A process for developing and evaluating indices of fish assemblage integrity

Hughes, Robert M.; Kaufmann, Philip R.; Herlihy, Alan T.; Kincaid, Thomas M.; Reynolds, Lou; Larsen, David P.

doi:10.1139/cjfas-55-7-1618

Cited by 92 publications

(112 citation statements)

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“…This is however hindered by a lack of historical data on fish assemblages in these neotropical areas. A classical way to deal with this problem is to set up spatial comparisons between impacted and reference sites, a design well known as the 'reference condition approach' (Bailey et al 1998;Hughes et al 1998). However, regardless of the approach, our capacity to distinguish between natural and human-induced variation of biological conditions at both local and regional scales remains a crucial point (Hughes et al 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A classical way to deal with this problem is to set up spatial comparisons between impacted and reference sites, a design well known as the 'reference condition approach' (Bailey et al 1998;Hughes et al 1998). However, regardless of the approach, our capacity to distinguish between natural and human-induced variation of biological conditions at both local and regional scales remains a crucial point (Hughes et al 1998). With the development of modern statistical tools, such as NMDS and permutational MANOVA, the relative influence of environmental factors can now be quantitatively compared (Kenkel and Orlóci 1986;McArdle and Anderson 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small-scale gold mining erodes fish assemblage structure in small neotropical streams

et al. 2011

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The current gold rush experienced by the Guiana shield is profoundly disturbing freshwater ecosystems. Indeed, streams act as receptors for the water that drains gold mining sites and that contain a high load of sediment and toxicants. We here investigated how gold mining activities affect the structure of fish assemblages in small forest streams in French Guiana. We selected six streams subjected to different types of gold mining impact (reference, former gold mining and currently exploited sites) to measure the impact of gold mining on downstream fish assemblages, but also to determine the resilience of fish assemblages after stopping mining activities. Although overall descriptors of the assemblage such as species richness and fish biomass were not sensitive to gold mining, the fish taxonomic composition was strongly influenced. Furthermore, we showed that the functional structure of fish assemblages was significantly affected by the mining activities favouring smaller and ubiquitous fish at the expense of bigger and habitat specialist species. Even in areas where mining activities had stopped for some time, site resilience was incomplete.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale gold mining erodes fish assemblage structure in small neotropical streams

et al. 2011

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“…Such methods assess ecological integrity by measuring proportional abundance changes of fishes of various trophic or reproductive guilds along environmental gradients, or by comparing observed assemblages with those in reference (i.e., least modified) streams. However, some have argued that when metrics of fish assemblage response to habitat degradation are combined, information regarding the mechanisms of impairment may be lost and causality may not be inferred (Suter 1993;Hughes et al 1998). Accordingly, if causal mechanisms of impairment are to be identified, a population-, rather than community-level approach to bioassessment may be required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bluehead chub nesting activity: a potential mechanism of population persistence in degraded stream habitats

2010

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Aquatic biodiversity continues to decline as humans modify the landscape, mainly because of stream habitat alterations and loss caused by urban development. Bluehead chubs may mitigate some effects of instream habitat degradation by providing clean gravel substrate via their spawning nests. We used path analysis, an extension of multiple linear regression, to explore the relationships among instream habitat degradation, adult chub abundance, chub nesting activity, and chub reproductive performance. Age-0 chub abundance was best explained by small adult abundance and nest abundance. Habitat disturbance indirectly and negatively influenced age-0 chub abundance through adult chubs and nest abundance. Percentages of pool and run habitat also had indirect negative effects on age-0 chub abundance. Several metrics of chub nesting activity (nest density [proportion of substrate occupied by nests], average nest size, and number of nests) were explained by both adult chub abundance and nesting site conditions. Variability among stream systems described significant variation in adult chub abundance and nesting characteristics and, if unaccounted for, would have resulted in large unexplained variability. Chub nesting activity served as a link between habitat degradation, adult chub abundance, and their reproductive performance. Our study provides preliminary evidence that bluehead chubs' nesting activity may be a mechanism of their persistence in degraded stream reaches. We recommend confirmatory studies through in-stream manipulative experiments.

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“…Metrics were further eliminated from consideration if <60% of stressed sites were properly assigned (Maxted et al 2000). The remaining metrics were tested for redundancy using Spearman's R correlation and considered redundant if R values exceeded 0.80 (Hughes et al 1998). Of the correlated pairs of metrics, the metric with the greatest DE between reference and stressed sites was retained for inclusion into the AW-IBI.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using dual classifications in the development of avian wetland indices of biological integrity for wetlands in West Virginia, USA

Veselka

Anderson

Kordek

2009

Environ Monit Assess

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Considerable resources are being used to develop and implement bioassessment methods for wetlands to ensure that "biological integrity" is maintained under the United States Clean Water Act. Previous research has demonstrated that avian composition is susceptible to human impairments at multiple spatial scales. Using a site-specific disturbance gradient, we built avian wetland indices of biological integrity (AW-IBI) specific to two wetland classification schemes, one based on vegetative structure and the other based on the wetland's position in the landscape and sources of water. The resulting class-specific AW-IBI was comprised of one to four metrics that varied in their sensitivity to the disturbance gradient. Some of these metrics were specific to only one of the classification schemes, whereas others could discriminate varying levels of disturbance regardless of classification scheme. Overall, all of the derived biological indices specific to the vegetative structure-based classes of wetlands had a significant relation with the disturbance gradient; however, the biological index derived for floodplain wetlands exhibited a more consistent response to a local disturbance gradient. We suspect that the consistency of this response is due to the inherent nature of the connectivity of available habitat in floodplain wetlands.

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A process for developing and evaluating indices of fish assemblage integrity

Cited by 92 publications

References 0 publications

Small-scale gold mining erodes fish assemblage structure in small neotropical streams

Small-scale gold mining erodes fish assemblage structure in small neotropical streams

Bluehead chub nesting activity: a potential mechanism of population persistence in degraded stream habitats

Using dual classifications in the development of avian wetland indices of biological integrity for wetlands in West Virginia, USA

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