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Use of the index of biotic integrity of assess the impact of land management activities on low order streams in northern Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419 Item Info

We adapted the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to the faunal characteristics of northern Idaho headwater streams. Stream biota was sampled from June 1987 through September 1987. The original Index of Biotic Integrity, as developed for midwestern U.S. streams, was unsuitable for use in northern Idaho. Only four of the 12 metrics included in the original IBI reflected changes in the biotic integrity of northern Idaho streams. The original IBI, although significantly correlated with measures of stream quality, was too insensitive and classified lower quality streams as being in ''good to excellent'' health. We modified the original IBI to contain eight metrics to reflect the health of the fish, amphibian, and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. Also, expectation criteria of three metrics were adjusted for relative stream size. Our modified IBI seems to adequately assess the health of northern Idaho headwater streams. The modified IBI detected changes in stream health, as index scores were significantly correlated with road density and percent harvest of the drainages. Also, the modified IBI was more highly correlated with measures of impact and less significantly with the measures of stream size than Shannon diversity of fishes by biomass or numbers, the Index of Well Being, and Brillouin diversity of both fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates. The modified Index of Biotic Integrity offers managers a technique to evaluate stream health with limited vertebrate and invertebrate sampling. Because the index was developed from data collected in northern Idaho streams with generally nonerosive rock types, we do not know how well this index would classify stream health in other regions of Idaho or other streams in the Pacific Northwest.

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Title:
Use of the index of biotic integrity of assess the impact of land management activities on low order streams in northern Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419
Authors:
Bennett, David H.; Fisher, Timothy R.
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1989-10
Description:
We adapted the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to the faunal characteristics of northern Idaho headwater streams. Stream biota was sampled from June 1987 through September 1987. The original Index of Biotic Integrity, as developed for midwestern U.S. streams, was unsuitable for use in northern Idaho. Only four of the 12 metrics included in the original IBI reflected changes in the biotic integrity of northern Idaho streams. The original IBI, although significantly correlated with measures of stream quality, was too insensitive and classified lower quality streams as being in ''good to excellent'' health. We modified the original IBI to contain eight metrics to reflect the health of the fish, amphibian, and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. Also, expectation criteria of three metrics were adjusted for relative stream size. Our modified IBI seems to adequately assess the health of northern Idaho headwater streams. The modified IBI detected changes in stream health, as index scores were significantly correlated with road density and percent harvest of the drainages. Also, the modified IBI was more highly correlated with measures of impact and less significantly with the measures of stream size than Shannon diversity of fishes by biomass or numbers, the Index of Well Being, and Brillouin diversity of both fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates. The modified Index of Biotic Integrity offers managers a technique to evaluate stream health with limited vertebrate and invertebrate sampling. Because the index was developed from data collected in northern Idaho streams with generally nonerosive rock types, we do not know how well this index would classify stream health in other regions of Idaho or other streams in the Pacific Northwest.
Subjects:
stream biota water quality water quality criteria
Collection:
IWRRI
Series:
Water for Idaho
IWRRI number:
198901
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
Publisher:
University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
wbv
Date Digitized:
2012

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Preferred Citation:
"Use of the index of biotic integrity of assess the impact of land management activities on low order streams in northern Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-198901.html
Rights
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
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