Aquatic Community Classification

282 Pages·2003·0.69 MB·English

by  David Hunt

Saint Lawrence/Champlain Valley (STL)
Aquatic Community Classification,
"Heritage Approach"

Background Information, Explanation and Justification

Draft 1: David Hunt, New York Natural Heritage Program
(Riverine Communities: March 14, 2000; Lacustrine Communities: May 3, 2000)

Final Draft: January 12, 2003; David Hunt, Ecological Intuition & Medicine

Saint Lawrence/Champlain Valley (STL) Aquatic Community Working Group

Working Group Leader: David Hunt, New York Natural Heritage Program
Team Members: Mark Anderson, Eric Sorenson

Other Cooperators:
Mark Bryer, Susan Warren, Steve Fiske, Rich Langdon, Mark Fitzgerald,
Mike Kline, Jim Kellogg, Kathy Schneider, Jonathan Higgins, Sandy
Bonanno, Gerry Smith, Judy Ross, Paul Novak, Greg Edinger.
List of Tables, Figures, Appendices and Other Attachments.

Glossary of Classification Units

Table 1. Tally of Aquatic Community Units in First Iteration STL Classification
Table 2. List of Aquatic Macrohabitat Types of New York
Table 3. List of Aquatic Macrohabitats Targeted for STL Portfolio
Table 4. List of Aquatic Macrohabitats Known or Strongly Suspected from NY/VT STL
Table 5. Microhabitat Type Hierarchy used in STL Aquatic Community Classification
Table 6. Species Assemblage Hierarchy for STL Aquatic Community Classification

Figure 1. Visual Key to Non-Tidal Riverine Macrohabitat Types of New York
Figure 2. Visual Key to Non-Tidal Lacustrine Macrohabitat Types of New York
Figure 3. River Macrohabitat Types Over a Representative Stream Course/Corridor
Figure 4. Influence of Natural Barriers on Species Assemblage Distributions
Figure 5. Stream Macrohabitat Classification for Wallface Mountain-Street Mountain
Figure 6. Flow Microhabitats in Rivers (Microhabitat type composition/structure of
macrohabitat type-Streams)
Figure 7. Depth/Substrate Microhabitats (Zones) of a Lake
Figure 8. Differentiation of Aquatic and Terrestrial Associations

Key 1. Dichotomous Key to Basic Freshwater Aquatic Macrohabitat Types of New York

Appendix 1. River Macrohabitats
Appendix 2. Lake Macrohabitats
Appendix 3. River Species Assemblages
Appendix 4. Lake Species Assemblages
Appendix 5. Aquatic Macrohabitat Template
Appendix 6. Species Assemblage Template

Attachment 1. TNC's Aquatic Classification Framework/Hierarchy
Attachment 2. NYHP Aquatic Community Classification
Attachment 3. NYHP Community Specifications: Sample
Attachment 4. NYHP Aquatic Field Forms
Attachment 5. NYHP Aquatic Field Forms: Sample
Attachment 6. VTHP Aquatic Community Classification
Attachment 7. NHHP Aquatic Community Classification
Attachment 8. MEHP Aquatic Community Classification
Attachment 9. Great Lakes Basin Aquatic Community Classification
Attachment 10. Widoff Regional Lake Community Classification (sample)
Attachment 11. Lampert and Sommer: Characterization of Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Lakes
Attachment 12. Ecological Drainage Units within New York part of Great Lakes Basin
Attachment 13. Great Lakes Basin Stream Targets
Attachment 14. Haeur and Lamberti: Hierarchical Subdivision of Channel Units in Streams
Attachment 15. Associations of Lake George
Attachment 16. NE U.S. Vegetation Classification: Aquatic Association Sample
Attachment 17. Great Lakes Basin Fish Alliances (1998)
Attachment 18. Great Lakes Basin Fish Communities (2000)
GLOSSARY OF CLASSIFICATION UNITS

Ecological Alliance (= Biotic Alliance)
A biotic classification unit representing an aggregated group of
ecological associations of somewhat dissimilar taxa which repeatedly
occur in close geographic proximity, clustered in a mosaic. This unit
often occurs at relatively large spatial scales, usually corresponding to
a single regional macrohabitat (entire lake or segment of stream
systems), and is generally restricted to a geographic region.
Ecological Association (=Biotic Association)
A biotic classification unit representing an aggregation of species
assemblages of different taxonomic groups, especially resident species,
which repeatedly occur in close geographic proximity, clustered in a
mosaic. This unit occurs at relatively small spatial scales, usually
corresponding to regional microhabitats (portions of lakes or portions of
stream reaches) and is generally restricted to a geographic region. The
term "plant association" follows a similar concept: "a plant community of
definite floristic composition, presenting a uniform physiognomy, and
growing in uniform habitat conditions" (Anderson et al., 2000).
Ecological Community
"A variable assembly of interacting plant and animal populations that
share a common environment" distinguished by features such as ecological
structure, physiognomy, the composition of resident organisms, and
ecological processes. (Reschke, 1990)
Macrohabitat Type (=Basic Macrohabitat Type; Generalized Macrohabitat Type)
A relatively large-scale community classification unit that is primarily
physiochemically based and thus repeatable over large geographic regions,
theoretically worldwide. Defined in part by their unique combination and
abundance of microhabitat types. Biotically, these units might be
differentiated by broad patterns of biota at very high taxonomic levels,
as opposed to regional macrohabitats that are based on regional
difference in biota at lower taxonomic levels.
Macrohabitat (=Regional Macrohabitat; =Specific Macrohabitat)
A community classification unit that is primarily physiochemically based
and generally confined to specific geographic regions (especially
ecoregions). This unit is based on regional differences in biota at low
taxonomic levels, and is thus taxonomically finer in scale than basic
macrohabitat types.
Microhabitat Type (=Basic Microhabitat Type)
A community classification unit that is primarily physiochemically based
and generally represents discrete physical habitats within macrohabitats
with relatively uniform physical properties, especially for flow, light
regime, water chemistry and thermal patterns.
Microhabitat (=Regional Microhabitat; =Specific Microhabitat)
A community classification unit that is primarily physiochemically based
and generally confined to specific geographic regions (especially
ecoregions). This unit is based on regional differences in biota at low
taxonomic levels, and is thus taxonomically finer in scale than basic
microhabitat types.
Species Assemblage
A distinct biological collection of (taxonomically similar) species which
recur under similar habitat conditions and ecological processes.
(Vermont's Aquatic Classification Work Group, 1998; slightly annotated)
Table 1. Tally of Aquatic Community Units in First Iteration STL Classification

Part 1. Abiotic Units Known, Suspected & Potential from STL.

Ecoregion Units: 3

characteristic: 1 (STL)
peripheral: 2 to 3 (NAP, GL, "Acadian")

Microhabitat Types: 12

Flow Microhabitat Types: 3
Depth/Substrate Microhabitat Types: 5
Light Regime Microhabitat Types: 4

A. RIVERINE

Basic Macrohabitat Types: 9 (known/suspected)

Regional Macrohabitats: 25

known/suspected: 16
characteristic STL types: 8
peripheral NAP types: 4
peripheral GL types: 4

potential: 9
peripheral NAP types: 5
peripheral GL types: 4

total STL types: 8
total NAP types: 9
total GL types: 8

Regional Microhabitats:

total known/suspected/potential from STL: ca. 30 to 50

----------------------------------------

B. LACUSTRINE

Basic Macrohabitat Types: 13 (known/suspected)

Regional Macrohabitats: 25

known/suspected: 14
characteristic STL types: 10
peripheral NAP types: 2
peripheral GL types: 2

potential: 11
peripheral NAP types: 7
peripheral GL types: 4

total STL types: 10
total NAP types: 9
total GL types: 6

Regional Microhabitats:

total known/suspected/potential: ca. 40 to 60
Table 1. (continued)

Part 2. Biotic Units Known, Suspected & Potential from STL and NAP.

A. RIVERINE

Species Assemblages: 43
characteristic STL: 30
suspected in STL: 39

Plants: 15
characteristic STL: 10
characteristic NAP: 10
suspected in STL: 14
Macroinvertebrates: 16
characteristic STL: 11
characteristic NAP: 5
suspected in STL: 16
Fish: 9
characteristic STL: 7
characteristic NAP: 2
suspected in STL: 7
Herptiles: 2
characteristic STL: 2
suspected in STL: 2

Aquatic Alliances: 16*

Aquatic Associations: ca. 30 to 40**

-----------------------------------------------

B. LACUSTRINE

Species Assemblages: 67
characteristic STL: 43
suspected in STL: 59

Plants: 26
characteristic STL: 18
suspected in STL: 23
Vascular Plant Dominated: 11
characteristic STL: 4
characteristic NAP: 5
characteristic GL: 2
suspected in STL: 9
Macroscopic Non-Vascular Plant Dominated: 7
characteristic STL: 7
Phytoplankton: 8
characteristic STL: 7
characteristic NAP: 1
suspected in STL: 7
Macroinvertebrates: 24
characteristic STL: 11
characteristic NAP: 13
suspected in STL: 21
Fish: 8
characteristic STL: 7
characteristic NAP: 1
suspected in STL: 7
Zooplankton: 7
characteristic STL: 6
characteristic NAP: 1
suspected in STL: 6
Herptiles: 2
characteristic STL: 1
characteristic NAP: 1
suspected in STL: 2

Aquatic Alliances: 14*

Aquatic Associations: ca. 100 to 200***

* Under the hypothesis that these correspond 1:1 with regional macrohabitats.
** Under the hypothesis that these correspond 1:1 with regional microhabitats.
** Under the hypothesis that there is on average about 3 associations per macrohabitat-
microhabitat combination.
Table 2. List of Aquatic Macrohabitat Types of New York

RIVERINE SYSTEM (9 types)

Riverine Cave Community
Intermittent Stream
Spring
Backwater Slough
Rocky Headwater Stream
Marsh Headwater Stream
Confined River
Unconfined River
Deepwater River

LACUSTRINE SYSTEM (17 types)
Salt Pond*
Lacustrine Cave Community
Pine Barrens Vernal Pond
Vernal Pool
Sinkhole Pond
Oxbow Pond
Flow Through Pond
Meromictic Lake**
Bog Lake
Acidic Pond**
Coastal Pond (provisional subtype)*
Tarn Pond (provisional subtype)**
Acidic Dimictic Lake**
Oligotrophic Acidic Dimictic Lake (provisional subtype)
Eutrophic Acidic Dimictic Lake (provisional subtype)
Winter-Stratified (Monomictic) Lake
Alkaline Pond
Marl Pond
Summer-Stratified (Monomictic) Lake
Deepwater Lake (provisional subtype)
Eutrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake
Oligotrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake

* Not suspected from either STL or NAP.
** Not suspected in STL, but suspected from NAP.

Note: all others are known or strongly suspected from STL.
Table 3. List of Aquatic Macrohabitats Targeted for STL Portfolio

A) Riverine Macrohabitats (23 regional macrohabitats)

STL Spring
NAP Spring
GL Spring
STL Subterranean Stream
STL Backwater Slough
NAP Backwater Slough
GL Backwater Slough
STL Intermittent Stream
NAP Intermittent Stream
GL Intermittent Stream
STL Rocky Headwater Stream
NAP Rocky Headwater Stream
GL Rocky Headwater Stream
STL Marsh Headwater Stream
NAP Marsh Headwater Stream
GL Marsh Headwater Stream
STL Confined River
NAP Confined River
GL Confined River
STL Unconfined River
NAP Unconfined River
GL Unconfined River
GL Deepwater River

Additional estuarine macrohabitats likely from Quebec STL (6)
Acadian Freshwater Tidal River
Acadian Brackish Tidal River
Acadian Marine Tidal River
Acadian Freshwater Tidal Creek
Acadian Brackish Tidal Creek
Acadian Marine Tidal Creek

B) Lacustrine Macrohabitats (18 regional macrohabitats)

STL Subterranean Lake
STL Vernal Pool
NAP Vernal Pool
GL Vernal Pool
NAP Pine Barrens Vernal Pond
STL Sinkhole Pond
STL Oxbow Pond
NAP Oxbow Pond
GL Oxbow Pond
STL Flow-Through Pond
NAP Flow-Through Pond
NAP Bog Lake
STL Alkaline Pond
GL Marl Pond
STL Eutrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake
STL Oligotrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake
STL Winter-Stratified Monomictic Lake
STL Summer-Stratified Monomictic Lake
Table 4. List of Aquatic Macrohabitats Known or Strongly Suspected from NY/VT STL*

A) Riverine Macrohabitats (18 regional macrohabitats)

STL Intermittent Stream
NAP Acidic Intermittent Stream
NAP Calcareous Intermittent Stream
STL Spring
NAP Spring
STL Rocky Headwater Stream
NAP Rocky Headwater Stream
STL Marsh Headwater Stream
NAP Marsh Headwater Stream
STL Confined River
NAP Confined River
STL Unconfined River
NAP Unconfined River
STL Backwater Slough
NAP Backwater Slough
STL Subterranean Stream
NAP Subterranean Stream
GL Deepwater River

B) Lacustrine Macrohabitats (14 regional macrohabitats)

STL Subterranean Lake
STL Vernal Pool
NAP (GL/STL/LNE) Pine Barrens Vernal Pond
STL Sinkhole Pond
NAP Bog Lake
STL Alkaline Pond
GL Marl Pond
STL Oxbow Pond
STL Flow-Through Pond
STL Winter-Stratified Monomictic Lake
STL Oligotrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake
STL Eutrophic Alkaline Dimictic Lake
STL Summer-Stratified Monomictic Lake
GL Summer-Stratified Monomictic Lake

* See Appendices 1 and 2 for:
a) other types less certain to be present in and potentially peripheral in NY/VT STL
b) types known or strongly suspected from Quebec STL

Types listed here are only those with fully developed descriptions in Appendices 1 and 2.