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Gad M, Cao M, Qin D, Sun Q, Yu CP, Hu A. Development, validation, and application of a microbial community-based index of biotic integrity for assessing the ecological status of a peri-urban watershed in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168659. [PMID: 37979863 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
This study represents the pioneering effort in employing 16S rRNA-bacteria and 18S rRNA-microeukaryotes to construct the microbial community-based index of biotic integrity (MC-IBI) for assessing the ecological health of riverine ecosystems. The MC-IBI was developed, validated, and implemented using water samples from the Changle River watershed, encompassing both wet and dry seasons. A total of 205 metrics, containing microbial diversity, composition, pollution tolerance/sensitivity, and functional categories, were selected as candidates for evaluation. Following a rigorous screening process, five core metrics were identified as key indicators, namely Pielou's evenness of microeukaryotes, %Cryptophyceae, %Proteobacteria, %Oxyphotobacteria, and % 16S rRNA gene-human pathogens. Moreover, redundancy analysis revealed three metrics (i.e., Pielou's evenness, % 16S rRNA gene-human pathogens, and % Proteobacteria) were positively correlated with impairment conditions. In contrast, two metrics (i.e., %Oxyphotobacteria and %Cryptophyceae) were associated positively with reference conditions. Notably, the developed MC-IBI demonstrates clear discrimination between reference and impaired sites and significantly correlates with environmental parameters and land use patterns. A path model analysis revealed that land use patterns (i.e., build-up land, cropland) negatively impacted the MC-IBI scores. The application of the MC-IBI method yielded an assessment of the ecological conditions at the 73 sampling locations within the Changle River watershed, assigning them into categories of "Very good" (4.1 %), "Good" (4.1 %), "Moderate" (5.5 %), "Poor" (21.9 %), and "Very poor" (64.4 %). This bioassessment framework presents an innovative approach toward the preservation, maintenance, and management of riverine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Gad
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Water Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Meixian Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dan Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Qian Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Chang-Ping Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Anyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Deborde DDD, Papa RDS, Duya MRM, Magbanua FS. Mt. Apo Biotic Index (MABI): a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index for assessing stream biotic integrity of wadeable streams within a geothermal production field in Mindanao, Philippines. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1110. [PMID: 37644340 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11743-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the ecological integrity of streams is a challenge, especially in the tropics, which experience high rates of degradation. Multimetric scoring systems have been widely used in other countries in evaluating current stream conditions; however, it has never been done in the Philippines. This study focuses on the development of a benthic macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index for the overall assessment of streams in Mt. Apo, Mindanao, Philippines. The index was used to develop existing physicochemical and biological data obtained during 2010 to 2015 surveys from 15 monitoring sites within the Mt. Apo Geothermal Project (MAGP). Metrics related to benthic macroinvertebrate abundance, richness, composition, functional habit groups, functional feeding groups, and pollution tolerance were screened for their range, temporal stability, sensitivity, discrimination efficiency (DE), redundancy, and responsiveness to anthropogenic impacts. The resulting multimetric index, the Mt. Apo Biotic Index (MABI), is computed as the sum of the individual metric scores after metric transformation using the discrete scoring method DRQ1 (D = discrete, R = reference, Q1 = 25th percentile) of the six core metrics: (1) number of Coleoptera individuals (abundance), (2) number of taxa (richness); (3) [%] Coleoptera taxa (composition), (4) number of sprawler individuals (functional habit group), (5) [%] collector-filterer taxa (functional feeding group), and (6) the Biological Monitoring Working Party Thai version (BMWP-Thai; pollution tolerance). MABI scores were classified into five condition ratings of stream biotic integrity: very poor (6 to 10), poor (11 to 15), fair (16 to 20), good (21 to 25), and excellent (26 to 30). The study demonstrated that the resulting pilot index may provide useful information that will benefit policymakers and resource managers in formulating more comprehensive stream management approaches and conservation plans for priority sites in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rey Donne S Papa
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences and the Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, 1015, Philippines
| | - Mariano Roy M Duya
- Institute of Biology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Francis S Magbanua
- Institute of Biology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
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Fagbohun IR, Akindele EO, Adedapo AM, Aliu OO. Assessment of the biological water quality and response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to thermal stress in an Afrotropical warm spring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:47755-47768. [PMID: 36740614 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater macroinvertebrates have been widely used as environmental stress indicators. However, information on their response to natural thermal stress is relatively scarce, particularly in the tropics. Using the multimetric macroinvertebrate approach, the biological water quality of the warm and cold springs of the Ikogosi Warm Spring in Nigeria was evaluated, with a view to ascertaining the response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to natural thermal stress. Macroinvertebrates and water samples were collected from the warm (stressed) and cold (less-stressed) springs, as well as the confluence stream, within the renowned Ikogosi Warm Spring of Southwest Nigeria. The less-stressed cold spring had much more dissolved oxygen than the warm spring and other thermally stressed stations but less than the warm spring and other thermally stressed stations for water temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, Ca2+, Mg2+, and water hardness. Generally, the macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness (30 species) and EPT richness (3 species) of the Ikogosi Warm Spring indicated an impaired freshwater system. Using the multimetric macroinvertebrate index (MMI), the warm spring was of poor biological water quality while the cold spring was of good biological water quality. At the confluence of both springs, the MMI declined to poor and moderate water quality. Although the thermal stress of the Ikogosi Warm Spring is natural, the government should take the necessary steps to regulate tourist activities so that the site's naturalness is preserved and the water quality is not further degraded on account of human-induced stressors such as deforestation, waste dumping, and washing activities.
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Wu J, He Y, Zhao Y, Chen K, Cui Y, Wang H. A Simple Index of Lake Ecosystem Health Based on Species-Area Models of Macrobenthos. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9678. [PMID: 35955034 PMCID: PMC9367816 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An effective biological index should meet two criteria: (1) the selected parameters have clear relationships with ecosystem health and can be measured simply by standard methods and (2) reference conditions can be defined objectively and simply. Species richness is a widely used estimate of ecosystem condition, although it is increased by nutrient enrichment, a common disturbance. Based on macrobenthos data from 91 shallow Yangtze lakes disconnected from the mainstem, we constructed an observed species (SO)-area (A) model to predict expected species richness (SE), and then developed an observed to expected index (O/E-SA) by calculating the SO/SE ratio. We then compared O/E-SA with three other commonly used indices regarding their ability to discriminate cultivated and urban lakes: (1) River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS; O/E-RF), (2) Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI), and (3) Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT). O/E-SA showed significant positive linear relationships with O/E-RF, B-IBI and ASPT. Quantile regressions showed that O/E-SA and O/E-RF had hump-shape relationships with most eutrophication metrics, whereas B-IBI and ASPT had no obvious relationships. Only O/E-SA, O/E50 and B-IBI significantly discriminated cultivated from urban lakes. O/E-SA had comparable or higher performance with O/E-RF, B-IBI and ASPT, but was much simpler. Therefore, O/E-SA is a simple and reliable index for lake ecosystem health bioassessment. Finally, a framework was proposed for integrated biological assessment of Yangtze-disconnected lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yajing He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yongjing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yongde Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hongzhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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Link M, Schreiner VC, Graf N, Szöcs E, Bundschuh M, Battes KP, Cîmpean M, Sures B, Grabner D, Buse J, Schäfer RB. Pesticide effects on macroinvertebrates and leaf litter decomposition in areas with traditional agriculture. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154549. [PMID: 35302011 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Traditional forms of agriculture have created and preserved heterogeneous landscapes characterized by semi-natural meadows and pastures, which have high conversation value for biodiversity. Landscapes in Central and Eastern European countries with traditional agriculture are a stronghold for pollinators, butterflies and amphibians, which have declined in other parts of Europe. Despite different landscape structures, agriculture-associated pesticide exposure in streams can be similarly high as in Western Europe. This raises the question whether the heterogeneous landscape can buffer a temporary water quality decline by agriculture. We investigated the influence of landscape heterogeneity and water quality, in particular pesticide exposure, on macroinvertebrate communities in 19 small streams in Central Romania. We sampled the macroinvertebrate community, assessed the ecosystem function of leaf litter decomposition and analyzed the parasite prevalence in Baetis sp. and Gammarus balcanicus. No association between pesticide toxicity towards macroinvertebrates and several macroinvertebrate metrics was found. However, the level of pesticide toxicity was generally high, constituting a rather short gradient, and the pesticide indicator SPEARpesticides implied pesticide-driven community change in all sites. Landscape heterogeneity and forested upstream sections were among the most important drivers for the macroinvertebrate metrics, indicating increased dispersal and recolonization success. Agricultural land use in the catchment was negatively associated with vulnerable macroinvertebrate taxa such as Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. G. balcanicus dominated the shredder taxa and its abundance was positively associated with the pesticide indicator SPEARpesticides. Parasite prevalence in G. balcanicus increased with extensive land use (pastures and forests), whereas it decreased with arable land. Our results suggest that heterogeneous landscapes with structures of low-intensive land use may buffer the effects of agricultural land use and facilitate dispersal and recolonization processes of pesticide-affected macroinvertebrate communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Link
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany.
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Nadin Graf
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Eduard Szöcs
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Karina P Battes
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mirela Cîmpean
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology and Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Grabner
- Aquatic Ecology and Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Jörn Buse
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
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Peeters ETHM, Gerritsen AAM, Seelen LMS, Begheyn M, Rienks F, Teurlincx S. Monitoring biological water quality by volunteers complements professional assessments. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263899. [PMID: 35213583 PMCID: PMC8880917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressively more community initiatives have been undertaken over last decades to monitor water quality. Biological data collected by volunteers has been used for biodiversity and water quality studies. Despite the many citizen science projects collecting and using macroinvertebrates, the number of scientific peer-reviewed publications that use this data, remains limited. In 2018, a citizen science project on biological water quality assessment was launched in the Netherlands. In this project, volunteers collect macroinvertebrates from a nearby waterbody, identify and count the number of specimens, and register the catch through a web portal to instantaneously receive a water quality score based on their data. Water quality monitoring in the Netherlands is traditionally the field of professionals working at water authorities. Here, we compare the data from the citizen science project with the data gathered by professionals. We evaluate information regarding type and distribution of sampled waterbodies and sampling period, and compare general patterns in both datasets with respect to collected animals and calculated water quality scores. The results show that volunteers and professionals seldomly sample the same waterbody, that there is some overlap in sampling period, and that volunteers more frequently sampled urban waters and smaller waterbodies. The citizen science project is thus yielding data about understudied waters and this spatial and temporal complementarity is useful. The character and thoroughness of the assessments by volunteers and professionals are likely to differentiate. Volunteers collected significantly lower numbers of animals per sample and fewer animals from soft sediments like worms and more mobile individuals from the open water column such as boatsmen and beetles. Due to the lack of simultaneous observations at various locations by volunteers and professionals, a direct comparison of water quality scores is impossible. However, the obtained patterns from both datasets show that the water quality scores between volunteers and professionals are dissimilar for the different water types. To bridge these differences, new tools and processes need to be further developed to increase the value of monitoring biological water quality by volunteers for professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin T. H. M. Peeters
- Chairgroup Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Laura M. S. Seelen
- Department of Planning and Monitoring, Regional Water Authority Brabantse Delta, Breda, The Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Begheyn
- Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Froukje Rienks
- Section Public Relations & Science Communication, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sven Teurlincx
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Capeletti J, Marchese MR, Zilli FL. Evaluating macroinvertebrate metrics for ecological assessment of large saline rivers (Argentina). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:66464-66476. [PMID: 34628615 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16559-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Benthic macroinvertebrates have been used around the world as indicators of the biological quality of freshwater habitats. Because of the intensive deterioration of waterbodies as a result of different land uses, indicators are used for environmental monitoring, control and remediation. The aim of this study was to assess (1) the sensitivity of taxonomical metrics and (2) functional traits to select the most appropriate for evaluating environmental impacts on rivers with high salinity and (3) to propose a multimetric index based on the selected metrics. Information from a preexisting database on twenty-eight sites in the Salado River basin (Argentina) was used. One hundred and twenty-three metrics were calculated to assess sensitivity to different land uses along the gradient of habitat condition, from low-disturbed (reference), to medium-disturbed (agricultural and industrial) and high-disturbed (agricultural, industrial and urban). This gradient was defined by available information in original articles and by quantifying the percentage of the different land uses. Filtering collectors (%), Gathering collectors (%), Ostracoda density, Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri/Total density, Naididae (%), Tubifex/Total density and Pristina/Total density were the metrics that distinguished the different land uses along the gradient of habitat condition. These metrics were used to propose a macroinvertebrate multimetric index in saline rivers: Index of Benthic Invertebrates in Saline Rivers (IBIS). Thus, this study provides a useful tool for management and monitoring of saline rivers and diagnoses of salinized environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Capeletti
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET-UNL), Ciudad Universitaria, 3000, Santa Fe, CP, Argentina.
- Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas (UNL), Ciudad Universitaria, 3000, Santa Fe, CP, Argentina.
| | - Mercedes R Marchese
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET-UNL), Ciudad Universitaria, 3000, Santa Fe, CP, Argentina
| | - Florencia L Zilli
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET-UNL), Ciudad Universitaria, 3000, Santa Fe, CP, Argentina
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You Q, Yang W, Jian M, Hu Q. A comparison of metric scoring and health status classification methods to evaluate benthic macroinvertebrate-based index of biotic integrity performance in Poyang Lake wetland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 761:144112. [PMID: 33360123 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methods for metric scoring and health status classification in development of index of biotic integrity (IBI) vary considerably across published studies. The difference between ecosystem health assessment results from these alternative methods for scoring and classification has rarely been studied systematically. Poyang Lake in China has experienced severe degradation over recent decades. Here, we aimed to develop a benthic macroinvertebrate-based index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) to assess the wetland health of Poyang Lake, and to evaluate the difference in assessment results using different methods of scoring and classification. Data on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, water quality and human-induced disturbances were collected at 30 sampling sites. Forty-nine attributes of macroinvertebrate assemblages were tested, and only the attributes that were significantly correlated with disturbance gradients or showed strong discriminatory power between reference and impaired sites were selected as the B-IBI metrics. Two scoring, two thresholding and three classification methods were applied for metric scoring and health status classification. Five assemblage attributes, i.e. the number of taxa, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, % Diptera, ASPT index and the number of predator taxa, were selected as the B-IBI metrics. Health status assessments varied considerably among the various metric scoring and classification methods, suggesting the importance of standardizing the methods for scoring and classification to be able to compare assessment results across different areas and time periods. The wetland health of Poyang Lake was rated as fair, which indicates that the wetland has experienced anthropogenic pressure and substantial changes in macroinvertebrate assemblage structure. Further, sample sites adjacent to tributary river mouths were in poor or very poor condition, suggesting that pollutant input by rivers has strong negative impacts on wetland health. Effective management of the entire lake basin and its watershed is therefore important for the wetland conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui You
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang 330022, China; School of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China.
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang 330022, China; School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China.
| | - Minfei Jian
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Qiwu Hu
- School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
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Zhang B, Hughes RM, Davis WS, Cao C. Big data challenges in overcoming China's water and air pollution: relevant data and indicators. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021; 3:469. [PMID: 33855273 PMCID: PMC7983073 DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04448-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Big data are potentially useful for environmental management planning and actions that can be directed toward pollution control. China is using big data approaches to help reduce its current levels of pollution. However, also needed are better environmental indicators, measurement technologies, data management and reporting, and adaptive management and enforcement. Based on continental-extent monitoring and assessment programs in Europe and the USA, we recommend three major programmatic changes for China. (1) Establish long-term systemic environmental and human health objectives and indicators. (2) Adopt national standard methods for survey designs, sampling and analytical protocols, statistical analyses, and collaborative sampling programs. (3) Provide a transparent process for reporting and correcting data errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Information Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute, Corvallis, OR USA
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR USA
| | | | - Cong Cao
- University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China
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Asatryan V, Dallakyan M. Principles to develop a simplified multimetric index for the assessment of the ecological status of Armenian rivers on example of the Arpa River system. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:195. [PMID: 33728482 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-08994-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Government of the Republic of Armenia (RA) strives to ensure the measures to achieve good ecological status for Armenian surface water bodies. However, the main goal remains unaccomplished, as the hydro-biological monitoring tools are not properly developed. Thus, the current work aims at contributing to the establishment of principles and a relevant and cost-effective biological monitoring tool for the RA aquatic ecosystems, through the development of a simplified multimetric index (MMI). Since the adoption of the decree N° 927-N from 11 Jun 2011, the baseline studies have been initiated in the six river basin management areas established in the RA. The current work is summing up the results for the Arpa River system in order to test the methodology. In particular, it is testing the possibility to develop MMI based on the use of Rapid Biological Assessment protocol accepted in our monitoring system. Also, the work represents the approach of bottom-up biotic validation of reference sites established in the recent hydro-biologic monitoring system. Due to the proposed validation procedure, further use of one of the established reference sites in the case study object has been rejected. Considering well-established approaches for MMI development in EU member states, four variations of MMI were developed for a particular river system, and the combination of Ntaxa-%EPT-Abundance(ind/m2)-BMWP-ASPT-FBI-Nfamily metrics has been proposed as the main one. However, further development of a river typology and the establishment of joint reference conditions in the Caucasus region have concluded as a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Asatryan
- Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology of SCZHE of NAS of RA, 7 P.Sevak str, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
| | - Marine Dallakyan
- Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology of SCZHE of NAS of RA, 7 P.Sevak str, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
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An Assessment of Lake Ecology on the Basis of the Macrobenthos Multi-Metric Index (MMI) in 11 Lakes in the Western Region of Jilin, China. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13020235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The western region of Jilin Province is located at the northeastern part of China. A large number of lakes are distributed in this region, where is one of five large lake regions within China, supporting both drinking water and agricultural water. The frequent human activities and scarce rainfall in this region have resulted in weaker lake connectivity and enrichment of the pollutants within the lakes. The lake ecosystems in the region have been degraded to varying degrees, and thus it is necessary to assess its ecological health. Macrobenthos multi-metric index (MMI) is a mature ecological health assessment method that has been widely used in the lake ecosystem assessment all over the world. However, it has not been well developed for assessing the lake water ecosystem in China. In this study, 11 lakes affected by human activities to different degrees were selected as the research objects. They were categorized into three types on the basis of trophic level. Through the comparison and screening of different biological indicators among different lake types, we selected appropriate indicators to construct the MMI. Four core indicators were selected from 58 candidate indicators to construct the MMI: the total number of taxa, Simpson index, percentage of Diptera + Mesogastropod, and percentage of pollution-intolerant species. MMI could distinguish lakes that are seriously and slightly disturbed by humans. The results of regression analysis also showed that the degree of lake eutrophication caused by human activities had a significant correlation with MMI, effectively explaining its changes. MMI can characterize the disturbance and influence of eutrophication on macrobenthos. The results of MMI can also be affected by the land use type and the coverage of aquatic vegetation around the lake, which are important factors affecting the ecological health of the lake. Research on the application of MMI method to assessment of the ecological health of lakes is very rare in Northeast China. This research can provide supplementary information beyond the traditional water environment assessment for the formulation of management strategies.
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Ligeiro R, Hughes RM, Kaufmann PR, Heino J, Melo AS, Callisto M. Choice of field and laboratory methods affects the detection of anthropogenic disturbances using stream macroinvertebrate assemblages. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2020; 115:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106382. [PMID: 34121931 PMCID: PMC8193819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Accurate and precise detection of anthropogenic impacts on stream ecosystems using macroinvertebrates as biological indicators depends on the use of appropriate field and laboratory methods. We assessed the responsiveness to anthropogenic disturbances of assemblage metrics and composition by comparing commonly employed alternative combinations of field sampling and individuals counting methods. Four datasets were derived by, in the field 1) conducting multihabitat sampling (MH) or 2) targeting samples in leaf packs (single-habitat sampling - SH) and, in the laboratory A) counting all individuals of the samples, or B) simulating subsampling of 300 individuals per sample. We collected our data from 39 headwater stream sites in a drainage basin located in the Brazilian Cerrado. We used a previously published quantitative integrated disturbance index (IDI), based on both local and catchment disturbance measurements, to characterize the intensity of anthropogenic alterations at each site. Family richness and % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (% EPT) individuals obtained from each dataset were tested against the IDI through simple linear regressions, and the differences in assemblage composition between least- and most-disturbed sites was tested using Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA). When counting all individuals, differences in taxonomic richness and assemblage composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages between least- and most-disturbed sites were more pronounced in the MH than in the SH sampling method. Leaf packs seemed to concentrate high abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates in highly disturbed sites, acting as 'biodiversity hotbeds' in these situations, which likely reduced the response of the assemblages to the disturbance gradient when this substrate was targeted. However, MH sampling produced weaker results than SH when subsampling was performed. The % EPT individuals responded better to the disturbance gradient when SH was employed, and its efficiency was not affected by the subsampling procedure. We conclude that no single method was the best in all situations, and the efficiency of a sampling protocol depends on the combination of field and laboratory methods being used. Although the total count of individuals with multihabitat sampling obtained the best results for most of the evaluated variables, the decision of which procedures to use depends on the amount of time and resources available, on the variables of interest, on the availability of habitat types in the sites sampled, and on the other methods being employed in the sampling protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Ligeiro
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Av. Augusto Correia 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute and Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, 97331, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Philip R. Kaufmann
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Public Health & Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35 Street, 97333, Corvallis, Oregon, USA, and Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, 97331, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Jani Heino
- Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre, Paavo Havaksen Tie 3, 90570, Oulu, Finland
| | - Adriano S. Melo
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP 30161-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Herlihy AT, Sifneos JC, Hughes RM, Peck DV, Mitchell RM. The Relation of Lotic Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Condition Indices to Environmental Factors Across the Conterminous USA. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2020; 112:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105958. [PMID: 33628123 PMCID: PMC7898157 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
National and regional ecological assessments are essential for making rational decisions concerning water body conservation and management at those spatial extents. We analyzed data from 4597 samples collected from 3420 different sites across the conterminous USA during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 National Rivers and Streams Assessment. We evaluated the relationship between both fish and macroinvertebrate multimetric index (MMI) condition scores and 38 environmental factors to assess the relative importance of natural versus anthropogenic predictors, contrast site-scale versus watershed-scale predictors, and examine ecoregional and assemblage differences. We found that most of the environmental factors we examined were related to either fish and/or macroinvertebrate MMI scores in some fashion and that the factors involved, and strength of the relationship, varied by ecoregion and between assemblages. Factors more associated with natural conditions were usually less important in explaining MMI scores than factors more directly associated with anthropogenic disturbances. Local site-scale factors explained more variation than watershed-scale factors. Random forest and multiple regression models performed similarly, and the fish MMI-environment relationships were stronger than macroinvertebrate MMI-environment relationships. Among ecoregions, the strongest environmental relationships were observed in the Northern Appalachians and the weakest in the Southern Plains. The fish and macroinvertebrate MMIs were only weakly correlated with each other, and they generally responded more strongly to different groups of variables. These results support the use of multiple assemblages and the sampling of multiple environmental indicators in ecological assessments across large spatial extents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean C. Sifneos
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute & Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - David V. Peck
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, Oregon 97333, USA
| | - Richard M. Mitchell
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, MC 4502T, Washington, DC 20460
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Moon WK, Atique U, An KG. "Ecological risk assessments and eco-toxicity analyses using chemical, biological, physiological responses, DNA damages and gene-level biomarkers in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in an urban stream". CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 239:124754. [PMID: 31726531 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We conducted the ecological risk assessment in an urban stream by using multiple-level approaches ranging from community level, chemical analyses in water and sediments, physiological assays of DNA biomarkers, embryonic development tests, and gene-level marker analyses of cyp1a, c-Fos, CRH, transgenic fli1:GFP and HuC:eGFP in zebrafish (Danio rerio). In water, the chemical perturbations based on nutrients (N,P), organic matter, ionic contents and metals identified in downstream zone. Analogous corroborations verified in sediment samples having hazardous metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Cd). The chemical contaminations reflected significant damages in fish DNA, based on tDNA, tail length (TL), and tail extent moment (TEM). Zebrafish embryonic development experiments significantly enlightened the chemical contaminants in downstream compared to those in control and reference conditions. Hatching and survival rates rigorously declined in downstream region. Embryonic development delayed and followed by death in the downstream substantiated by the above-mentioned findings. Similar were the findings on heart rate and pigmentation largely affected in the contaminated zone. Pollutants in urban stream reflected significantly at the gene level, and were corroborated through experiments using transgenic zebrafish strains that were influenced by pollutants during the process of occurrence. In conclusion, these studies illuminate the community to gene-level ecological health assessment that could be useful for ecological risk assessments of urban streams and rivers. Further, the gene-level biomarkers and transgenic zebrafish experiments combination propose the procedures could be effectively used as sensitive and efficient biomarkers of ecological health and risk assessment in urban streams from community to gene-level assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Ki Moon
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Usman Atique
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kwang-Guk An
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
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Food Shortage Amplifies Negative Sublethal Impacts of Low-Level Exposure to the Neonicotinoid Insecticide Imidacloprid on Stream Mayfly Nymphs. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w11102142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Interactions of pesticides with biotic or anthropogenic stressors affecting stream invertebrates are still poorly understood. In a three-factor laboratory experiment, we investigated effects of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, food availability, and population density on the New Zealand mayfly Deleatidium spp. (Leptophlebiidae). Larval mayflies (10 or 20 individuals) were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of imidacloprid (controls, 0.97 and 2.67 μg L−1) for nine days following five days during which individuals were either starved or fed with stream algae. Imidacloprid exposure had severe lethal and sublethal effects on Deleatidium, with effects of the lower concentration occurring later in the experiment. The starvation period had delayed interactive effects, with prior starvation amplifying imidacloprid-induced increases in mayfly impairment (inability to swim or right themselves) and immobility (no signs of movement besides twitching appendages). Few studies have investigated interactions with other stressors that may worsen neonicotinoid impacts on non-target freshwater organisms, and experiments manipulating food availability or density-dependent processes are especially rare. Therefore, we encourage longer-term multiple-stressor experiments that build on our study, including mesocosm experiments involving realistic stream food webs.
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Cui WY, Guo SY, Meng XZ, Kong FQ. Application of Adapted Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) for River Ecosystem Health Assessment in Zhanghe River Watershed, China. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2018.66.4.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yan Cui
- Haihe River Water Environmental Monitoring Center, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Shu-Ying Guo
- Haihe River Water Resources Protection Bureau, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Xian-Zhi Meng
- Haihe River Water Environmental Monitoring Center, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Fan-Qing Kong
- Haihe River Water Environmental Monitoring Center, Tianjin 300170, China
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Oliveira RBDSD, Mugnai R, Pereira PDS, Souza NFD, Baptista DF. A predictive multimetric index based on macroinvetebrates for Atlantic Forest wadeable streams assessment. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Multimetric Indices (MMIs) have been widely applied for ecological assessment in freshwater ecosystems. Most MMIs face difficulties when scaling up from small spatial scales because larger scales usually encompass great environmental variability. Covariance of anthropogenic pressures with natural environmental gradients can be a confounding factor in assessing biologic responses to anthropogenic pressures. This study presents the development and validation of a predictive multimetric index to assess the ecological condition of Atlantic Forest wadeable streams using benthic macroinvertebrates. To do so, we sampled 158 sites for the index development. We adjusted each biological metric to natural variation through multiple regression analyses (stepwise-forward) and considered that the residual distribution describes the metric variation in the absence of natural environmental influence. For metric selection we considered normal distribution, variation explained by the models, redundancy between metrics and sensitivity to differentiate reference from impaired sites. We selected five metrics to the final index: total richness, %MOLD, %Coleoptera, EPT richness and Chironomidae abundance. The residuals were transformed into probabilities and the final index was obtained through the mean of these probabilities. This index performed well in discriminating the impairment gradient and it showed a high correlation (r = 0.85, p <0.001) with a specific index developed for a particular basin indicating a similar sensitivity. This index can be used to assess wadeable streams ecological condition in Atlantic Forest biome, so we believe that this type of approach represents an important step towards the application of biomonitoring tools in Brazil.
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Shull DR, Smith ZM, Selckmann GM. Development of a benthic macroinvertebrate multimetric index for large semiwadeable rivers in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2018; 191:22. [PMID: 30564909 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-7153-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To meet the objective of protecting water quality standards outlined in the US Clean Water Act, many agencies and organizations have created standardized biological assessment methods to evaluate aquatic ecosystem integrity. However, few Mid-Atlantic states have assessment methods specifically designed for rivers with drainage areas ≥ 2600 km2. Most rivers in this region fall into a semiwadeable category, where both wadeable and nonwadeable biological collection methods are difficult to implement. Additionally, these rivers often transcend state boundaries, which hinder consistent assessment determinations between states. Consequently, we developed a benthic macroinvertebrate assessment tool using a modified wadeable collection method for large semiwadeable rivers that can be used across state lines. Our results indicate that the two multimetric indices we developed (summer and autumn) are uniquely effective at distinguishing between least disturbed and stressed environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Shull
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, USA.
| | - Zachary M Smith
- Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, 30 West Gude Drive Suite 450, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Gordon M Selckmann
- Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, 30 West Gude Drive Suite 450, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
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Jackson JK, Funk DH. Temperature affects acute mayfly responses to elevated salinity: implications for toxicity of road de-icing salts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 374:rstb.2018.0081. [PMID: 30509923 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Salinity in freshwater ecosystems has increased significantly at numerous locations throughout the world, and this increase often reflects the use or production of salts from road de-icing, mining/oil and gas drilling activities, or agricultural production. When related to de-icing salts, highest salinity often occurs in winter when water temperature is often low relative to mean annual temperature at a site. Our study examined acute (96 h) responses to elevated salinity (NaCl) concentrations at five to seven temperature treatments (5-25°C) for four mayfly species (Baetidae: Neocloeon triangulifer, Procloeon fragile; Heptageniidae: Maccaffertium modestum; Leptophlebiidae: Leptophlebia cupida) that are widely distributed across eastern North America. Based on acute LC50s at 20°C, P. fragile was most sensitive (LC50 = 767 mg l-1, 1447 µS cm-1), followed by N. triangulifer (2755 mg l-1, 5104 µS cm-1), M. modestum (2760 mg l-1, 5118 µS cm-1) and L. cupida (4588 mg l-1, 8485 µS cm-1). Acute LC50s decreased as temperature increased for all four species (n = 5-7, R 2 = 0.65-0.88, p = 0.052-0.002). Thus, acute salt toxicity is strongly temperature dependent for the mayfly species we tested, which suggests that brief periods of elevated salinity during cold seasons or in colder locations may be ecologically less toxic than predicted by standard 20 or 25°C laboratory bioassays.This article is part of the theme issue 'Salt in freshwaters: causes, ecological consequences and future prospects'.
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Affiliation(s)
- John K Jackson
- Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311, USA
| | - David H Funk
- Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311, USA
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Li Y, Yang N, Qian B, Yang Z, Liu D, Niu L, Zhang W. Development of a bacteria-based index of biotic integrity (Ba-IBI) for assessing ecological health of the Three Gorges Reservoir in different operation periods. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 640-641:255-263. [PMID: 29859441 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It is urgently needed to quantitatively assess ecological health of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) when considering its special environmental conditions and temporal variations caused by reservoir operation. This study developed a bacteria-based index of biotic integrity (Ba-IBI) based on sediment samples collected along the TGR in low water level period, impoundment period and sluicing period, respectively. Reference conditions were defined using 8 ecological variables describing the hydromorphology and anthropogenic disturbances around the sites. Five core metrics, including % Acidobacteria, % Gemmatimonadetes, % Geobacter, Methanotroph and Phototroph, were selected after the screening processes. The developed index could clearly discriminate reference and impaired conditions and exhibited significant relationship with environmental parameters according to the redundancy (p < 0.01) and multivariable linear regression analysis (R2 = 0.76). By implementing Ba-IBI in the TGR, the ecological health of the sampling sites was defined as "Excellent" (25%), "Good" (50%) and "Fair" (25%) separately. The spatial variation of biotic integrity was closely associated with environmental and ecological changes, especially the increase of nutrient concentrations. This study revealed a significant tendency that the ecological health in the low water level and sluicing periods was better than that in the impoundment period, which could be attributed to the hydrodynamic changes due to water level fluctuation. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of ecological health of the TGR in different operation periods and the index offers a guideline for the reservoir regulation in the similar areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Nan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Bao Qian
- Hydrology Bureau of Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan, Hubei 430010, PR China
| | - Zhengjian Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration of River-lakes and Algal Utilization, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Defu Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration of River-lakes and Algal Utilization, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Lihua Niu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Wenlong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China.
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Linares MS, Callisto M, Marques JC. Compliance of secondary production and eco-exergy as indicators of benthic macroinvertebrates assemblages' response to canopy cover conditions in Neotropical headwater streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 613-614:1543-1550. [PMID: 28882459 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Riparian vegetation cover influences benthic assemblages structure and functioning in headwater streams, as it regulates light availability and autochthonous primary production in these ecosystems.Secondary production, diversity, and exergy-based indicators were applied in capturing how riparian cover influences the structure and functioning of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in tropical headwater streams. Four hypotheses were tested: (1) open canopy will determine the occurrence of higher diversity in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages; (2) streams with open canopy will exhibit more complex benthic macroinvertebrate communities (in terms of information embedded in the organisms' biomass); (3) in streams with open canopy benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages will be more efficient in using the available resources to build structure, which will be reflected by higher eco-exergy values; (4) benthic assemblages in streams with open canopy will exhibit more secondary productivity. We selected eight non-impacted headwater streams, four shaded and four with open canopy, all located in the Neotropical savannah (Cerrado) of southeastern Brazil. Open canopy streams consistently exhibited significantly higher eco-exergy and instant secondary production values, exemplifying that these streams may support more complex and productive benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Nevertheless, diversity indices and specific eco-exergy were not significantly different in shaded and open canopy streams. Since all the studied streams were selected for being considered as non-impacted, this suggests that the potential represented by more available food resources was not used to build a more complex dissipative structure. These results illustrate the role and importance of the canopy cover characteristics on the structure and functioning of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in tropical headwater streams, while autochthonous production appears to play a crucial role as food source for benthic macroinvertebrates. This study also highlights the possible application of thermodynamic based indicators as tools to guide environmental managers in developing and implementing policies in the neotropical savannah.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marden Seabra Linares
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, CP 486, CEP31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, CP 486, CEP31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - João Carlos Marques
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, DCV, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
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Camp AA, Buchwalter DB. Can't take the heat: Temperature-enhanced toxicity in the mayfly Isonychia bicolor exposed to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 178:49-57. [PMID: 27471044 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoid insecticide usage has increased globally in recent decades. Neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, are potent insect neurotoxicants that may pose a threat to non-target aquatic organisms, such as aquatic insects. In nature, insects typically live in thermally fluctuating conditions, which may significantly alter both contaminant exposures and affects. Here we investigate the relationship between temperature and time-to-effect for imidacloprid toxicity with the aquatic insect Isonychia bicolor, a lotic mayfly. Additionally, we examined the mechanisms driving temperature-enhanced toxicity including metabolic rate, imidacloprid uptake rate, and tissue bioconcentration. Experiments included acute toxicity tests utilizing sublethal endpoints and mortality, as well as respirometry and radiotracer assays with [(14)C] imidacloprid. Further, we conducted additional uptake experiments with a suite of aquatic invertebrates (including I. bicolor, Neocloeon triangulifer, Macaffertium modestum, Pteronarcys proteus, Acroneuria carolinensis, and Pleuroceridae sp) to confirm and contextualize our findings from initial experiments. The 96h EC50 (immobility) for I. bicolor at 15°C was 5.81μg/L which was approximately 3.2 fold lower than concentrations associated with 50% mortality. Assays examining the impact of temperature were conducted at 15, 18, 21, and 24°C and demonstrated that time-to-effect for sublethal impairment and immobility was significantly decreased with increasing temperature. Uptake experiments with [(14)C] imidacloprid revealed that initial uptake rates were significantly increased with increasing temperature for I. bicolor, as were oxygen consumption rates. Further, in the separate experiment with multiple species across temperatures 15, 20, and 25°C, we found that all the aquatic insects tested had significantly increased imidacloprid uptake with increasing temperatures, with N. triangulifer accumulating the most imidacloprid on a mass-specific basis. Our acute toxicity results highlight the importance of evaluating sublethal endpoints, as profound impairments of motor function were evident far before mortality. Further, we demonstrate that temperature is a powerful modulator of sublethal toxicity within a range of environmentally relevant temperatures, impacting both uptake rates and metabolic rates of I. bicolor. Finally, we show that temperature alters imidacloprid uptake across a range of species, highlighting the physiological variation present within aquatic invertebrate communities and the challenge associated with relying solely on surrogate species. Taken together, this research points to the need to consider the role of temperature in toxicity assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Camp
- North Carolina State University, 850 Main Campus Drive Box 7633, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - D B Buchwalter
- North Carolina State University, 850 Main Campus Drive Box 7633, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Silva DRO, Ligeiro R, Hughes RM, Callisto M. The role of physical habitat and sampling effort on estimates of benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness at basin and site scales. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2016; 188:340. [PMID: 27165604 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5326-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Taxonomic richness is one of the most important measures of biological diversity in ecological studies, including those with stream macroinvertebrates. However, it is impractical to measure the true richness of any site directly by sampling. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of sampling effort on estimates of macroinvertebrate family and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) genera richness at two scales: basin and stream site. In addition, we tried to determine which environmental factors at the site scale most influenced the amount of sampling effort needed. We sampled 39 sites in the Cerrado biome (neotropical savanna). In each site, we obtained 11 equidistant samples of the benthic assemblage and multiple physical habitat measurements. The observed basin-scale richness achieved a consistent estimation from Chao 1, Jack 1, and Jack 2 richness estimators. However, at the site scale, there was a constant increase in the observed number of taxa with increased number of samples. Models that best explained the slope of site-scale sampling curves (representing the necessity of greater sampling effort) included metrics that describe habitat heterogeneity, habitat structure, anthropogenic disturbance, and water quality, for both macroinvertebrate family and EPT genera richness. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering basin- and site-scale sampling effort in ecological surveys and that taxa accumulation curves and richness estimators are good tools for assessing sampling efficiency. The physical habitat explained a significant amount of the sampling effort needed. Therefore, future studies should explore the possible implications of physical habitat characteristics when developing sampling objectives, study designs, and calculating the needed sampling effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Déborah R O Silva
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 30161-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Raphael Ligeiro
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Robert M Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Nash Hall, 97331-4501, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 30161-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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A landscape-based predictive approach for running water quality assessment: A Mediterranean case study. J Nat Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Weaver PC, Lazorchak JM, Struewing KA, DeCelles SJ, Funk DH, Buchwalter DB, Johnson BR. Part 1: Laboratory culture of Centroptilum triangulifer (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) using a defined diet of three diatoms. CHEMOSPHERE 2015; 139:589-596. [PMID: 24894451 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.04.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Development of methods for assessing exposure and effects of waterborne toxicants on stream invertebrate species is important to elucidate environmentally relevant information. Current protocols for freshwater invertebrate toxicity testing almost exclusively utilize cladocerans, amphipods or chironomids rather than the more typical aquatic insect taxa found in lotic systems. Centroptilum triangulifer is a parthenogenetic mayfly occurring in depositional habitats of streams and rivers of the Eastern U.S. and Canada. C. triangulifer is an ideal stream insect for toxicity testing under field and laboratory conditions because of its short life cycle, parthenogenetic mode of reproduction, and it represents a group considered sensitive to environmental stressors. In this study, a colony of C. triangulifer was reared using a defined diet of three diatoms, Mayamaea atomus var. permitis, Nitzschia cf. pusilla, and Achnanthidium minutissimum. Percent survival (⩾80%), fecundity measurements (⩾1000 eggs) and pre-egg laying weights were used as indicators of overall colony health and fitness in our laboratory water (Lab-line) and in Moderately Hard Reconstituted Water (MHRW). Lab-line reared C. triangulifer had average survival rate of 92.69% for eleven generations and 82.99% over thirteen generations. MHRW reared C. triangulifer had an average survival rate of 80.65% for four generations and three generations of fecundities greater than 1000 eggs per individual. Pre-egg laying weight and fecundity were highly correlated and a best-fit model equation was derived to estimate egg counts for future generations. Establishment of this culturing protocol provides a more ecologically relevant species for toxicity testing and aids in further stressor identification for stream bioassessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Weaver
- The McConnell Group, 26 W. MLK Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - James M Lazorchak
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. MLK Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States.
| | | | - Susanna J DeCelles
- The McConnell Group, 26 W. MLK Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - David H Funk
- Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, PA, United States
| | | | - Brent R Johnson
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. MLK Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
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Kusnierz PC, Holbrook CM, Feldman DL. An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:511. [PMID: 26189618 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Managers of aquatic resources benefit from indices of habitat quality that are reproducible and easy to measure, demonstrate a link between habitat quality and biota health, and differ between human-impacted (i.e., managed) and reference (i.e., nonimpacted or minimally impacted) conditions. The instability index (ISI) is an easily measured index that describes the instability of a streambed by relating the tractive force of a stream at bankfull discharge to the median substrate size. Previous studies have linked ISI to biological condition but have been limited to comparisons of sites within a single stream or among a small number of streams. We tested ISI as an indicator of human impact to habitat and biota in mountain streams of the northwestern USA. Among 1428 sites in six northwestern states, ISI was correlated with other habitat measures (e.g., residual pool depth, percent fine sediment) and indices of biotic health (e.g., number of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa, fine sediment biotic index) and differed between managed and reference sites across a range of stream types and ecoregions. While ISI could be useful in mountain streams throughout the world, this index may be of particular interest to aquatic resource managers in the northwestern USA where a large dataset, from which ISI can be calculated, exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Kusnierz
- Montana Department of Environmental Quality, 1520 E. Sixth Ave., Helena, MT, 59620, USA,
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Lau JK, Lauer TE. Nationwide benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage multimetric indices: identifying inconsistencies and limitations in reporting stream impairment status, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 56:11-23. [PMID: 25832346 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0478-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify the current status of stream water-quality assessment and reporting methods for four states in the Ohio River basin (Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia), as required by the 305(b) section of the United States (US) Clean Water Act. Specifically, we clarified the discrepancies that exist among stream-impairment status classified by benthic macroinvertebrate multimetric indices (MMIs) and depicted using Geographic Information Systems shapefiles. In addition, we provided guidance in solving some of the comparability problems that arise when developing state-specific MMIs and depicting stream-impairment status using Geographic Information Systems technology. The MMI variation among states and differences in shapefile formats resulted in a nationwide dataset, which cannot be directly compared. Incorporating the changes suggested in this study allow for a uniform assessment and reporting method nationwide. Successful implementation of these changes would strengthen the US Environmental Protection Agency efforts to identify impaired streams and sources of those impairments without the limitations of state-by-state .developed assessment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Lau
- Department of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA,
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Mahan CG, Young JA, Miller BJ, Saunders MC. Using ecological indicators and a decision support system for integrated ecological assessment at two national park units in the mid-Atlantic region, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 55:508-522. [PMID: 25371192 PMCID: PMC4318981 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-014-0391-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)-national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks' conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a -1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape-we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn G Mahan
- The Pennsylvania State University, 209 Hawthorn Building, Altoona, PA, USA,
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Buss DF, Carlisle DM, Chon TS, Culp J, Harding JS, Keizer-Vlek HE, Robinson WA, Strachan S, Thirion C, Hughes RM. Stream biomonitoring using macroinvertebrates around the globe: a comparison of large-scale programs. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:4132. [PMID: 25487459 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-4132-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Water quality agencies and scientists are increasingly adopting standardized sampling methodologies because of the challenges associated with interpreting data derived from dissimilar protocols. Here, we compare 13 protocols for monitoring streams from different regions and countries around the globe. Despite the spatially diverse range of countries assessed, many aspects of bioassessment structure and protocols were similar, thereby providing evidence of key characteristics that might be incorporated in a global sampling methodology. Similarities were found regarding sampler type, mesh size, sampling period, subsampling methods, and taxonomic resolution. Consistent field and laboratory methods are essential for merging data sets collected by multiple institutions to enable large-scale comparisons. We discuss the similarities and differences among protocols and present current trends and future recommendations for monitoring programs, especially for regions where large-scale protocols do not yet exist. We summarize the current state in one of these regions, Latin America, and comment on the possible development path for these techniques in this region. We conclude that several aspects of stream biomonitoring need additional performance evaluation (accuracy, precision, discriminatory power, relative costs), particularly when comparing targeted habitat (only the commonest habitat type) versus site-wide sampling (multiple habitat types), appropriate levels of sampling and processing effort, and standardized indicators to resolve dissimilarities among biomonitoring methods. Global issues such as climate change are creating an environment where there is an increasing need to have universally consistent data collection, processing and storage to enable large-scale trend analysis. Biomonitoring programs following standardized methods could aid international data sharing and interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Buss
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,
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Wu W, Xu Z, Yin X, Zuo D. Assessment of ecosystem health based on fish assemblages in the Wei River basin, China. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2014; 186:3701-3716. [PMID: 24535402 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-3651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In the Wei River basin, the ecosystem is gradually deteriorating due to the rapid growth of the population and the development of economies. It is thus important to assess the ecosystem health and take measures to restore the damaged ecosystem. In this study, an index of biotic integrity (IBI) for fish was developed to aid the conservation of the ecosystem based on a calibration data set. An index of water and habitat quality (IWHQ) was calculated based on environmental variables and habitat quality (QHEI) to identify the environmental degradation in the studied sites. The least degraded sites (IWHQ ≤ 2; W1, W5, W10, W12, W13, W14, and W16) were chosen as the reference sites. Six metrics that are sensitive to environmental degradation were utilized to differentiate the reference and the impaired sites using statistical methods. These metrics included the number of species (P1), the total biomass (P2), the number of Cobitidae species (P8), the proportion of species in the middle and low tiers (P10), the proportion of individuals that were classified as sensitive species (P25), and number of individuals in the sample (P39). A continuous scoring method was used to score the six metrics, and four classes were defined to characterize the ecosystem health of the Wei River basin. The fact that the overall IBI scores were negatively correlated with the index of environmental quality (IWHQ) based on the validation data set indicated that the index should be useful for biomonitoring and the conservation of biodiversity. According to the results, more than half of the sites were classified as poor or very poor. The ecosystem health in the Wei River was better than that in the Jing River and the Beiluo River, and this study will be a great reference for water resources management and ecosystem restoration in the Wei River basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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31
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Baptista DF, Henriques-Oliveira AL, Oliveira RBS, Mugnai R, Nessimian JL, Buss DF. Development of a benthic multimetric index for the Serra da Bocaina bioregion in Southeast Brazil. BRAZ J BIOL 2013; 73:573-83. [PMID: 24212698 DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842013000300015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brazil faces a challenge to develop biomonitoring tools to be used in water quality assessment programs, but few multimetric indices were developed so far. This study is part of an effort to test and implement programs using benthic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators in Rio de Janeiro State. Our aim was first to test the Multimetric Index for Serra dos Órgãos (SOMI) for a different area - Serra da Bocaina (SB) - in the same ecoregion. We sampled 27 streams of different sizes and altitudes in the SB region. Despite the environmental similarities, results indicated biological differences between reference sites of the two regions. Considering these differences, we decided to develop an index specific for the SB region, the Serra da Bocaina Multimetric Index (MISB). We tested twenty-two metrics for sensitivity to impairment and redundancy, and six metrics were considered valid to integrate the MISB: Family Richness, Trichoptera Richness, % Coleoptera, % Diptera, IBE-IOC index, EPT / Chironomidae ratio. A test of the MISB in eleven sites indicated it was more related to land-use and water physico-chemical parameters than with altitude or stream width, being a useful tool for the monitoring and assessment of streams in the bioregion.
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Ligeiro R, Ferreira W, Hughes RM, Callisto M. The problem of using fixed-area subsampling methods to estimate macroinvertebrate richness: a case study with Neotropical stream data. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2013; 185:4077-4085. [PMID: 22930188 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2850-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Subsampling has been widely applied in the laboratory to process freshwater macroinvertebrate samples. Currently, many governmental agencies and research groups apply the fixed-count approach, targeting a number of individuals per sample, and at the same time keeping track of the number of quadrats (fraction of the sample) processed. However, fixed-area methods are still in use. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the reliability of macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness estimates developed from processing a standard number of subsampling quadrats (i.e., fixed-area approaches). We used a dataset from 18 tropical stream sites experiencing three different levels of human disturbance (most-, intermediate-, and least-disturbed). With 12 quadrats processed (half the sample), the collection curves started to stabilize, and for more than half of the sites studied, it was possible to sample at least 80 % of the total taxonomic richness of the sample. However, we observed that the minimum number of quadrats to achieve 80 % of taxonomic richness was strongly negatively correlated with the number of individuals collected in each site: the fewer the individuals in a sample, the greater the processed proportion of that sample needed to represent it properly. Thus our results indicate that for any given areal subsampling effort (any fixed fraction of the sample), samples with different numbers of individuals will be represented differently in terms of the proportion of the total number of taxa of the whole samples, those with greater numbers being overestimated and those with fewer numbers being underestimated. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of fixed-area subsampling methods alone if the main purpose is to measure and analyze taxonomic richness; instead, we encourage researchers to use fixed-count approaches for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Ligeiro
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Pond GJ, Bailey JE, Lowman BM, Whitman MJ. Calibration and validation of a regionally and seasonally stratified macroinvertebrate index for West Virginia wadeable streams. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2013; 185:1515-1540. [PMID: 22580746 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Multimetric indices (MMIs) are routinely used by federal, state, and tribal entities to assess the quality of aquatic resources. Because of their diversity, abundance, ubiquity, and sensitivity to environmental stress, benthic macroinvertebrates are well suited for MMIs. West Virginia has used a statewide family-level stream condition index (WVSCI) since 2002. We describe the development, validation, and application of a geographically- and seasonally partitioned genus-level index of most probable stream status (GLIMPSS) for West Virginia wadeable streams. Natural classification strata were evaluated with reference site communities using mean similarity analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination. Forty-one metrics spanning six ecological categories (richness, composition, tolerance, dominance, trophic groups, and habits) were evaluated for sensitivity, responsiveness, redundancy, range and variability across seasonal (spring and summer) and regional (mountains and plateau) strata. Through a step-wise metric selection process, 8-10 metrics were aggregated to comprise four stratum-specific GLIMPSS models (mountain/plateau and spring/summer). A comparison of GLIMPSS with WVSCI exhibited marked improvements where GLIMPSS detecting greater stream impacts. A variation of the GLIMPSS, which differs only in the family-level taxonomic identification of Chironomidae (GLIMPSS (CF)), was comparable to the full GLIMPSS. These MMIs are robust yet practical tools for evaluating impacts to water quality, instream and riparian habitat, and aquatic wildlife in wadeable riffle-run streams based on sensitivity, responsiveness, precision, and independent validation. These models may be used effectively to detect degradation of the naturally occurring benthic community, assess causes of biological degradation, and plan and evaluate remediation of damaged stream ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Pond
- Office of Monitoring and Assessment, Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1060 Chapline St, Wheeling, WV 26003, USA.
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Lunde KB, Resh VH. Development and validation of a macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI) for assessing urban impacts to Northern California freshwater wetlands. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2012; 184:3653-3674. [PMID: 21823050 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2214-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2010] [Accepted: 06/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite California policies requiring assessment of ambient wetland condition and compensatory wetland mitigations, no intensive monitoring tools have been developed to evaluate freshwater wetlands within the state. Therefore, we developed standardized, wadeable field methods to sample macroinvertebrate communities and evaluated 40 wetlands across Northern California to develop a macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI). A priori reference sites were selected with minimal urban impacts, representing a best-attainable condition. We screened 56 macroinvertebrate metrics for inclusion in the IBI based on responsiveness to percent urbanization. Eight final metrics were selected for inclusion in the IBI: percent three dominant taxa; scraper richness; percent Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera (EOT); EOT richness; percent Tanypodinae/Chironomidae; Oligochaeta richness; percent Coleoptera; and predator richness. The IBI (potential range 0-100) demonstrated significant discriminatory power between the reference (mean = 69) and impacted wetlands (mean = 28). It also declined with increasing percent urbanization (R (2) = 0.53, p < 0.005) among wetlands in an independent validation dataset (n = 14). The IBI was robust in showing no significant bias with environmental gradients. This IBI is a functional tool to determine the ecological condition at urban (stormwater and flood control ponds), as well as rural freshwater wetlands (stockponds, seasonal wetlands, and natural ponds). Biological differences between perennial and non-perennial wetlands suggest that developing separate indicators for these wetland types may improve applicability, although the existing data set was not sufficient for exploring this option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B Lunde
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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Langman OC, Hale JA, Cormack CD, Risk MJ, Madon SP. Developing multimetric indices for monitoring ecological restoration progress in salt marshes. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2012; 64:820-835. [PMID: 22341883 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Effective tools for monitoring the status of ecological restoration projects are critical for the management of restoration programs. Such tools must integrate disparate data comprised of multiple variables that describe restoration status, including the condition of environmental stressors, landscape connectivity, ecosystem resilience, and ecological structure and function, while communicating these concepts effectively to a wide range of stakeholders. In this paper we describe the process of constructing multimetric indices (MMIs) for monitoring restoration status for restoration projects currently underway on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. During this process, an initial suite of measurements is filtered for response and sensitivity to ecosystem stressors, eliminating measurements that provide little information and reducing future monitoring efforts. The retained measurements are rescaled into comparable domain metrics and assembled into MMIs. The MMIs are presented in terms of established restoration theories, including restoration trajectory and restoration endpoint targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- O C Langman
- Pandion Technology Ltd., Suite #601, 28th October Street, Limassol 4065, Cyprus.
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Cao Y, Hawkins CP. The comparability of bioassessments: a review of conceptual and methodological issues. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1899/10-067.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cao
- Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems, Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5210 USA
| | - Charles P. Hawkins
- Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems, Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5210 USA
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KWOK ALANBC, ELDRIDGE DAVIDJ, OLIVER IAN. Do landscape health indices reflect arthropod biodiversity status in the eucalypt woodlands of eastern Australia? AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02219.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Whittier TR, Van Sickle J. Macroinvertebrate tolerance values and an assemblage tolerance index (ATI) for western USA streams and rivers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1899/09-160.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Whittier
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - John Van Sickle
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
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Li F, Cai Q, Ye L. Developing a Benthic Index of Biological Integrity and Some Relationships to Environmental Factors in the Subtropical Xiangxi River, China. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY 2010; 95:171-189. [DOI: 10.1002/iroh.200911212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
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Herlihy AT, Paulsen SG, Sickle JV, Stoddard JL, Hawkins CP, Yuan LL. Striving for consistency in a national assessment: the challenges of applying a reference-condition approach at a continental scale. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1899/08-081.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan T. Herlihy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Steven G. Paulsen
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - John Van Sickle
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - John L. Stoddard
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - Charles P. Hawkins
- Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems, Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5210 USA
| | - Lester L. Yuan
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460 USA
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41
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Ode PR, Hawkins CP, Mazor RD. Comparability of biological assessments derived from predictive models and multimetric indices of increasing geographic scope. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1899/08-051.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter R. Ode
- Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory, Water Pollution Control Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Game, 2005 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, California 95670 USA
| | - Charles P. Hawkins
- Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems, Department of Watershed Sciences, 5210 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5210 USA
| | - Raphael D. Mazor
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Boulevard Suite 110, Costa Mesa, California 92626 USA and Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory, Water Pollution Control Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Game, 2005 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, California 95670 USA
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42
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Stoddard JL, Herlihy AT, Peck DV, Hughes RM, Whittier TR, Tarquinio E. A process for creating multimetric indices for large-scale aquatic surveys. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1899/08-053.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Stoddard
- Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - Alan T. Herlihy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - David V. Peck
- Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - Thomas R. Whittier
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 USA
| | - Ellen Tarquinio
- Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 4501T, Washington, DC 20460 USA
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43
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Rehn AC, Ode PR, Hawkins CP. Comparisons of targeted-riffle and reach-wide benthic macroinvertebrate samples: implications for data sharing in stream-condition assessments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1899/0887-3593(2007)26[332:cotarb]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Van Sickle J, Larsen DP, Hawkins CP. Exclusion of rare taxa affects performance of theO/Eindex in bioassessments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1899/0887-3593(2007)26[319:eortap]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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45
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Van Sickle J, Stoddard JL, Paulsen SG, Olsen AR. Using relative risk to compare the effects of aquatic stressors at a regional scale. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2006; 38:1020-30. [PMID: 17058032 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-005-0240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2005] [Accepted: 02/19/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The regional-scale importance of an aquatic stressor depends both on its regional extent (i.e., how widespread it is) and on the severity of its effects in ecosystems where it is found. Sample surveys, such as those developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), are designed to estimate and compare the extents, throughout a large region, of elevated conditions for various aquatic stressors. In this article, we propose relative risk as a complementary measure of the severity of each stressor's effect on a response variable that characterizes aquatic ecological condition. Specifically, relative risk measures the strength of association between stressor and response variables that can be classified as either "good" (i.e., reference) or "poor" (i.e., different from reference). We present formulae for estimating relative risk and its confidence interval, adapted for the unequal sample inclusion probabilities employed in EMAP surveys. For a recent EMAP survey of streams in five Mid-Atlantic states, we estimated the relative extents of eight stressors as well as their relative risks to aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages, with assemblage condition measured by an index of biotic integrity (IBI). For example, a measure of excess sedimentation had a relative risk of 1.60 for macroinvertebrate IBI, with the meaning that poor IBI conditions were 1.6 times more likely to be found in streams having poor conditions of sedimentation than in streams having good sedimentation conditions. We show how stressor extent and relative risk estimates, viewed together, offer a compact and comprehensive assessment of the relative importances of multiple stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Van Sickle
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333, USA.
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46
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Murtaugh PA, Pooler PS. Evaluating ecological indicators: lakes in the northeastern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2006; 119:83-96. [PMID: 16821100 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-005-9011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2005] [Accepted: 08/22/2005] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We use data from a survey of several hundred lakes in the northeastern United States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to illustrate an approach to identifying promising indicators of lake condition. We construct a hypothetical gold standard of water quality from the first principal component of 16 chemical variables measured in the lakes, and examine its associations with 71 candidate indicators based on measurements of human activity, birds, fish and zooplankton in the lakes or their watersheds. Nonparametric summaries of these associations--based on rank correlations and receiver-operating-characteristic curves--suggest that variables summarizing the extent of human disturbance are generally the strongest indicators. To the extent that our water-quality variable is a useful proxy for ecological condition, our results suggest that easily-obtained measures of human activity are at least as predictive as many of the harder-to-measure biological indicators that have been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Murtaugh
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
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47
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Stoddard JL, Larsen DP, Hawkins CP, Johnson RK, Norris RH. Setting expectations for the ecological condition of streams: the concept of reference condition. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2006; 16:1267-76. [PMID: 16937796 DOI: 10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[1267:seftec]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
An important component of the biological assessment of stream condition is an evaluation of the direct or indirect effects of human activities or disturbances. The concept of a "reference condition" is increasingly used to describe the standard or benchmark against which current condition is compared. Many individual nations, and the European Union as a whole, have codified the concept of reference condition in legislation aimed at protecting and improving the ecological condition of streams. However, the phrase "reference condition" has many meanings in a variety of contexts. One of the primary purposes of this paper is to bring some consistency to the use of the term. We argue the need for a "reference condition" term that is reserved for referring to the "naturalness" of the biota (structure and function) and that naturalness implies the absence of significant human disturbance or alteration. To avoid the confusion that arises when alternative definitions of reference condition are used, we propose that the original concept of reference condition be preserved in this modified form of the term: "reference condition for biological integrity," or RC(BI). We further urge that these specific terms be used to refer to the concepts and methods used in individual bioassessments to characterize the expected condition to which current conditions are compared: "minimally disturbed condition" (MDC); "historical condition" (HC); "least disturbed condition" (LDC); and "best attainable condition" (BAC). We argue that each of these concepts can be narrowly defined, and each implies specific methods for estimating expectations. We also describe current methods by which these expectations are estimated including: the reference-site approach (condition at minimally or least-disturbed sites); best professional judgment; interpretation of historical condition; extrapolation of empirical models; and evaluation of ambient distributions. Because different assumptions about what constitutes reference condition will have important effects on the final classification of streams into condition classes, we urge that bioassessments be consistent in describing the definitions and methods used to set expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Stoddard
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Western Ecology Division, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
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48
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Gerth WJ, Herlihy AT. Effect of sampling different habitat types in regional macroinvertebrate bioassessment surveys. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1899/0887-3593(2006)25[501:eosdht]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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49
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CAO YONG, HAWKINS CHARLESP. Simulating biological impairment to evaluate the accuracy of ecological indicators. J Appl Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01075.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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50
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Ode PR, Rehn AC, May JT. A quantitative tool for assessing the integrity of southern coastal California streams. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2005; 35:493-504. [PMID: 15902444 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-004-0035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We developed a benthic macro-invertebrate index of biological integrity (B-IBI) for the semi-arid and populous southern California coastal region. Potential reference sites were screened from a pool of 275 sites, first with quantitative GIS landscape analysis at several spatial scales and then with local condition assessments (in-stream and riparian) that quantified stressors acting on study reaches. We screened 61 candidate metrics for inclusion in the B-IBI based on three criteria: sufficient range for scoring, responsiveness to watershed and reach-scale disturbance gradients, and minimal correlation with other responsive metrics. Final metrics included: percent collector-gatherer + collector-filterer individuals, percent non-insect taxa, percent tolerant taxa, Coleoptera richness, predator richness, percent intolerant individuals, and EPT richness. Three metrics had lower scores in chaparral reference sites than in mountain reference sites and were scored on separate scales in the B-IBI. Metrics were scored and assembled into a composite B-IBI, which was then divided into five roughly equal condition categories. PCA analysis was used to demonstrate that the B-IBI was sensitive to composite stressor gradients; we also confirmed that the B-IBI scores were not correlated with elevation, season, or watershed area. Application of the B-IBI to an independent validation dataset (69 sites) produced results congruent with the development dataset and a separate repeatability study at four sites in the region confirmed that the B-IBI scoring is precise. The SoCal B-IBI is an effective tool with strong performance characteristics and provides a practical means of evaluating biotic condition of streams in southern coastal California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Ode
- Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory, Water Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Fish and Game, 2005 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, California 95670, USA.
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