used data.
There is an increasing understanding and requirement to take into account the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) in environmental quality assessments. While IAS are listed amongst the most important factors threatening marine biodiversity, information on their impacts remains unquantified, especially for phytoplankton species. This study attempts to assess the impacts of invasive alien phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea during 1980 to 2008. A bioinvasion impact assessment method (BPL – biopollution level index) was applied to phytoplankton monitoring data collected from eleven sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. BPL takes into account abundance and distribution range of an alien species and the magnitude of the impact on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Of the twelve alien/cryptogenic phytoplankton species recorded in the Baltic Sea only one (the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum) was categorized as an IAS, causing a recognizable environmental effect.
Butautytė-Skyrienė, G., Paulauskas, A., Ulevičius, A. Assessment of invasive muskrat Ondatra zibethicus distribution and impacts on ecosystems in Lithuania. 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. DOI: 10.5073/jka.2011.432.014.
After acclimatization muskrats spread over almost all Lithuania and increased to about 40 000 individuals in the 1980s. But since then the number of muskrats has decreased to about 2000 individuals. We used BINPAS (Bioinvasion Impact/Biopollution Assessment System) for terrestrial ecosystems, which is usually using for water ecosystems, to assess the impact of Ondatra zibethicus on native species and communities, on habitats, on ecosystems and the biopollution level (BPL). The impact of muskrats varied between different regions of Lithuania. Widespread and high numbers of muskrats, and strong biopollution of ecosystem functioning were identified in four regions of Lithuania – Nevėžis and Nemunas Rivers, Šalčia River, Varėnė river, Vištytis Regional Park.