Biological Monitoring Flashcards
What does BMWP stand for
Biological Monitoring Working Parties score
Why do we do biological monitoring
to assess changes to the river characteristics that we cant see, temporally
What are the uses of biological monitoring
Used as an early warning system, detect pollutants hazardous to human health, track pollution dispersal
How can BM be used In determining physical channel changes
can indicate hydrological changes
Why do BM’s not give you one possible pollutant type
Biological organisms are affective by many types of pollution
How would you tell the pollutant type from BM
would need a professional identification skills, may also need chemical testing
What information about the biological indicator (plant/animal) must you know before you carry out BM
life cycles
What difficulties can you encounter from trying to find out BM
sampling difficulties
which BM show us temporal scales of days or weeks
bacteria, protozoa, diatoms
which BM show us temporal scales of months to years
invertebrates
which BM show us temporal scales of years
fish
what are the negatives of fish as BM
can migrate away from pollution
What are the benefits of using macrophytes as BM
species fixed to the bank or bed, good indicators of suspended solids
What are the benefits of using Macro-invertebrates as BM
Qualitative sampling easy and well documented, good taxonomic keys, whole communities can respond to change, normally quick cheap and easy
What are the benefits of using algae as BM
useful indicators of eutrophication and turbidity
What are the benefits of using fish as BM
methods well developed, can indicate food chain effects, ease of identification
What are the benefits of using bacteria as BM
rapid response to changes, ease of sampling, indicator of faecal pollution
what are the negatives of macro invertebrates as BM
knowledge of life cycles necessary to interpret absence of some species
what are the negatives of macrophytes as BM
response to pollution not well documented, often tolerant of intermittent pollution
What event led to the first need for management of sewage in uk
The great stink in 1858
what is the saprobic system
recognized zones of downstream organic sources
what conditions may generate initially after a pollution event
anoxic, leading to the production of methane or hydrogen sulphide
what are the salt levels just after a point source pollution area
very high
where are algae found after a point source
just after sewage fungus where there is good supply of nitrate
what often dominates in the recovery zone
cladophore, known as blanket weed, can smother other plants, decaying algae reduces oxygen which can be good for downstream
What invertebrates appear fist after pollution
tubificidae, red worms, densities can be up to 10 to the power of 6 per meter square
why do tolerant insects thrive at jjust after a point source
abundance of food with no predators
what is the Polysaprobic zone
extremely severe pollution
what is the alpha mesosaprobic zone
severe pollution
what is the beta mesosapropic zone
moderate pollution
what is the ogliosaprobic zone
slight or no pollution
what is the standard EA method of macoinvertebrate BM sampling
kick sampling
what was the first reconised BM method
Trent Biotic Index
how did the TBI work
absence/presence of speices, ranks species in terms of rarity and sensitivity
what came after the TBI
extended TBI, no. of groups extended to 45
what did chandlers index add to the TBI
abundance, present, few, common, abundant, very abundant
what is the BMWP based on
families
when did the EA stop using the BMWP
2017
What is ASPT
average score per taxon, BMWP divided by taxon counted
name some 10 sensitive BMWP species
Heptageniidae (MF), Leuctridae (SF)
name some 8 sensitive BMWP species
Gomphidae (dragon fly) Astacide (cray Fish
name some 1 sensitive BMWP species
Ogliocheata (worm)
name some 5 sensitive BMWP species
Simulidae (Black fly larvae) Halipidae (water beatles)
what is the index that is created from BMWP and ASPT
Lincoln Quality index
what was the Lincoln quality index designed for
to help deal with heavily managed sites
what is the current uk method
WHPT
what are the features of WHPT
separates habitats (riffle, riffle/pool, pool), scores more representative as a whole and reflect general pollution not just organic
what are the indicators of macroinvertebrate data
abundance, richness, diversity, BMWP, % dominant taxon
how can u use macroinvertebrate information
in comparison with reference sites, (upstream, adjacent, regional,
what is the system for invertebrate prediction used in the UK
RIVPACS
what phytobenthos monitoring is there
mainly diatoms, sampled by stone washing, very sensitive, nutrient sensitivity scores
what BM can be done with macrophytes
mapping, types, growth, cover, (river macrophyte nutrient index, river macrophyte hydraulic index
what some low tolerance fish speices
salmon, grayling
what are some high tolerance fish species
bream, eel
