Franz T. Stone Laboratory

ABSTRAÍT.-Many warmwater streams in lhe midwesiern United States have been negatively influenced by human land-u.se practices. From J un. rhrouf^h .^ug. 2002 and 2003. iribiitaries (n = 50) of lhe upper Wabash River basin, Indiana, were sampled to investigale ecosystem health and integrity. Stream fish and macroinvertebrates were sampled along with in-sueam habitat according to National Water-Quality Assessment Program protocols lo examine relationships among fish community structure, benlhic macroinvertebrate assemblages, physical-habitat complexity and water chemistrv' under varving land-use practices. Stream fish abundance was besl explained by in-stream habita! quality' (QUE!), walershed area and the amount of íorested land use up.streaiTi of each sampling site. Overall index of biotic integrity (IBl) scores were low (mean = 35.58; range, 20 to 52), and varied predictably by riparian land-use type. The abundance of benthic macroinvcnebrate laxa was best explained by the substrate QHEI metric {X = 0.24; P = 0.005). Macroinvertebrate community index (ICI) scores showed more variability than IBI scores (mean = 20.40; range, 0 to 36). In-streajn habitat quality (QHEI) was directly related to riparian land-use practices. Forested sites bad higher QHEI scores than fallow field and agricultural sites due to increased habitat heterogeneity, large-woody debris loading and laiger stiKstraie sizes. The best model for predicting IBI scores incorporated both watershed and reach-scale variables combining .slope and erosion power with maximum depth, percent canopy closure, percent fine substrates, degree of channelization and LWDI (r'^ = 0.24; adjr^ = 0.19). Reach-scale variables (i.e., QHEI score, stream width, the proportion of unstable bants and percent fine substrates) best predicted ICI scores (r^^ = 0.69; adjr = 0.6ti). Based on the.se results, we recommend ihat resource managers incorporate both biotic and abiotic factors at various temporal and spatial scales to predict the effect-S of land-use practices on community health in agriculturally dominated, warmwater streams.

Using a newly modified index of biotic integrity for assessing biological integrity of fish communities in dunal, palustrine wetlands, we assessed the non-point source influence of an industrial landfill on the Grand Calumet Lagoons. The landfill is primarily an iron and steel manufacturer's slag waste. No sensitive species, hybrids, headwater species, and either few or no simple lithophilic spawning species were collected from any of the sites in the Grand Calumet Lagoons. Species catch-per-unit of effort varied significantly between reaches in the Middle Lagoon and the West Lagoon. The most disturbed areas were adjacent to the industrial landfill and along the southern shore near the outflow from the West Lagoon. Near-and far-field stations possessed similar numbers of species and relative abundance. The near-field stations showed an increase in tolerant species, a higher proportion of omnivores and carnivores, and a lower environmental quality rating of 'poor-very poor'. The far-field sites were classified as having 'fair' biological integrity and showed an increase in relative abundance, proportion of sensitive species, and an increase in simple lithophils. The loss of biological integrity in the West Pond was not accurately predicted using the modified index of biotic integrity, even though it was rated as extremely degraded by the biological diversity indices. Fish communities were negatively impacted by proximity to the landfill. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd and AEHMS.

... Fish collection was done using a Smith-Root R battery powered backpack electrofisher to ... Also, the number of toler-ant and intolerant species and abundance was deter ... For macroinvertebrate data, the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) in-dex (Plafkin et al ...

We developed an index of biotic integrity (IBI) based on cray®sh, ®sh, and amphibian assemblages to assess vernal ponds and palustrine wetland habitats of less than 5 ha along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. We found that the modi®ed IBI based on three cray®sh, twelve ®sh, and seven amphibian species collected during our surveys provided a more complete assessment than one based on any single taxonomic group. The new scoring criteria included the number of amphibian and ®sh species, number of benthic species, percent of individuals as pioneer species, percent of individuals as exotic species and percent of individuals with complex reproductive modes for metrics developed for larger palustrine wetlands. Low-end scoring procedures were not required; however, species composition metrics that did not possess the speci®ed attribute received a`0' score rather than a`1'. Correlation coef®cients suggest that the reference conditions developed during this study of IBI metrics are able to differentiate high-quality biological assemblages from disturbance gradients that lowered biological integrity in small palustrine wetlands and vernal ponds. We found that the distribution of the index scores for Miller Woods was skewed to the low end of biological integrity with increased distance from Lake Michigan and proximity to edges. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of AEHMS.

Riverine and palustrine wetland plant communities were examined in order to propose a multimetric plant index of biotic integrity. The objectives were to determine the structural and functional attributes of these wetland plant communities, calibrate reference conditions in assessing aquatic plant communities, provide methods for further development and testing of the index, and present a case study. The index is based on a rapid assessment method using the information collected from a species list and cover estimates. Sampling was done using a modified relevé sampling approach with a modified Braun-Blanquet Cover Abundance Scale Method for estimating percent cover. More than 20 characteristics of aquatic plant communities were evaluated and 12 metrics in five categories were developed. Structural metrics focused on community composition, key indicator species such as number of Carex and Potamogeton species, and guild type. Functional metrics included sensitivity and tolerance measures; percent emergent, pioneer, and obligate wetland species; and the number of weed species as a substitute metric. Abundance was estimated based on evenness of average cover densities. Individual condition was suggested as a measure of the lowest extremes of biotic integrity. Palustrine study sites ranged across a disturbance gradient from 'least-impacted' to 'poor'; riverine study sites ranged from high quality to some of the most degraded riverine sites in the Great Lakes region. Ninety-five species of aquatic vascular plants were found in 42 families. The most common families were Cyperaceae (15 species), Polygonaceae (9 species), and Juncaceae (6 species). Fourteen submergent, four floating, two woody and 75 emergent aquatic plant taxa were found. Five species were on the endangered, threatened, or rare list for the State of Indiana. Sites receiving the highest index scores included several of the a priori least-impacted sites while the lowest scores were located near-field to a large industrial landfill. The index will need to be further validated and tested but shows potential as a rapid index of biotic integrity using aquatic plant assemblages.

The Patoka River watershed contains a divergent landscape of oil and gas exploration, intensive agriculture, and surface mining mixed with National Forest, Wildlife Refuges, and a large recreational reservoir. We evaluated species diversity among different land uses, including, commercial, forested, residential, and agriculture, and determined relationships among disturbance scale, habitat requirements, contaminants, and patterns in species distributions. Primary burrowing species, Cambarus polychromatus, Cambarus cf diogenes (Lacunicambarus A), and Fallicambarus fodiens, were tolerant of higher concentrations of contaminants than aquatic tertiary burrowing species. Cambarus polychromatus was among the last species of crayfish at the most disturbed sites, while it was absent from pasture and agricultural landscapes that allowed cattle access along banks. Four species of Orconectes were found in the reference and agricultural landscapes within the watershed, including O. immunis, O. indianensis, O. inermis inermis, and O. propinquus. Orconectes indianensis distribution was determined by the presence of rock habitat and absence of contaminants. No Orconectes species were found in acid mine leachate-affected streams with high levels of molybdenum. Cambarus laevis was found in the highestquality reference areas, which were associated with karst habitats and no contaminants. Burrowing crayfish species were associated with the oil derricks in the lower and middle watershed, which contained increased concentrations of strontium, phosphorus, and various organic parameters associated with oil brine PAHs.

We propose a formal causal evaluation inference process that uses a local-scale in situ approach and provides statistically defensible correlative conclusions for the biological impairment in 303(d)-listed water bodies. Fish assemblage, water chemistry, and aquatic habitat data from 66 locations in the Limberlost watershed, Indiana, were collected in August 2003 to evaluate the condition of the watershed. Anthropogenic stressors were identified from a numerical classification analysis of fish assemblage data using a biological integrity response gradient. Physical and chemical stressors were evaluated relative to the biological integrity response gradient using the Kruskal Wallis analysis of variance by ranks test. Three water chemistry variables (sodium, chloride, and barium) were associated with biological integrity. The percent run habitat, channel morphology score, and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index score varied with the degree of dredging. We observed a negative response between the number of species and the biological integrity gradient and a positive response with the percent tolerant individuals. This local-scale in situ approach to physical and chemical data analysis, combined with concurrent biological data collection, provided correlative relations to the impaired condition with localized environmental stressors.

The dimensions of riparian buffers selected for stream biota-landscape association models determine correlation strength and subsequent model interpretation. Efforts have been made to optimize buffer dimensions incorporated into models, but none has explicitly determined a single optimum based on both longitudinal and lateral buffer dimensions. We applied partial correlation and multivariate linear regression on functional fish community response attributes and the index of biotic integrity using stream samples (N = 107) from the Eastern Corn Belt Plain Ecoregion of Indiana, USA. Land-cover data in digital format were processed in geographic information systems for an area covering 300 m on either side of selected streams and within 2000 m longitudinally. The optimal buffer dimension for the study area was 30 m laterally and 600 m longitudinally, with a partial correlation of 0.29 (P = 0.002), and there was agreement in the partial correlation and multiple regression models. The longitudinal dimension was more conclusively determined, but the lateral dimension was optimum only with respect to the resolution of the land-use data used. Based on these results, we propose the use of this approach to optimize the riparian buffer parameter in landscape models.

Ninety-four sites were used to analyze the effects of two different classification strategies on the Benthic Community Index (BCI). The first, a priori classification, reflected the wetland status of the streams; the second, a posteriori classification, used a bio-environmental analysis to select classification variables. Both classifications were examined by measuring classification strength and testing differences in metric values with respect to group membership. The a priori (wetland) classification strength (83.3%) was greater than the a posteriori (bio-environmental) classification strength (76.8%). Both classifications found one metric that had significant differences between groups. The original index was modified to reflect the wetland classification by re-calibrating the scoring criteria for percent Crustacea and Mollusca. A proposed refinement to the original Benthic Community Index is suggested. This study shows the importance of using hypothesis-driven classifications, as well as exploratory statistical analysis, to evaluate alternative ways to reveal environmental variability in biological assessment tools.

Ninety-four sites were used to analyze the effects of two different classification strategies on the Benthic Community Index (BCI). The first, a priori classification, reflected the wetland status of the streams; the second, a posteriori classification, used a bio-environmental analysis to select classification variables. Both classifications were examined by measuring classification strength and testing differences in metric values with respect to group membership. The a priori (wetland) classification strength (83.3%) was greater than the a posteriori (bio-environmental) classification strength (76.8%). Both classifications found one metric that had significant differences between groups. The original index was modified to reflect the wetland classification by re-calibrating the scoring criteria for percent Crustacea and Mollusca. A proposed refinement to the original Benthic Community Index is suggested. This study shows the importance of using hypothesis-driven classifications, as well as exploratory statistical analysis, to evaluate alternative ways to reveal environmental variability in biological assessment tools.

A common theme in recent landscape studies is the comparison of riparian and watershed land use as predictors of stream health. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of reach-scale habitat and remotely assessed watershed-scale habitat as predictors of stream health over varying spatial extents. Stream health

1. We used 94 sites within the Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregion spanning Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to identify environmental variables at the catchment, reach and riparian scales that influence stream macroinvertebrates. Redundancy analyses (RDA) found significantly influential variables within each scale and compared their relative importance in structuring macroinvertebrate assemblages. 2. Environmental variables included landcover, geology and groundwater delivery estimates at the catchment scale, water chemistry, channel morphology and stream habitat at the reach scale, and landcover influences at three distances perpendicular to the stream at the riparian scale. Macroinvertebrate responses were characterised with 22 assemblage attributes, and the relative abundance and presence/absence of 66 taxa. 3. Each scale defined macroinvertebrates along an erosional to depositional gradient. Wisconsin's macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity, Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera taxa and erosional taxa corresponded with forest streams, whereas organic pollution tolerant, Chironomidae and depositional taxa corresponded with wetland streams. Reach scale analyses defined the gradient similarly as dissolved oxygen and wide, shallow channels (erosional) opposed instream macrophytes and pool habitats (depositional). Riparian forests within 30 m of the stream coincided with an erosional assemblage and biotic integrity. 4. Next, we combined all significant environmental variables across scales to compare the relative influence of each spatial scale on macroinvertebrates. Partial RDA procedures described how much of the explained variance was attributable to each spatial scale and each interrelated scale combination. 5. Our results appeared consistent with the concept of hierarchical functioning of scale in which large-scale variables restrict the potential for macroinvertebrate traits or taxa at smaller spatial scales. Catchment and reach variables were equally influential in defining assemblage attributes, whereas the reach scale was more influential in determining relative abundance and presence/absence. 6. Ultimately, comprehending the relative influence of catchment and reach scale properties in structuring stream biota will assist prioritising the scale at which to rehabilitate, manage and derive policies for stream ecosystem integrity.

Among crayfish, primary burrowing species are the least understood ecologically. Many primary burrowing crayfish inhabit floodplains where forested landscapes have been fragmented by agricultural, industrial, or residential uses. In this study, site occupancy rates (ψ) were modeled for two primary burrowing crayfish, Fallicambarus fodiens (Cottle, 1863) and Cambarus thomai Jezerinac, 1993, from Ohio and Kanawha river floodplains in West Virginia, U.S.A. Fallicambarus fodiens is one of West Virginia's rarest crayfish, while C. thomai is prevalent in most wetlands along both river floodplains. Occupancy rate modeling incorporated four environmental covariates (forest age, soil type, tree frequency, and land use). Based on presence/absence data, forests with tree ages >100 years ( QAIC c = 0) and sites with loam soils ( QAIC c = 1.80) were most likely to harbor F. fodiens populations. For C. thomai, several models were supported owing to model selection uncertainty, but those with the land use covariate had more total model weight (total w i = 0.54) than all other covariate models. Cambarus thomai rarely occupied industrial/agricultural sites, but were often present in forested and residential sites. Although the influence of covariates on site occupancy differed between species, both taxa readily utilized mature forested habitats when available. Conservation actions for F. fodiens and C. thomai should focus on preserving forested tracts along large river floodplains

This study evaluated biological integrity expectations of fish assemblages in wadeable streams for the Alabama portion of the Choctawhatchee River watershed using a multimetric approach. Thirty-four randomly selected stream sites were sampled in late spring 2001 to calibrate an index of biotic integrity (IBI). Validation data were collected during the spring 2001, and summer and fall of 2003 from disturbed and leastimpacted targeted sites (n = 20). Thirty-five candidate metrics were evaluated for their responsiveness to environmental degradation. Twelve metrics were selected to evaluate wadeable streams and four replacement metrics were selected for headwater streams. Scores that ranged from 58 to 60 were considered to be representative of excellent biotic integrity (none found in this study), scores of 48-52 as good integrity (31% of the sites in this study), 40-44 as fair (43%), 28-34 as poor (21%), and 12-22 as very poor (5%). Of the four stream condition categories (urban, cattle, row crop, and least impacted), the IBI scores for urban and cattle sites differed significantly from least-impacted sites. Row crop sites, although not significantly different from least-impacted, tended to have greater variability than the other categories. Lower IBI scores at both urban and cattle sites suggest that the IBI accurately reflects stream impairment in the Choctawhatchee River drainage.