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Biological Assessment of Streams and Rivers in the U.S.: Design, Methods, and Analysis
Citation:
Rashleigh, B., Steve Paulsen, J. Flotemersch, AND M. Pelletier. Biological Assessment of Streams and Rivers in the U.S.: Design, Methods, and Analysis. Presented at International Symposium on River Ecosystem Health Enhancement, Seoul, SOUTH KOREA, October 30, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
This document summarizes bioassessment in the U.S. for a broad audience, to set the stage for an international symposium on the topic.
Description:
Bioassessment is the use of biosurvey data to obtain information about the health of specific bodies of water. Biosurvey may measure the presence, condition, numbers, and types of fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, algae, and plants. Biological endpoints provide the advantages of being easy to measure, responsive to stress in the watershed over time; and often ecologically important. Bioassessment is most commonly conducted in rivers and streams; it can also be applied in lakes, wetlands, and estuaries. There are several applications of the results of bioassessment: to evaluate the biological status, condition, and trends for a water body; to distinguish among potential stressors; to establish credible relationships between stressors and impairments; and to guide efforts and evaluate the effectiveness of management actions, including protection and restoration (Barbour et al. 1999). Bioassessment data are most effective when integrated with other measures of stream and river assessment, such as physical habitat, water chemistry, and landscape information (Angradi et al. 2009). We briefly review bioassessment methods, analysis, and some recent developments in both areas.