Review of the ICP IM activities from June 2020 to June 2021
Meetings
- Co-Chair Ulf Grandin represented ICP IM in a meeting organised by the European Commission about the NEC Directive, held on-line 4 June 2020.
- Ulf Grandin represented ICP IM and gave a presentation about current activities at the ICP Forests Task Force meeting, held on-line 11–12 June 2020.
- ICP IM Programme Manager Martin Forsius and Co-Chair Ulf Grandin represented ICP IM and
Co-Chair Salar Valinia represented Sweden in the Fifth Joint Session of the Working Group on Effects and the Steering Body to EMEP, held on-line 14–17 September 2020.
- Martin Forsius, Ulf Grandin and Maria Holmberg participated in the eLTER PPP and PLUS project meeting, held on-line 13–16 October 2020.
- Martin Forsius, Ulf Grandin and Salar Valinia represented ICP IM at the videoconference of the Joint meeting of EMEP Steering Body and Working Group on Effects Extended Bureau,
1–3 March 2021.
- Martin Forsius, Ulf Grandin and Maria Holmberg took part in the eLTER PPP and PLUS project meeting, held on-line 7–16 April 2021.
- The twenty-ninth meeting of the Programme Task Force on ICP Integrated Monitoring was held
on-line 13–14 April 2021.
- Maria Holmberg represented ICP IM and gave a presentation about current activities, at the ICP Modelling and Mapping Task Force meeting, held on-line 20–21 April 2021.
- Ulf Grandin represented ICP IM and gave a presentation about current activities, at the ICP Waters Task Force meeting, held on-line 28–29 April 2021.
- Ulf Grandin represented ICP IM and gave a presentation about current activities, at the ICP Forests Task Force meeting, held on-line 10–11 June 2021.
Projects, data issues
After November 1st, 2020 the National Focal Points (NFPs) reported their 2019 results to the ICP IM Programme Centre. The Programme Centre carried out standard check-up of the results and incorporated them into the IM database.
Scientific work and activities in priority topics
- A scientific paper ’Weak recovery of epiphytic lichen communities in Sweden over 20 years of rapid air pollution decline’ (Weldon & Grandin) was published. A summary of this paper is included in the Annual Report 2021
- A scientific paper ‘Assessing critical load exceedances and ecosystem impacts of anthropogenic nitrogen and sulphur deposition at unmanaged forested catchments in Europe’ (Forsius et al. 2021) was published.
A scientific paper on effects of nitrogen enrichment on forest vegetation (Weldon et al.) was submitted. This paper was prepared in co-operation with ICP Forests.
- A scientific paper on Hg and HM trends in concentrations and fluxes across ICP Integrated Monitoring sites in Europe (Eklöf et al.) is planned for 2021/2022.
- A scientific paper on impacts of internal catchment-related nitrogen parameters to total inorganic nutrient nitrogen (TIN) leaching (Vuorenmaa et al.) will be finalised in 2021.
- The Programme Centre prepared the ICP IM contribution to the 2020 Joint Progress Report on policy relevant scientific findings for the WGE (ECE/EB.AIR/GE.1/2020/3–ECE/EB.AIR/WG.1/2020/3).
- The Programme Centre and Task Force Chairs contributed to the WGE report on the revision of the Gothenburg protocol.
- Task Force Chairs together with the Programme Centre and a group of experts from the IM community developed the "IM light" concept.
Activities and tasks planned for 2021-2023
Activities/tasks related to the programme's present objectives, carried out in close collaboration with other ICPs/ Task Forces
According to the WGE work plan 2020-2021, ICP IM will produce the following reports/papers:
- Scientific paper on effects of nitrogen enrichment on forest vegetation. A cooperation between ICP IM & ICP Forests. (WGE item 1.1.1.17) manuscript submitted.
- Scientific paper on Hg and HM trends in concentrations and fluxes across ICP Integrated Monitoring sites in Europe (WGE item 1.1.1.1.6), report published in AR29, paper in preparation.
- Scientific paper on the impacts of catchment characteristics, climate and hydrology on N processes (WGE item 1.1.1.15, listed as: Scientific paper on impacts of internal catchment related nitrogen parameters to total inorganic nutrient nitrogen (TIN) leaching), report published in AR29, paper in preparation.
Suggested ICP IM activities for the WGE 2022-23 work plan:
- 2022: Operationalise and advertise “IM light” as an attractive monitoring protocol, aiming at adding more ecosystem types in the ICP IM monitoring
- 2022: Continued work on the trends in ecosystems connected to the review of the Gothenburg Protocol and questions asked from the policy groups
- 2023: Scientific paper on modelling and assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem impacts, in co-operation with e.g. Centre for Dynamic Modelling (CDM).
- Contribution to the revision process of the Gothenburg Protocol, in a coordinated process of the WGE.
Other activities
- Maintenance and development of central ICP IM database at Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) since January 2021.
- Arrangement of the 30th Task Force meeting (2022)
- Preparation of the 31st ICP IM Annual Report (2022)
- Preparation of the ICP IM contribution to assessment reports of the WGE
- Participation in meetings of the WGE and other ICPs
Activities/tasks aimed at further development of the programme
- Participation in the development of the European LTER network (Long Term Ecosystem Research Network, www.lter-europe.net) and eLTER-RI (European Research Infrastructure) after being adopted by the 2018 ESFRI Roadmap. The RI is built by the two Horizon 2020 projects “eLTER PPP” (Preparatory Phase Project) and “eLTER PLUS” (Advanced Community project)
- Participation in the activities of other external organisations, particularly the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER, www.ilternet.edu).