Table Of ContentBIOASSESSMENT OF
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
Using the Reference Condition Approach
The covershows three streams inReferenceCondition(within theellipse)
and one test stream(outsidethe ellipse), all inthe upper Yukon River basin near
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
BIOASSESSMENT OF
FRESHWA TER ECOSYSTEMS
Using the Reference Condition Approach
by
Robert C. Bailey
Department of Biology
The University ofWestern Ontario, Canada
Richard H. Norris
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology
University of Canberra, Australia
Trefor B. Reynoldson
National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada
Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research
Nova Scotia, Canada
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available
from the Library of Congress.
Title: Bioassessment of Freshwater Ecosystems: Using the Reference
Condition Approach
Editor: Robert C. Bailey, Richard H. Norris and Trefor B. Reynoldson
ISBN 978-1-4613-4705-7 ISBN 978-1-4419-8885-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-8885-0
Copyright © 2004 by Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publisher in 2004
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 2004
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Contents
Preface IX
BIOASSESSMENT OF FRESHWATERECOSYSTEMS
1. Introduction
2. Key concepts 5
3. DevelopmentoftheReference Condition Approach 8
4. Points toremember 15
INTRODUCTIONTO THE CASE STUDIES 17
1. Sediment assessment ofthenear shoreenvironmentofNorth American
Great Lakes 18
2. Fraser River(British Columbia) biomonitoringprogram 20
3. Springand Autumn Assessmentof Streams inthe Australian Capital
Territory 23
4 Points toremember 25
VI Bioassessment ofFreshwaterEcosystems Using theReference
Condition Approach
DEFININGTHE REFERENCE CONDITION 27
1. Define theobjectives ofthestudy 28
2. Determine the spatial extent,time-scale and grain-sizeofthe study 29
3. Determine thecriteria foracceptablereferencesites 36
4. Determine theappropriatenumber and locations ofreference sites 41
5. Choosedescriptorsofthebenthic invertebrate communityand its
environment 43
6. Design adata storage andmanagementsystem 47
7. Ensure dataquality 48
8. CaseStudies 50
9. Pointstoremember 61
VARIATIONINTHE REFERENCE CONDITION 63
1. Why characterizingreference site variation isimportant 63
2. How todescribe variationamong reference sites 64
3. Case Studie 68
4. Why itis important tomodel andexplaine variation among reference
~~ M
5. How tomodel variation amongreference sites 87
6. Whyresidual variation amongreferencecommunities isimportant 92
7. Casestudies 100
8. Points toremember 118
DECISION-MAKING 119
1. Why doweneed decisionrulesonpassing and failingtest sites 119
2. Howaredecision rules arrivedat? 121
3. Sensitivityofassessments:howoften doreal test sites fail? 125
4. Case Studies 126
5. Pointstoremember 131
BioassessmentofFreshwaterEcosystems UsingtheReference VB
Condition Approach
BEYONDPASS AND FAIL 133
1. Severityoffail: Magnitudeand natureofdeviationfrom Reference
Condition 133
2. Whydid it fail? 136
3. Scenariobuilding:
Whatwill be the effectofrehabilitationor stress? 141
4. Pointsto remember 144
THE REFERENCE CONDITIONAPPROACH
In anutshell 145
1. Bioassessmentoffreshwaterecosystemsusing
the ReferenceConditionApproach 145
2. Case Studies 146
3. Definingthe Reference Condition 147
4. Describingand modelingvariationin the ReferenceCondition 148
5. Decision-Making 150
6. BeyondPassand Fail 151
7. Finish 152
References 153
Index 169
Preface
This book is asmall but we hope useful contributionto the vigorous field
of biological assessment. It deals with the fundamental issue of natural
variability, and accepting and using this variability to enhance, rather than
detract from, assessments. Although thisproject has not fully consumed the
eight ornine years we have worked on it,we have constantly had"the book"
as abackdrop to the other aspects ofour respective careers. We celebrate its
completion,finally,but are a little wistful that ithas ended, since we have so
much enjoyed our collaboration over anextended time and space continuum,
including amajorrelocation byoneauthor.
The idea hatched inthe wake ofour collaboration with Kristin Day, Mike
Zarull, and many others on the nearshore Great Lakes environmental
assessment (one ofthe case studies discussed in this book). We thought it
would be useful, and frankly pretty straightforward, to produce a how-to
guide for the Reference Condition Approach to bioassessment. Work
continued rather sporadically, since Bob Bailey was based in London,
Ontario,Trefor Reynoldson was in Burlington, Ontario (and then Wolfville,
Nova Scotia), and Richard Norris was in Canberra, Australia. We always
made a little progress at the North American Benthological Society
conference each year, particularly in Kalispell, Montana when we presented
"the larval book" in a technical workshop. For our occasional, multi-day
work sessions together, we have enjoyed the unbridled hospitality ofmany
x Bioassessment ofFreshwaterEcosystems UsingtheReference
Condition Approach
friends and colleagues, notably Dave Allen in Ann Arbor,Vince and Cheryl
Resh in Berkeley, California, and Jan Ciborowski and Lynda Corkum in
Windsor,Ontario.
We decided tobring the proverbial ship into port lastyear,when Richard
had an opportunity to spend his sabbatical at The University of Western
Ontario with the help ofa Helen Battle Visiting Professorship. Simon Linke
was alsoaround and about,re-doingmany oftheanalysesofthecase studies
to make sure one could do what we were telling people to do. Trefor came
for the last few passionate arguments and re-writes, and then we sent the
completed manuscript to our scientific editor,Ann Milligan.Ann did a super
job determining where we made no sense (we don't fault her for any
remaining problems!), and Lindy Paul at Kluwer kept prodding us just
enough to get the book into print. We also incorporated many useful
comments from Richard Marchant on a near to final draft. On a personal
note, we would like to thank Chris Bailey, for putting up with Bob and
occasionally the less annoying Richard and Trefor, Ursula Norris, for
constant support with a positive outlook that we were doing something
useful,and Barbara Reynoldson, who cheerfullyprovided an environment to
help progressand often took waywardco-authors into her andTrefor's home
aswecompletedthebook.
RobertBailey
London Ontario
RichardNorris
CanberraAustralia
TreforReynoldson
WolfvilleNova Scotia
September2003
Chapter 1
BIOASSESSMENT OF FRESHWATER
ECOSYSTEMS
Fundamental Themes
1. INTRODUCTION
Freshwater ecosystems have a primary role in the biosphere as conduits
of water and nutrients from the continents to the sea. They also support
unique and complex ecological communities and often define the structure
and functioningofthe surrounding terrestrial ecosystem.Because ofthis, and
thecriticalrole offreshwater asahumanresource,ecologists areoften asked
to assess or monitor the "health", "status" or "condition" of freshwater
ecosystems.
Usually, some of the lakes, streams or wetlands in a region have been
exposed to stressors, be they directly (e.g., industrial effluent) or indirectly
(e.g.,invaderspecies) aresult ofhuman activity.An investigation ofpossibly
degraded ecosystems may be part of a general "report card" for a region's
streams or lakes, or may be more specifically targeted at sites that are of
concern.
There arefivestages insuchinvestigations:
1. recognition ofaneedormandate toassess freshwaterecosystemsina
region:
