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DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MACROINVERTEBRATE BENTHOS INTEGRITY INDEX (SBII) FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION
Citation:
Klemm, D J., F A. Fulk, S M. Cormier, K A. Blocksom, AND W T. Thoeny. DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MACROINVERTEBRATE BENTHOS INTEGRITY INDEX (SBII) FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION. Presented at North American Benthological Society, Keystone, CO, May 29-June 2, 2000.
Description:
A multimetric macroinvertebrate index called the Stream Benthos Integrity Index (SBII) was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region of the United States. The SBII was developed for assessing biological conditions of wadeable streams and was based on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage data that were collected during 1993-1995 as part of the USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Assessment (MAHA). Macroinvertebrates were collected from riffle/run habitats of first, second, and third order wadeable streams and identified to the lowest taxon possible in the laboratory. The responses of macroinvertebrate metrics to physical habitat and chemical indicators of catchment stream disturbance for 407 stream sites were used and analyzed for this study. Forty-two candidate macroinvertebrate metrics were evaluated statistically using a stepwise process that eliminated metrics not meeting specific criteria. Each metric was evaluated for 1) discriminatory power, 2) scope of impairment, 3) redundancy, 4) relationships to stressors, and 5) repeatability. The relationships among macroinvertebrate metrics, habitat integrity, anthropogenic disturbance and knowledge of reference and impacted sites based on chemical and physical habitat criteria were used to develop the SBII for the assessment of stream condition in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region. The SBII consists of 8 metrics which include population, community and pollution tolerance metrics (Number of taxa, HBI, % intolerant taxa, % non-insect individuals, % Chironomid taxa, % Plecoptera taxa, EPA Taxa Index, and % Oligochaete/Leech Individuals), chosen using statistical criteria and best professional judgment for assessing anthropogenic stressors. The stream condition based on the macroinvertebrate population and community data of riffle/run habitats was assessed using the SBII. Results indicate that the SBII will improve the ability of USEPA regions, states, municipalities, and industry to determine the biological integrity and conditions of freshwater wadeable streams and to improve their understanding, protection, preservation, and restoration of stream ecosystems.