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Implications of Climate Change For State Bioassessment Programs and Approaches To Account For Effects (Final Report)
Citation:
U.S. EPA. Implications of Climate Change For State Bioassessment Programs and Approaches To Account For Effects (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-11/036F, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
The study investigates the potential to identify biological response signals to climate change within existing bioassessment data sets; analyzes how biological responses can be categorized and interpreted; and assesses how they may influence decision-making processes.
Description:
EPA announced the availability of the final report, Implications of Climate Change for State Bioassessment Programs and Approaches to Account for Effects. This report uses biological data collected by four states in wadeable rivers and streams to examine the components of state and tribal bioassessment and biomonitoring programs that may be vulnerable to climate change. The study investigates the potential to identify biological response signals to climate change within existing bioassessment data sets; analyzes how biological responses can be categorized and interpreted; and assesses how they may influence decision-making processes. The analyses suggest that several biological indicators may be used to detect climate change effects and such indicators can be used by state bioassessment programs to document changes at high-quality reference sites.