Biological monitoring tools - biotic indices (Week 8)

Question 1

What information does physio-chemical parameters of water provide

Answer 1

{rovides a snapshot of what is in the water now

Question 2

What information does biological parameters of water provide

Answer 2

Indicates the health of the stream over time

Question 3

What Biotic indices are used for organic pollution

Answer 3

Small Stream Risk Score, SSRS (invertebrates)
Q value system (mostly invertebrates)
Biological Monitoring Working Party technique, BMWP (invertebrates)

Question 4

What Biotic indices are used for eutrophication

Answer 4

Mean Trophic Rank, MTR (macrophytes)
Trophic Diatom Index, TDI (diatoms)

Question 5

What Biotic indices are used for pesticides

Answer 5

SPEAR (invertebrates)

Question 6

What Biotic indices are used for Low Flow

Answer 6

Lotic - invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation technique, LIFE (invertebrates)

Question 7

A macro invertebrate is…

Answer 7

an organism large enough to see with the naked eye and lack a backbone (invertebrate)

Question 8

Why are macroinvertebrates used?

Answer 8

Don’t move far
Reasonably long life cycles
Respond to physical and chemical characteristics of rivers
Are affected by pollutants that may happen infrequently
Provide a picture of water quality and quantity integrated over time.

Question 9

What are the characteristics of an eroding habitat

Answer 9

Fast flow
Well oxygenated
Shallow
Stone & gravel substrate
Water column free of particulate matter
Low nutrients
Absence of emergent vegetation

Question 10

What are the characteristics of a depositing habitat

Answer 10

Slow moving/still water
Deep
Low oxygen at depth
Fine sediments on river bed
Particulate matter present in water column
Relatively rich in nutrients
Presence of emergent vegetation

Question 11

who is trying to control municipal pollution in Ireland

Answer 11

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
Water Services Amendment Act 2012

Question 12

What are some types of organic pollution

Answer 12

Dissolved and suspended substances from aquatic and terrestrial species
Persistent organic pollutants
Nutrients from fertilizers and other sources

Question 13

What are the impacts of organic pollution

Answer 13

Disrupts oxygen cycling
Increases nutrients, silt and toxins
Can introduce pathogens
Can cause morbidity and morality

Question 14

What is the extreme severe pollution zone called in the Saprobic system

Answer 14

Polysaprobic zone

Question 15

What is the severe pollution zone called in the Saprobic system

Answer 15

a - Mesosaprobic zone
(alpha)

Question 16

What is the moderate pollution zone called in the Saprobic system

Answer 16

B - Mesosaprobic zone
(beta)

Question 17

What is the light or no pollution zone called in the Saprobic system

Answer 17

Oligosaprobic zone

Question 18

How are aquatic habitat types sampled for the BMWP Biotic Index

Answer 18

Using a pond net of 90 um mesh size for 3min.
Macfroinvertebrates grouped in families
Score given for each key family group found, added, given total score.
Score over 91

Question 19

Technique used for Lotic-invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation (LIFE)

Answer 19

Time 3 min kick ; sweep net sampling of all habitats.
Links qualitative and semi-quantitative changes in river macroinvertebrate communities
6 benthic freshwater macroinvertebrate flow groups.
Higher flows should result in higher LIFE scores

Question 20

What is the Trent Biotic Index

Answer 20

Combined sampling of all available habitats for 10 mins with a hand net.
Based on reduction in community diversity & progressive loss of macroinvertebrate groups from clean water.
Water quality split into 11 classes
0 - Septic conditions
X - Highest quality