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CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK FOR COASTAL ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO AQUATIC STRESSORS
Citation:
Engle, V D., N E. Detenbeck, D Campbell, L M. Smith, L C. Harwell, P. A. Pelletier, AND W Nelson. CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK FOR COASTAL ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO AQUATIC STRESSORS. Presented at Estuarine Research Federation, Seattle, WA, Sep. 14-18, 2003.
Description:
Many classification schemes have been developed to group ecosystems based on similar characteristics. To date, however, no single scheme has addressed coastal ecosystem responses to multiple stressors. We developed a classification framework for coastal ecosystems to improve the diagnosis of impairment by understanding stressor-response relationships. This classification framework aggregates coastal ecosystems based on expected responses to gradients of stressor loadings (nutrient, sediment, or toxicant); coastal ecosystems in the same class would be expected to respond similarly to a given stressor load. We assembled a comprehensive national data set for coastal ecosystems based on USGS' 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes and NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework and included data from a wide array of national datasets. The parameters were evaluated for their ability to contribute information relating to retention time (e.g., flow, load, residence time), processing capacity (e.g., denitrification, sedimentation, remineralization), and modifying factors (e.g., climate, land use, water chemistry) as they relate to specific stressor-response relationships in coastal ecosystems. The classification framework is intended to facilitate the Clean Water Act requirements for 305(b), 303(d), and TMDL by providing scientific tools to establish regional water quality criteria.