Maryland Biological Stream Survey: Development of a Fish Index of Biotic Integrity

Roth, N.; Southerland, Mark T.; Chaillou, J.; Klauda, Ronald J.; Kazyak, P.; Stranko, Scott A.; Weisberg, Stephen B.; Hall, Lenwood W.; Morgan, Raymond P.

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-4976-1_7

Cited by 25 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Metrics such as the fish index of biotic integrity (FIBI) and the benthic IBI have been widely applied, both internationally and regionally (e.g., streams in Maryland, USA). IBI metrics are seen as providing greater insight into ecosystem condition than physical measurements (e.g., water quality) alone, as biological communities provide an integrated summary of ecosystem condition over time [6][7][8]. However, in the absence of a rigorous process for integrating data on diverse biotic communities and other ecosystem components and for communicating results to decision-makers, these indices and bioindicators have had limited effectiveness in improving ecosystem management [9].…”

Section: Integrative Indices and Report Cardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Habitat-Based Framework for Communicating Natural Resource Condition

et al. 2012

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Progress in achieving desired environmental outcomes needs to be rigorously measured and reported for effective environmental management. Two major challenges in achieving this are, firstly, how to synthesize monitoring data in a meaningful way at appropriate temporal and spatial scales and, secondly, how to present results in a framework that allows for effective communication to resource managers and scientists as well as a broader general audience. This paper presents a habitat framework, developed to assess the natural resource condition of the urban Rock Creek Park (Washington, DC, USA), providing insight on how to improve future assessments. Vegetation and stream GIS layers were used to classify three dominant habitat types, Forest, Wetland, and Artificial-terrestrial. Within Rock Creek Park, Forest habitats were assessed as being in good condition (67% threshold attainment of desired condition), Wetland habitats to be in fair condition (49% attainment), and Artificial-terrestrial habitats to be in degraded condition (26% attainment), resulting in an assessed fair/good condition (60% attainment; weighted by habitat area) for all natural resources in Rock Creek Park. This approach has potential to provide assessment of resource condition for diverse ecosystems and provides a basis for addressing management questions across multiple spatial scales.

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Section: Integrative Indices and Report Cardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Habitat-Based Framework for Communicating Natural Resource Condition

et al. 2012

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“…The Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) incorporates fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, physical habitat, and water chemistry data to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state's streams and to determine the cumulative effects of acid deposition and other anthropogenic stresses. Data from the first round of the survey (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999) have been used to develop both a fish and a benthic macroinvertebrate IBI (Stribling et al, 1998, Roth et al, 1998. The Maryland Department of the Environment is currently using these indices to develop an interim framework for the application of biocriteria to the state's water quality inventory (305(b) report) and list of impaired waters (303(d) list).…”

Section: Framework Implementation: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Probability Survey Data Can Help Integrate 305(b) and 303(d)Monitoring and Assessment of State Waters

Brown

Detenbeck

Eskin

2005

Environ Monit Assess

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Section 305(b) of the United States' Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to assess the overall quality of waters in the states, while Section 303(d) requires states to develop a list of the specific waters in their state not attaining water quality standards (a.k.a impaired waters). An integrated, efficient and cost-effective process is needed to acquire and assess the data needed to meet both these mandates. A subset of presentations at the 2002 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Symposium provided information on how probability data, tools and methods could be used by states and other entities to aid in development of their overall assessment of condition and list of impaired waters. Discussion identified some of the technical and institutional problems that hinder the use of EMAP methods and data in the analysis to identify impaired waters as well as development needs to overcome these problems.

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“…The second method classified sites using non-biological criteria (Table I). These criteria were used previously by Roth et al (1998) to develop Maryland's fish IBI and included physical habitat, land use, and chemical measurements.…”

Section: Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The method that was used to classify the sites as degraded or minimally influenced differed between the two groups. The first method classified sites using biological criteria, which consisted of scores for Maryland's fish IBI (Roth et al, 1998). Minimally influenced sites were defined as those with Good IBI scores (greater than 4.0 on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0) and degraded sites were defined as having Poor IBI scores (less than 3.0).…”

Section: Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying a Large, Statewide Database to the Assessment, Stressor Diagnosis, and Restoration of Stream Fish Communities

Stranko

Hurd

Klauda

2005

Environ Monit Assess

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In this report, predictions of the species that were expected to occur at stream sites were generated and probable stressors to fish species that were predicted to occur but were absent were diagnosed. Predictions were generated based on the hierarchical screening method of Smith and Powell (1971, Am. Mus. Novit. 2458, 1-30), using fish abundance in conjunction with 25 environmental variables at 895 sites. The sites were sampled throughout Maryland and represent the entire range of environmental quality from severely degraded to minimally degraded. Stressor variable values that exceeded tolerance thresholds for species that were expected to occur, but were absent, were considered to be probable stressors. This method was tested for efficacy in stream site assessments and stressor diagnosis using an independent data set. Sites that were classified as degraded according to the IBI and to non-biological criteria had fewer predicted species present compared to minimally influenced sites, indicating that the proportion of predicted species present accurately represents the biological integrity of a stream site. The nine stressors that were applied to the test data set accounted for species absences in 43.7% of degraded sites. Impervious land cover was the most common stressor identified. In addition to assessing stream biological integrity and identifying stressors to fish species, this approach also provides tolerance thresholds for predicted fish species that are useful endpoints necessary to plan effective restoration of fish species in Maryland.

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Maryland Biological Stream Survey: Development of a Fish Index of Biotic Integrity

Cited by 25 publications

References 16 publications

A Habitat-Based Framework for Communicating Natural Resource Condition

A Habitat-Based Framework for Communicating Natural Resource Condition

How Probability Survey Data Can Help Integrate 305(b) and 303(d)Monitoring and Assessment of State Waters

Applying a Large, Statewide Database to the Assessment, Stressor Diagnosis, and Restoration of Stream Fish Communities

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