Biological monitoring tools - biotic indices (Week 8) Flashcards
What information does physio-chemical parameters of water provide
{rovides a snapshot of what is in the water now
What information does biological parameters of water provide
Indicates the health of the stream over time
What Biotic indices are used for organic pollution
Small Stream Risk Score, SSRS (invertebrates)
Q value system (mostly invertebrates)
Biological Monitoring Working Party technique, BMWP (invertebrates)
What Biotic indices are used for eutrophication
Mean Trophic Rank, MTR (macrophytes)
Trophic Diatom Index, TDI (diatoms)
What Biotic indices are used for pesticides
SPEAR (invertebrates)
What Biotic indices are used for Low Flow
Lotic - invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation technique, LIFE (invertebrates)
A macro invertebrate is…
an organism large enough to see with the naked eye and lack a backbone (invertebrate)
Why are macroinvertebrates used?
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.
What are the characteristics of an eroding habitat
Fast flow
Well oxygenated
Shallow
Stone & gravel substrate
Water column free of particulate matter
Low nutrients
Absence of emergent vegetation
What are the characteristics of a depositing habitat
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
who is trying to control municipal pollution in Ireland
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
Water Services Amendment Act 2012
What are some types of organic pollution
Dissolved and suspended substances from aquatic and terrestrial species
Persistent organic pollutants
Nutrients from fertilizers and other sources
What are the impacts of organic pollution
Disrupts oxygen cycling
Increases nutrients, silt and toxins
Can introduce pathogens
Can cause morbidity and morality
What is the extreme severe pollution zone called in the Saprobic system
Polysaprobic zone
What is the severe pollution zone called in the Saprobic system
a - Mesosaprobic zone
(alpha)
What is the moderate pollution zone called in the Saprobic system
B - Mesosaprobic zone
(beta)
What is the light or no pollution zone called in the Saprobic system
Oligosaprobic zone
How are aquatic habitat types sampled for the BMWP Biotic Index
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
Technique used for Lotic-invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation (LIFE)
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
What is the Trent Biotic Index
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
