Fish Index Of Biotic Integrity Scores Research Articles

Incidence and effects of anomalies and hybridization on Alabama freshwater fish index of biotic integrity results.

The index of biotic integrity (IBI) is an effective multi-metric tool for assessing biological integrity of aquatic ecosystems and regulating water quality based on fish community surveys. Percentages of individuals with deformity, eroded fin, lesion, and tumor (DELT) anomalies are used in IBIs as a measure of fish health, while the percentage of hybrids reflects changes in reproductive isolation. When rare, these are combined into a joint '% DELT + hybrids' metric. We investigated the distribution and effects of this metric on overall fish IBI scores and biological condition ratings by analyzing data from 646 fish surveys from across Alabama. Following exploratory data analyses, we assessed the impacts of % DELT + hybrids by comparing IBI scores for sites before and after setting this metric to zero to simulate systematic error (no detection). While DELTs and other anomalies were infrequent (~ 11% of sites), the two most commonly diseased fish species were Campostoma oligolepis (Leuciscidae) and Lepomis cyanellus (Centrarchidae). Hybrids were less frequent (~ 7% of sites) than anomalies and were scored only for Lepomis sunfishes. Overall, we found no statistically significant differences in final IBI scores or biological condition ratings before and after anomaly and hybrid removal; however, removal led to increased IBI scores and biological condition ratings in 13.2% and ~ 6% of surveys, respectively. These findings demonstrate that, while IBI outcomes appear relatively robust to systematic error in % DELT + hybrids, anomaly and hybrid observations can alter IBI outcomes, with important implications for fish-based bioassessments and water quality management.

Ecological integrity of a medium‐sized river of a lake basin towards ecosystem health management

AbstractThis study demonstrates the use of a multi‐metric Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (FIBI) for assessment of ecological health of a medium‐sized river, under a gradient of human disturbances in the Kenyan side of the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). Development of the index is based on water quality, river habitat quality and fish community attributes. The river was sampled from 2019 to 2020 during wet and dry seasons of the year at nine selected sites along its length based on the level of human disturbance. A total of nine metrics representing the structural and functional organization of fish communities were qualified using the separation power of Mann–Whitney U test (p < .05). Metric values at unimpaired, intermediate, impaired and no‐fish sites were used to establish the scoring criteria using inter‐quartile ranges. A 1, 3, 5 scoring system representing high, fair and slight deviation from the best site, respectively, was used in the final FIBI development. River mouth station had the highest FIBI score of 43, with extensive natural riparian buffer vegetation (>20 m) and 18 fish species implying least human disturbance. The midstream section had intermediate FIBI scores of 34–36, with wide natural riparian buffer vegetation (10–20 m) and 6–9 fish species that represented moderate human disturbance. The upstream section had the least FIBI score of 0, with no fish and narrow riparian buffer vegetation (<5 m) that indicated notable degradation. This study presents the preliminary results of using fish and habitat metrics for development of an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for a medium‐sized river in a lake basin, as a decision‐making support tool for effective management and conservation of water resources. The study recommends restoration of river habitat quality for improved ecological integrity of rivers in the Lake Victoria Basin.

Recent Status of Fishes in the Yangtze River and its Ecological Health Assessment

The Yangtze River, ranking behind the Nile and the Amazon rivers, is the third longest river in the world. The Three Gorges Dam constructed on the Yangtze River dramatically altered the ecological environment in the surroundings. In this review, we integrated the published data about the Three Gorges Project and systematically analyzed the status of fish population in the Three Gorges Reservoir for recent fifteen years (2000~2014). Meanwhile, Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (F-IBI) system was used to assess the health risks to the ecological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Basin. This review indicated that the yields of natural fish catch decreased in the Yangtze River Basin (Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake, the downstream of the Three Gorges Dam and the Three Gorges Reservoir) during the recent fifteen years (2000~2014). The overall trends of natural fishing catch for Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake and the Three Gorges Reservoir went down. The fry runoff volume of four major Chinese carps in Jianli section decreased by about 80% from 2002 to 2003. In addition, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam left significant impacts on the populations of endemic fish and rare fish on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The F-IBI scores for the upstream Yangtze River gradually went down after 2003, but still maintained in general level. Our findings about the status of fish population and the ecological risk assessment of the Yangtze River, which will be helpful for Chinese government in decision making for the sustainable development of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and comprehensive ecosystem management in the Yangtze River Basin.

Assessment of the fish index of biotic integrity and its relationship with environmental factors in the Xiliao River Basin

The environmental quality of Xiliao River Basin is assessed based on the fish index of biotic integrity( F-IBI). Protection limit values of the environmental factors correlated with the F-IBI are determined by the method of locally weighted regression scatterplot smoother( LOWESS). The results indicated that five indices,including the percentage of the Cobitidae fish,the number of demersal fish species,the number of omnivorous fish species,the number of tolerated fish individuals and the percentage of the nests spawning fish individuals,were suitable for constructing the F-IBI assessment system. The ratio method is used to unify dimensionless parameters. The 95% quantile of the F-IBI in all reference sites is used as the reference value of health conditions.Forty four sampling sites of Xiliao River Basin were assessed by F-IBI. The results found that five sites( 11. 4%) were in excellent grade,nine sites( 20. 5%) were in good grade,twelve sites( 27. 3%) were in normal grade,eleven sites( 25. 0%) were in poor grade,and seven sites( 15. 9%) were in very poor grade. Electrical conductivity,ammonia nitrogen,alkalinity and proportion of sand were negatively correlated with F-IBI scores in the Xiliao River Basin,whereas slope and proportion of grassland were positively correlated with F-IBI scores. The results of LOWESS and independent sample t test indicated that F-IBI scores significantly changed when the electrical conductivity,ammonia nitrogen concentration,alkalinity,proportion of sand and proportion of grassland reached the protection limit value,which was 531 μS / cm,0. 55 mg / L,4. 4 mmol / L,47. 2% and 37. 0%,respectively.The results of this study could provide beneficial information for the regional environmental management of fish integrity protection in the Xiliao River Basin.

Fish Assemblage Relationships with Physical Habitat in Wadeable Iowa Streams

AbstractFish assemblages play a key role in stream ecosystems and are influenced by physical habitat. We analyzed fish assemblages and physical habitat at 93 randomly selected sites on second‐ through fifth‐order wadeable Iowa streams to explore fish assemblage relationships with reach‐scale physical habitat in this agriculturally dominated landscape. Sites were sampled using DC electrofishing and the wadeable streams physical habitat protocol of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. In all, 82 species were collected, with species richness at sites averaging 14. Over 80% of the sites had fish assemblages rated as fair (53%) or poor (32%) based on a fish index of biotic integrity (FIBI). Ordination separated sites from the two major river drainages along an axis of impairment, with sites in the Missouri River drainage exhibiting lower FIBI scores than sites in the Mississippi River drainage. Physical habitat at most sites exhibited fine substrates, eroding banks, and low‐gradient, nonmeandering channel and was dominated by glides. Thirty physical habitat variables describing channel morphology, channel cross section and bank morphology, fish cover, human disturbance, large woody debris, relative bed stability, residual pool, riparian vegetation, and substrate differed significantly between sites with FIBI scores rated as poor and those with FIBI scores rated as good or excellent. Eighteen physical habitat variables were significant predictors of fish assemblage metrics and FIBI in multiple linear regression models, with adjusted R2 values ranging from 0.12 to 0.58. Seventy percent of the model coefficients reflected substrate (40%), residual pool (21%), and fish cover (9%) variables. Fish assemblages in wadeable Iowa streams are strongly associated with the quality of physical habitat. Thus, understanding and addressing the determinants of physical habitat are crucial for managing streams in Iowa and other agricultural regions.

Comparability of a regional and state survey: effects on fish IBI assessment for West Virginia, U.S.A.

Probability-based survey designs are now being investigated to allow condition to be assessed for a discrete population of watershed management units and to infer probability of impairment to other unsampled watersheds. Results can be used to focus further monitoring and restoration efforts. Fish community data and index of biotic integrity (IBI) development were compared between the 1993 and 1998 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (EMAP-MAIA) survey and a West Virginia Regional EMAP (WV REMAP) survey conducted in 2001-2002. Both designs were based on probability surveys, but the EMAP design treated streams as a continuous linear network comprising an infinite population of points, while the REMAP design used a discrete set of watershed outlets as defined by 12-digit Hydrologic Cataloging Units (HUC12) as the sample population. The comparability of the watershed-based WV REMAP survey design results with the linear network-based EMAP-MAIA survey results for West Virginia was affected by the different size range of watershed areas included in each target population. Once similar watershed area ranges were considered by narrowing the size range included in the West Virginia EMAP-MAIA data set, virtually identical cumulative distribution functions for fish IBI scores were obtained. The reduced variability in reference conditions obtained by applying a restricted range of watershed areas allowed us to detect and correct for ecoregional differences in fish IBI metrics and scores, after excluding the biogeographically distinct Potomac River drainage basin located in the Central Appalachian Ridge and Valley Ecoregion.

Relationships between a Fish Index of Biotic Integrity and Mean Length and Density of Brook Trout and Brown Trout in Wisconsin Streams

AbstractNative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and introduced brown trout Salmo trutta support important recreational fisheries in Wisconsin, and coldwater index of biotic integrity (IBI) scores are often used to determine the quality of stream environments for these trout. To successfully manage biotic communities and fish populations, it is important to understand the relationships among metrics of interest. We quantified the relationships among the catch per linear meter (CPE) of brook trout and brown trout, their mean total lengths, and the coldwater fish IBI scores in second‐order and third‐order streams in Wisconsin. Brook trout CPE increased as coldwater IBI score increased, but there was no significant relationship between brown trout CPE and IBI score. The mean length of brown trout decreased as coldwater IBI score increased; the mean length of brook trout and IBI score were not significantly related. The mean lengths of both brook and brown trout decreased with increasing CPE. Balancing the management of trout density, length, and biotic integrity may be difficult in wadeable streams in Wisconsin. Our findings suggest that the increased abundance of brook trout is compatible with high IBI scores but that the increased abundance of brown trout and greater mean lengths are not.

Long-term changes in ecosystem health of two Hudson Valley watersheds, New York, USA, 1936–2001

We examined long-term ecological change in two Hudson River tributaries, the Wappinger and Fishkill Creek watersheds in Dutchess County, New York State. Fish data spanning 65 years (1936, 1988, 1992, and 2001) and shorter term macroinvertebrate data (1988, 2001) were used to assess the influence of land use practices. Between 1988 and 2001, macroinvertebrate index Biotic Assessment Profile (BAP) improved by 113–165% in the Fishkill Creek watershed, and fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) improved by 117–140%. Fish IBI and fish species richness were significantly different (p < 0.01) between the watersheds, with Wappinger Creek in better condition. Long-term fish IBI scores showed degradation in both watersheds since the 1930s. Changes in species composition suggest community homogenization on par with overall changes in the fish fauna of New York. Most notable were increases in tolerant species and declines in intolerant or moderately tolerant species. Whereas Fishkill Creek IBIs showed decline in 1988 relative to 1936, followed by improvement, Wappinger Creek declined monotonically in environmental quality. Development has intensified in both watersheds, but Fishkill Creek is improving while Wappinger Creek watershed is undergoing less mitigated degradation. We find that older, semi-quantitative data can be used to construct environmental quality indicators, and can be of great use for measuring long-term change.

Informatics software for the ecologist's toolbox: A basic example

Machine learning techniques for ecological applications or “eco-informatics” are becoming increasingly useful and accessible as software for these techniques becomes more readily available. Complex ecological data sets with a multitude of variables are also increasingly available. Ecologists, who do not necessarily have extensive backgrounds in machine-learning techniques, are facing decisions on new methods of data analysis. We evaluated the predictive ability of three commercially available (i.e. user-friendly) software packages for artificial neural networks (ANNs), evolutionary algorithms (EAs), and classification/regression trees (CART). To demonstrate their usage, we analyzed fish and habitat data from the mid-Atlantic region of the US, which was collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These data, including over 200 environmental descriptors summarizing watershed, stream, and water chemistry, and physical habitat characteristics in addition to fish community metrics (i.e. richness, Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores, % exotics), were collected as part of the EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Protection program. We predicted fish IBI scores as a function of these local and regional scale habitat variables. Predictive ability is evaluated with independent validation data. These approaches could prove especially useful for conservation or management applications where ecologists seek to utilize the most comprehensive data to make predictions at various scales. By employing “user-friendly” software we hope to show that ecologists, without extensive knowledge of computational science, can benefit from these techniques by extracting more information about complex ecosystems. We found that all models predicted better than chance ( p < 0.05). Relative strengths and weaknesses of these three approaches are compared and recommendations for their use in ecological applications are presented.