Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index Research Articles

Morphological and Habitat Quality of Salmonid Streams and their Relationship with Fish-Based Indices in Aotearoa New Zealand and Ontario (Canada).

Habitat degradation is one of the major reasons for freshwater species decline. Hydrogeomorphological processes (such as sediment transport, bank erosion, and flooding) operate at the catchment scale and determine habitat features in river reaches. However, habitat quality indices and restoration for freshwater fish species are often implemented at small spatial scales of a few hundred metres. The Morphological Quality Index (MQI) considers fluvial processes at larger scales as well as channel forms, human impacts, and historical changes, but few studies have assessed its relevance for ecosystem health. We investigated relationships between the MQI, habitat quality (using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, QHEI), land cover, and fish metrics (number of fish species, index of biotic integrity (IBI), and trout biomass) in 26 salmonid streams in Aotearoa New Zealand and Southern Ontario, Canada. We found a significant correlation between the MQI and QHEI, and both metrics were correlated with urban and native forest proportion in the catchment. However, we found no relation between the MQI and the proportion of agricultural land in the catchment, while the QHEI was correlated with agricultural land in the riparian zone, highlighting the importance of vegetated riparian buffers in providing fish habitat. Establishing a strong correlation with fish metrics remains challenging. Nevertheless, a modified MQI targeting ecological health could be used as an effective management tool for aquatic conservation.

Health Assessment of the Stream Ecosystem in Beijing, China

With economic development, the health of river ecosystems is becoming severely threatened because of the increasing effects of human activities on river ecosystems. Here, 101 sites along regional river systems in Beijing rivers were investigated from autumn 2020 to summer 2021. A total of 34 metrics, including aquatic organisms, hydrology, water quality, and habitat, were calculated to be the candidate indicators. Principal component and correlation analyses were used to select the core metrics from the candidate indicators, and the weight of each core metric was estimated using the entropy method. The integrated index of stream ecological health was constructed to assess the health condition of the Beijing rivers. The results of the PCA and correlation analyses revealed that eleven metrics were selected as the core metrics to construct the integrated index of stream ecological health, including water temperature, flow velocity, BOD5, NH4+-N, Cu, the density of phytoplankton and zooplankton, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of macroinvertebrates and fish, the BMWP index, and the qualitative habitat evaluation index. According to the health assessment results, 4.95% of the sampling sites were healthy, 23.76% were subhealthy, and 71.29% were in a fair or below healthy state. The river health status showed strong spatial heterogeneity, and the river health statuses in the northern and western regions were relatively good, whereas the river health status in the central and southeastern regions were relatively poor. The results of four aspects stream ecosystem assessment showed that the overall water quality of the rivers was "subhealthy" and the aquatic organisms and habitat were "general poor," but the hydrology was "poor." The evaluation results of five water systems demonstrated that the Chaobai River had the best health status, followed by that of the Yongding River, Daqing River, and Jiyun River, and the Beiyun River had the worst health status. Maintaining river ecological baseflow, ensuring river system connectivity, and improving and restoring the river habitat environment are the key aspects of river ecological restoration and protection in Beijing in the future.

Development of an index based on fish, macroinvertebrates, phytoplankton, and physicochemical properties to assess urban aquatic ecosystems in Jinan, China

AbstractBecause of the rapid growth in urbanization over recent decades, urban aquatic ecosystems have been subjected to unprecedented threats and challenges. In this study, we visited 48 sites, of which 14 were reservoir sites, in water bodies in Jinan, China, on six occasions in May, August, and October of 2014 and 2015. We sampled fish, macroinvertebrates, and phytoplankton assemblages and physicochemical factors at each site. We used the richness and diversity of fish, macroinvertebrates, and phytoplankton to evaluate the condition of the aquatic ecosystems of the river sites. We also evaluated the water quality of the reservoir sites using the physicochemical factors of the State Environmental Protection Administration of China. We classified the results into five levels—excellent, good, moderate, poor, and bad—with the comprehensive evaluation index (CEI). More than 40% of the sampling sites were in either poor or bad condition. Nearly half of the excellent or good sites were in the south of Jinan. The CEI was significantly different between the reference and impaired sites; it was significantly and positively correlated with the qualitative habitat evaluation index and was significantly and negatively correlated with conductivity, total alkalinity, and ammonia nitrogen.

Rediscovery of the Spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) in the Middle and Upper Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania.

The first state-wide survey of crayfishes in Pennsylvania was completed in 1905 by Dr. Ortmann of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. One species, the Spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus), was determined to be endemic to the Delaware, Susquehanna, and Potomac River Basins of Pennsylvania. Since the Ortmann survey in 1905, additional surveys have returned with other species. Due to landscape alteration (urbanization and agriculture) and the presence of invasive crayfish, the current distribution and conservation status of F. limosus is unknown. We have completed surveys at both historic records and new sites through the upper portion of the Susquehanna River Basin. Each site was standardized with a sampling effort of ten seine hauls distributed to target all available habitats. All crayfish collected were identified to species and curated into the West Liberty University Astacology Collection. A qualitative habitat evaluation index score (QHEI) was generated at every site and water quality data was collected using a YSI Pro 1030 data sonde. Thus far, 312 sites have been surveyed. Unexpectedly, we did find F. limosus in the Lackawanna River, a tributary of the upper Susquehanna River. All other historic sites returned either invasive F. rusticus or native F. obscurus. The absence of F. limosus at historic locations indicates a decline in range, which likely warrants state-level protection for this species.

Extreme Learning Machine model for assessment of stream health using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index

Abstract The Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) approach was used to predict stream health with a Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), and watershed metrics. A dataset of 112 sites in Ontario, Canada with their Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) and richness values was used in the development of two ELM models. Each model used 70 and 30% of the dataset for training and testing respectively. The models show a great fit with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)=0.12 and 0.33 for HBI and richness test models, respectively. Then, features elimination based on ELM coefficients and coefficient of variation showed a slight increase in the models' RMSE to reach 0.09 and 0.33 correspondingly. Accordingly, this high predictability of the models in this research provide better insights into which factors influence HBI or richness, and suggests that ELM has a better architecture than other machine learning models and ANN to learn complex non-linear relationships. Also, sensitivity analysis expressed channel slope as the most affecting stream-health parameter for stream health.

Can the Morphological Quality Index (MQI) be used to determine the ecological status of lowland rivers?

Stream assessment indices have become increasingly important in quantifying the overall status of river networks to define specific targets for restoration initiatives. Such an assessment is particularly needed in degraded environments, such as agricultural streams. Some of these evaluation tools, for instance the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), are resource intensive because they are field based. Indices that are less dependent on detailed field observations, such as the Morphological Quality Index (MQI), can provide a greater spatial coverage at a lower cost. The objectives of this study are to (1) verify whether a river's morphological quality, quantified using the MQI, can predict the fish habitat quality of a stream determined with the QHEI for eastern Canadian lowland streams, (2) compare the morphological quality, estimated solely from remotely sensed data (RMQI), to the standard MQI, (3) test whether a modified MQI (MMQI) is more appropriate than the original index for the eastern Canadian landscape when comparing with the QHEI fish habitat assessment, and (4) considering the near absence of dams in lowland eastern Canadian streams, compare an MQI where dam-related indicators are optional (MQI-OD) with the QHEI. The hydrogeomorphological and ecological conditions of 118 stream reaches, including 97 in agricultural areas, were assessed across Quebec and southern Ontario using the MQI and QHEI. Each stream was initially evaluated using remotely sensed data: 1-m LiDAR (Quebec) and 5-m DEMs (Ontario), historical aerial photography (1964–2010), and orthophotos. Field assessments were conducted to validate fish habitat and morphological data for both indices. A strong correlation was observed at the reach scale between the MQI and QHEI (r = 0.81) and MQI and RMQI (r = 0.95). Both modified MQI (MMQI and MQI-OD) showed stronger correlation than the standard MQI with the QHEI (r = 0.87), likely because the standard MQI slightly overestimates the current quality status at the habitat scale in the case of small agricultural catchments where main pressures are not always represented by artificial structures. However, because the standard MQI performs generally well in the study area, we suggest using it to ensure consistency and facilitate comparison with other regions. The results from this study demonstrate that the MQI can be used to provide an assessment of ecological (fish habitat) quality. In addition, our results indicate that a remote hydrogeomorphological assessment can be conducted to estimate the overall status of stream networks.

Specific microhabitat utilization and resource partitioning of the federally protected species of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) Cambarus callainus and the sympatric Cambarid species Cambarus hatfieldi

Following the description of Cambarus callainus, a range-wide survey was completed to determine the current distribution and conservation status for the species, resulting in federal protection enforced by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. While significant efforts evaluating physiochemical and physical habitat associations for C. callainus have been completed, a more specific analysis of microhabitat utilization, habitat preference, resource partitioning, and movement patterns remains incomplete. We aim to resolve these unknowns for C. callainus as well as the sympatric species Cambarus hatfieldi byobserving potential species interactions regarding habitat preference and individual movement patterns, assessed via radiotelemetry. Ten adult C. callainus individuals at each of two selected sites will be fitted with transmitters, as well as ten adult C. hatfieldi individuals from a single collection site. Tracking will occur hourly over the course of ten days of varying lunar luminosity during the summer and repeated the following year. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index forms and hydrology datawill be documented for observed microhabitat. Efforts will also include attempting to locate young of the year and determine movement patterns within the stream, as that has not yet been observed and would be beneficial to designing and implementing appropriate conservation protocols.

Comparison of Fish, Macroinvertebrates and Diatom Communities in Response to Environmental Variation in the Wei River Basin, China

Land use changes usually lead to the deterioration of freshwater ecosystems and reduced biodiversity. Aquatic organisms are considered valuable indicators for reflecting the conditions of freshwater ecosystems. Understanding the relationship between organisms and land use type, as well as physiochemical conditions, is beneficial for the management, monitoring and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, fish, macroinvertebrates, and diatoms were investigated at 60 sampling sites in the Wei River basin from October 2012 to April 2013 to determine the relationships between the environment and aquatic organisms. The richness, abundance, Shannon diversity, evenness, Margalef diversity, and Simpson diversity were selected as biological indices for analyzing the correlation between these communities and environmental variables according to Pearson’s coefficient. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the relationship between the biotic communities and environmental variables. The results showed that three diatom indices were weakly correlated with chemical oxygen demand (COD), qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QH), and dissolved oxygen (DO). Four macroinvertebrate indices were associated with total phosphorus (TP) while total nitrogen (TN), and agricultural land (AL) had a significant influence on assemblages, suggesting that macroinvertebrates could respond to nutrient levels in the Wei River basin. All land use types had a strong effect on fish indices except AL, indicating that fish would be better used as indicators of spatial changes in the aquatic ecosystem. In conclusion, fish and macroinvertebrates have the potential for use in routine monitoring programs in the Wei River basin.

Searching for a Salamander: Distribution and Habitat of the Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) in Southeast Ohio Using eDNA as a Rapid Assessment Technique

Habitat destruction and anthropogenic drivers have led to amphibian population declines worldwide, but the conservation status of many species remains in question. This study reports on the distribution of Mudpuppies, Necturus maculosus, in southeast Ohio, where widespread acid mine drainage and other forms of habitat destruction have led to severe declines and extinction in many waterways. Within the last century, however, the region has reforested, and damage to some streams has been mitigated, providing opportunities for Mudpuppy recolonization and population recovery. However, being a relatively secretive species, Mudpuppies require difficult and time intensive field surveys to detect. Therefore, the current distribution and conservation status of Mudpuppies in southeast Ohio is unclear. As a first step in documenting the current distribution and abundance of Mudpuppies in southeast Ohio, we conducted a rapid species assessment using environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys (September–November 2016) at 10 stream sites. We detected Mudpuppies at six of 10 streams using eDNA, including four streams in which they were known to occur from historical records and two streams from which Mudpuppies had not been previously reported. We also collected habitat data at each site, including concentrations of heavy metals and nutrients, physical stream habitat, conductivity, pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, and oxygen levels. Using logistic regression, we found composite Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) scores were the best predictor of Mudpuppy presence. Our results suggest Mudpuppy eDNA is not easily detected when they are at low density, and animals may need to be within approximately 182 m of sampling points to be detected.

Qualitative habitat evaluation index and some selected macroinvertebrate taxa metrics as a diagnostic tool for assessing pollution loads in a municipal river in north central Nigeria

Pollution load in a municipal river in north central Nigeria was assessed using qualitative habitat evaluation index and some selected macroinvertebrate taxa metrics. The study was conducted for a period of twelve (12) months, spanning from March, 2017 to February, 2018, in four sampling stations. Station 1 was the reference site located in a relatively unperturbed area close to the river source. Macroinvertebrates were sampled using the kick sampling method of a D-frame net. Percentages of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) and Chironomidae+Oligochaeta were calculated to ascertain the ecological state of the river. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) values portray a moderately impaired site. Station 1 QHEI was 76.15% which was the highest value recorded while station 4 was the worst hit among the sampled stations with 42.69%. Percentage EPT calculated showed that station 1 had the highest composition of the group with 13.12% while station 4 % EPT was 0.147. Further lending credence to the heavily perturbed state of station 4 is the percentage Chironomidae + Oligochaeta with 7.34% composition, which is much lower than that of station 1 the relatively unperturbed station. The study was able to elucidate the level of pollution loads in each of the stations sampled and it was noticed that pollution load was increased downstream from station 1 to station 4. A more detailed study on the use of biotic indices to assess the ecological status of rivers in the North central region of Nigeria were the River Chanchaga is located is recommended to further ascertain the level of disturbance the rivers are undergoing. This can be best done using macroinvertebrates predictive protocols and traits based monitoring approach.Keywords: Ecological Integrity, Pollution loads, QHEI, EPT, River Chanchaga, Nigeria

Long-Term Ecological Health Assessment of a Restored Urban Stream Based on Chemical Water Quality, Physical Habitat Conditions and Biological Integrity

We studied the chemical water quality, physical habitat and biotic integrity of an urban stream subjected to restoration measures in South Korea. We used the water pollution index (WPI), qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI) and index of biotic integrity (IBI) on the water quality, physical habitat and fish assemblage data respectively, during 2007–2016 in Gap Stream to evaluate the ecological health before and after restoration measures. The results revealed annual mean total phosphorus (TP) dramatically decreased by 13-fold for 10 years and the values of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) also decreased by >50% over the time, indicating decrease in nutrient enrichment and organic matter pollution after restoration measures. In the meantime, biological health analyses using IBI indicated no major transformation in fish assemblages under restoration impact. However, the proportion of sensitive species increased, and tolerant species decreased after restoration. Gap stream is home to 50 distinct fish species. QHEI proposed that the physical habitat health was in ‘good’ condition during the study period. WPI showed the chemical water quality status remained ‘poor’ during and before restoration but improved to ‘fair-good’ condition in the ensuing years after restoration. The IBI results, however, indicated ‘very poor-poor’ biotic integrity irrespective of restoration measures. CHL-a and TP showed strong (r < 0.7) to moderately strong (r = 0.5–0.7) correlation with significantly important water quality factors. Spatially significant pattern change in TN and TP was obvious as measured levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in downstream than upstream. Principal component analysis successfully indicated the placement of water quality factors and indices used as in three distinct stream compartments. The higher pollutant levels in the downstream mainly linked to the nutrient-rich effluents from emerging from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and industrial complexes operative in the stream catchment. Overall, restoration measures indicated minor impact on fish assemblages and physical habitat due to slow and steady improvement, however, water quality improved due to a decline of nutrients and chemicals downstream. This indicated a positive tendency of improvements in physical habitat and richness of fish assemblages in Gap Stream.

Response of aquatic organism richness to physiochemical factors at different regions in Jinan City

水生生物与水环境因子是水生态系统中重要的组成部分，研究水生生物与水环境因子的响应关系对制定水生态系统修复方案具有重要意义.于2014年5、8和10月，对济南市水生态系统进行野外采样调查.共设36个采样点，采集鱼类、底栖动物、浮游动物和浮游植物四种生物，并测定了26个水环境因子.采用Spearman相关分析法、小提琴图法和冗余分析法，筛选主要的水环境因子，分析济南市水生生物丰富度和主要水环境因子的分布特征，以及两者间的相互关系.结果表明，共筛选出6个主要的水环境因子，分别为流量（Flow）、溶解氧（DO）、栖息地质量指数（QHEI）、电导率（Cond）、化学需氧量（COD）和总氮（TN）.黄河区Flow、DO、QHEI和水生生物丰富度均较高，小清河区COD、TN、Cond和水生生物丰富度最低.黄河区Cond与鱼类丰富度呈显著相关，城区TN与底栖动物丰富度呈显著相关，小清河区COD、DO和QHEI对水生生物丰富度有显著影响，徒骇马颊河区TN对水生生物丰富度有显著影响.该研究为济南市水生态修复方案的制定提供参考，也为其他城市水生态文明建设提供一种思路.;Aquatic organisms and physiochemical factors were important components in the aquatic ecosystem. It will be benefited for understanding the health condition of aquatic ecosystem and planning restoration project by investigating the relationships between aquatic organisms and physiochemical factors. In this study, 36 sampling stations were set to investigated fish, macroinvertebrate, zooplankton and phytoplankton assemblages during May, August and October in 2014 in Jinan City, whilst, 26 physiochemical variables were tested as well. Methods of Spearman analysis, violin-plots and redundancy analysis were used to select the main physiochemical factors, exhibit the distribution of biological richness and main factors at each regions, and analyze the relationship between biological richness and main factors at each region. The results showed that six physiochemical factors including Flow, dissolved oxygen (DO), qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI), COD, electrical conductivity (Cond) and total nitrogen (TN) were selected as the main environmental factors based on the Spearman analysis. The distribution of Flow, DO, QHEI and biological richness were higher in Yellow River regions than those in other regions, and COD, TN, Cond and biological richness were the lowest in the Xiaoqing River region. Based on the Spearman analysis, Cond had a significant correlation with fish richness in Yellow River region, and TN were significant correlated with macroinvertebrate richness in urban region. The redundancy analysis showed that TN had a significant impact on the biological richness in Tuhaimajia River region, and COD, DO and QHEI significantly affected the biological richness in Xiaoqing River region. This study could be used as reference for the management or government to design a restoration project of aquatic ecosystem in Jinan City, and provided a new way for other cities to develop the aquatic ecosystem as well.

Health Assessment of the Stream Ecosystem in the North Canal River Basin, Beijing, China

With increasing urbanization, the stream ecosystem in Beijing has faced great challenges. Phytoplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and water quality were investigated based on 25 sampling sites in the North Canal River basin in July 2015, and the quality of the habitat was assessed in situ. A total of 22 metrics, including aquatic organism, hydrology, water quality, and habitat, were calculated to be the candidate indicators. A principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis were used to select the core metrics from the candidate indicators, and the weight of each core metric was estimated by using the entropy method. The integrated index of stream ecological health was constructed to assess the health condition of the North Canal River basin. The results of the PCA and correlation analysis showed that nine metrics were selected as the core metrics to construct the integrated index of stream ecological health, i. e., the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates, water temperature, BOD5, NH4+-N, F-, Zn, petroleum, and the qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI). According to the results of the health assessment, 12% of the sampling sites in the North Canal River basin were considered to be healthy (Ⅰ) or sub-healthy (Ⅱ), and more than half were poor (Ⅳ) or bad (Ⅴ). Therefore, the aquatic ecosystem in the North Canal River basin was generally unhealthy. The upstream was better than the midstream and downstream, where the spatial heterogeneity of the health condition was strong. The health condition in the Nansha River, the midstream of the Qinghe River, and the main stream of the Tonghui River were poor, while the upstream of the Liangshui River and the tributaries of the Wenyu River were good. In general, the condition of the stream ecosystem in the North Canal River basin was relatively complicated.

The influence of multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors on benthic communities in a mid-west agricultural stream

ABSTRACTThe objective of this 3-year study was to characterize benthic communities and physical habitat in an agricultural stream in the mid-west area of the United States (Big Bureau Creek, Illinois). Concurrent basic water quality parameters and seven nutrients were measured in the water column. Sediment measurements from depositional areas were conducted for bifenthrin, Total Organic Carbon, grain size, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and eight metals. All parameters were measured at 12 sites annually during the late summer for a 3-year period (2014, 2015 and 2016). Univariate regressions, stepwise multiple regressions and canonical correlation statistical analyses were used to determine the relationship between various benthic metrics (i.e., taxa richness and abundance) and all the measured parameters for the 3-year database. Benthic communities comprising 108–110 taxa were collected annually, and were generally dominated by sensitive caddisflies and mayflies. These communities were rated as good to exceptional using the Ohio Invertebrate Community Index. Physical habitat for the various sites was rated as good using the Ohio Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, thus suggesting that habitat is not a significant stressor that would likely impact resident benthic communities. Based on a comparison of measured in-stream total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations and criterion value exceedances, it appears that the in-stream nutrient concentrations could be potentially stressful to resident benthic biota. Metal concentrations were below established NOAA Threshold Effects Levels at all sites. Measured PCB concentrations were below levels of detection at all sites. Toxic units' (TUs) calculations based on using sensitive laboratory strains of Hyalella were less than 0.1 for bifenthrin, thus suggesting that bifenthrin sediment toxicity was unlikely. Thirty significant relationships reported between benthic metrics and the various environmental variables based on the 3-year database were as follows: 12 relationships with habitat metrics, 8 relationships with metals, 7 relationships with nutrients, 2 relationships with bifenthrin and 1 relationship with sediment characteristics. Relative habitat quality, habitat preferences, and ecological competition appear to be factors that shape the characteristics of the benthic communities of Big Bureau Creek, rather than stress imposed by toxicants (bifenthrin and metals), nutrients, or sediment characteristics. Complex relationships between benthic metrics and environmental variables are discussed.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS OF CAMBARUS VETERANUS FAXON, 1914 (DECAPODA: CAMBARIDAE), AN IMPERILED WEST VIRGINIAN CRAYFISH

Cambarus veteranus Faxon, 1914, a narrow endemic crayfish native to the Upper Guyandotte River Basin (UGB) in West Virginia, USA, was petitioned in 2005 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to be listed as endangered, but a status survey was recommended to determine if listing was warranted. During May and June 2015, surveys were undertaken across the UGB to determine the current distribution of the species. A total of 71 sites were sampled, including all streams where the species was previously recorded, as well as semi-randomly selected streams, with 1-9 125 m long sites sampled per wadable stream. Physiochemical and physical habitat data (based on the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, QHEI) were obtained at each site to determine abiotic factors that were associated with the presence of C. veteranus. Site detection or non-detection of C. veteranus and associated site covariates were modeled using logistic regression to determine covariates associated with the presence of the species. Cambarus veteranus was present in both the Pinnacle Creek and Clear Fork/Laurel Fork watersheds at 10 sites, but it was not observed in the remaining 61 sites. An additive effects model with conductivity and QHEI was selected as the best approximating model. Cambarus veteranus was associated with lower than average UGB conductivity (379 μS) and high (>80) QHEI score. All sites where C. veteranus was not detected had higher conductivity and/or lower QHEI scores.

Development and validation of a bacteria-based index of biotic integrity for assessing the ecological status of urban rivers: A case study of Qinhuai River basin in Nanjing, China

With the increasing human disturbance to urban rivers, the extinction and biodiversity losses of some macroorganism species decreased the accuracy of bioassessment. In this study, a novel index of biotic integrity based on bacteria (Ba-IBI) was first developed for Qinhuai River in Nanjing city, China. Thirty-two biofilm samples were collected along the river bank and the bacterial communities were identified by high-throughput sequencing. By the range, responsive, and redundancy tests, four core metrics were selected from the dataset of 78 candidate metrics, including Pielou's evenness index, proportion of Paenibacillus, proportion of OTUs tolerant to organic pollution and proportion of Nitrosomonas. The results showed that the Ba-IBI was able to effectively discriminate different impaired site groups, and had a good correlation with the index of water quality (r = 0.79, p < 0.01) and the qualitative habitat evaluation index (r = 0.51, p < 0.01). Moreover, the Ba-IBI was negatively correlated with the number of population within a 1 km buffer (r = −0.71, p < 0.01). Application of the index showed that most of the sites were in the poor or bad class in the river. Our study revealed that the Ba-IBI is an effective and reliable approach for assessing the ecological status of Qinhuai River basin, which can complement the existing ecological assessment approaches for urban rivers. Meanwhile, repeted surveys and field validations are still needed to further improve the applicability of the index in future studies.

Application of OEPA-Produced Biotic Indices and Physical Stream Measurements to Assess Freshwater Mussel (Unionidae) Habitat in the Upper Mahoning River, Ohio

Freshwater mussels continue to experience declines in population numbers in response to changing environments. Identifying aspects of the environment associated with the presence and abundance of mussels in small streams is challenging where past records are minimal. Thus, we sought to produce models of habitat favoring mussel species richness and abundance in the upper Mahoning River using data collected in 2 ways: (1) surveying sites deemed as suitable habitat via observation and (2) surveying existing Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) sites used to evaluate water quality and aquatic life through biotic indices. Detailed physical measurements were added at each survey site. Surveys identified 963 freshwater mussels of 11 species. The more-forested Eagle Creek contained an abundant mussel assemblage compared to the rest of the Upper Mahoning River, yet this stream was still dominated by just 1 common species, Lampsilis siliquoidea (Fatmucket). Drainage area alone correlated with mussel richness and abundance, but a complex model of multiple characteristics provided equivalent predictive power to assess how variation in environmental components may enhance the likelihood of mussel presence. The OEPA composite qualitative habitat evaluation index, which encompasses substrate, instream cover, channel morphology, riparian zone, pool quality, and map gradient, also was indicative of greater mussel diversity.

English

Abstract In 2015, a survey of Tomlinson Run State Park (TRSP) located in Hancock County, West Virginia USA was completed. Thirty stations, each 100m long, were randomly selected using ArcGIS for both intermittent and perennial stream reaches. Sites were sampled by performing ten seine hauls at each randomly selected station and scored using an Ohio EPA Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) to obtain qualitative habitat data. Ponds and impoundments were trapped for crayfish using baited crayfish/minnow traps. Burrows found in wetlands and seeps were excavated to determine TRSP burrowing crayfish species composition. In total, 471 crayfish of four species (Cambarus carinirostris, Cambarus monongalensis, Cambarus robustus and Orconectes obscurus) were collected. A statistically significant correlation existed between QHEI score and CPUE for C. carinirostris on intermittent streams. Cambarus monongalensis was the sole burrowing species encountered while C. carinirostris was only collected from intermittent stations (CPUE = 0.12). O. obscurus was the most common species collected from perennial streams (CPUE = 0.95) while Cambarus robustus was the rarest species (CPUE = 0.09) encountered in Tomlinson Run State Park. The crayfish fauna of TRSP is typical for the Upper Ohio River Valley, and at the present time, all species appear stable.

Impacts of river bank stabilization using riprap on fish habitat in two contrasting environments

AbstractRiverbank stabilization using rock riprap is commonly used for protecting road and bridge structures from fluvial erosion. However, little is known about how streams adjust to such perturbation or how this can affect fish habitat in different fluvial environments, particularly for non‐salmonid species in small streams. The objective of this study is to assess impacts of riprap on fish habitat quantity and quality through a pairwise comparison of 27 stabilized and non‐stabilized stream reaches in two physiographic regions, the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Appalachian highlands of Montérégie‐Est (Quebec, Canada). Both quantitative (Hydro‐morphological Index of Diversity, HMID) and qualitative (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, QHEI) fish habitat assessment techniques are applied in order to compare results between methods. For each stream reach depth and velocity were measured to calculate HMID. In‐stream cover (woody debris, overhanging vegetation, undercut banks, aquatic macrophytes) and habitat units (pools, riffles, runs, glides) were also documented and used to determine QHEI. Results show that overall bank stabilization using riprap at bridge and stream crossings alters fish habitat characteristics. Loss of in‐stream covers and riparian vegetation lower QHEI scores at stabilized reaches, especially in more pristine Appalachian streams, but has less impact on already altered straightened Lowlands streams. In this latter context, some positive alterations of fish habitat were observed in riprapped reaches due to the coarsening of the substrate and an induced increase of slope. The two metrics (HMID and QHEI) revealed similar differences between stabilized and non‐stabilized sites for Lowlands sites, but their level of agreement was much less in the Appalachian streams, suggesting caution when interpreting habitat quality results based on a single metric. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Environmental covariates associated with Cambarus veteranus Faxon, 1914 (Decapoda: Cambaridae), an imperiled Appalachian crayfish endemic to West Virginia, USA

Cambarus veteranus Faxon, 1914, a narrow endemic crayfish native to the Upper Guyandotte River Basin (UGB) in West Virginia, USA, was petitioned in 2014 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to be listed as endangered, but a status survey was recommended to determine if listing was warranted. During May and June 2015, surveys were undertaken across the UGB to determine the current distribution of the species. A total of 71 sites were sampled, including all streams where the species was previously recorded, as well as semi-randomly selected streams, with 1-9 125 m long sites sampled per wadeable stream. Physiochemical and physical habitat data (based on the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, QHEI) were obtained at each site to determine abiotic factors that were associated with the presence of C. veteranus . Site detection or non-detection of C. veteranus and associated site covariates were modeled using logistic regression to determine covariates associated with the presence of the species. Cambarus veteranus was present in both the Pinnacle Creek and Clear Fork/Laurel Fork watersheds at 10 sites, but it was not observed in the remaining 61 sites. An additive effects model with conductivity and QHEI was selected as the best approximating model. Cambarus veteranus was associated with lower than average UGB conductivity (379 μS) and high (>80) QHEI score. All sites where C. veteranus was not detected had higher conductivity and/or lower QHEI scores.