ML080280435

Biological Indicators of Watershed Health

ML080280435
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	01/23/2008
From:	Environmental Protection Agency
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
TAC MD3021, TAC MD3022
Download: ML080280435 (2)

Text

EPA - Biological Response Signatures Page I of 2 http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/html/brsig.html Last updated on Friday, November 30th, 2007.

Biological Indicators of Watershed Health You are here: EPA Home Biological Indicators of Watershed Health About Bioindicators Biological Response Signatures Biological Response Signatures For More Information:

Biological indicators are both accurate and sensitive measures of the health of waterways and they can also be used to diagnose sources and causes of pollution. Definite patterns exist in the responses of biological communities to stress (pollution), and finding these patterns can show what types of pollution are present, and sometimes the source of those problems. When the response patterns of the various metrics and components of IBIs (Indices of Biotic Integrity) are identified, these unique combinations of biological community characteristics that aid in distinguishing one impact type over another are referred to as "Biological Response Signatures."

Metrics When conducting biological assessments, measurements are taken in the field or lab.

Metrics (or biological attributes) for each assemblage sample (e.g., benthic invertebrates, fish, periphyton, macrophytes) are calculated from these measurements. The following table presents an example of representative metrics for each type of assemblage.

Biological Assemblage Metric Response to Stress No. of taxa Reduced ETO taxa (ephemeroptera, Reduced under Benthic trichoptera, odonates) enrichment, DO, stress Macroinvertebrates  % intolerant species Reduced

% suspension feeders Reduced No. of taxa Reduced

% piscivores Reduced Fish No. of intolerant species Reduced No. of sunfish species Reduced No. of taxa Low Macrophytes  % dominant species (by weight) High No. of exotic species High Species richness Not Determined Pollution Tolerance Index for Not Determined Periphyton Diatoms Achnanthes minutissima Not Determined Shannon Diversity (for diatoms) Not Determined Each metric is then assigned a score which is related to its deviation from the reference (or expected) site values. In more complicated studies, multimetric indices can be calculated, which is the sum of all the metric scores within each biological assemblage. <more on metrics>

For more information on biological response signatures:

Please see the discussions on the diagnostic value of biological http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/htmlibrsig.html 1/23/2008

EPA - Biological Response Signatures Page 2 of 2 indicators in EPA's Stressor Identification Evaluation Manual and Ohio EPA's discussion on Biological Response Signatures (pdf file) Reader to view and the Area of Degradation Value. some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn To learn more about metrics please visit the following sites: more.

" The Rapid Bioassessment Protocols For Use in Streams and Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic, Macroinvertebrates, and Fish Protocols Chapter has a nice section on Metrics

• The Lake and Reservoir Bioassessment and Biocriteria Technical Guidance Document http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/html/brsig.html 1/23/2008