Modification and Assessment of an Index of Biotic Integrity to Quantify Stream Quality in Southern Ontario

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 492-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Steedman
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Index Of Biotic Integrity ◽  
Biotic Integrity ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Stream Quality ◽  
Watershed Urbanization

A multivariate measure of stream quality, the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), was adapted to southern Ontario and calibrated to watershed land use on a variety of spatial scales. The fish fauna at 209 stream locations on 10 watersheds near Toronto, Ontario, was sampled with a backpack electrofisher in the summers of 1984 and 1985 to provide biological information for the IBI. Watershed urbanization, forest cover, and riparian forest were measured from 1:50,000 scale topographic maps and related to IBI estimates by linear regression. Of the biological measures tested, species richness, local indicator species (brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Rhinichthys spp.), abundance of large piscivores, fish abundance, and incidence of blackspot disease were found to contribute significantly to IBI estimates. Variation in IBI estimates at the same location ranged from 0 to 8% within the sample season and from 0 to 24% between years. Linear models based on measures of watershed urbanization and forest cover accounted for 11–78% of the variation in IBI scores, depending on the spatial scale of the analysis. Significant IBI/land use relationships were found with whole-basin IBI estimates and for IBI estimates from individual stream reaches. Land use immediately upstream of sample stations was most strongly associated with stream quality as measured by the IBI.

scholarly journals Contrasting responses of above- and belowground diversity to multiple components of land-use intensity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëtane Le Provost ◽  
Jan Thiele ◽  
Catrin Westphal ◽  
Caterina Penone ◽  
Eric Allan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Belowground Diversity ◽  
Landscape Level

AbstractLand-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, understanding how different components of land use drive biodiversity loss requires the investigation of multiple trophic levels across spatial scales. Using data from 150 agricultural grasslands in central Europe, we assess the influence of multiple components of local- and landscape-level land use on more than 4,000 above- and belowground taxa, spanning 20 trophic groups. Plot-level land-use intensity is strongly and negatively associated with aboveground trophic groups, but positively or not associated with belowground trophic groups. Meanwhile, both above- and belowground trophic groups respond to landscape-level land use, but to different drivers: aboveground diversity of grasslands is promoted by diverse surrounding land-cover, while belowground diversity is positively related to a high permanent forest cover in the surrounding landscape. These results highlight a role of landscape-level land use in shaping belowground communities, and suggest that revised agroecosystem management strategies are needed to conserve whole-ecosystem biodiversity.

scholarly journals Land-use-driven stream warming in southeastern Amazonia

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1619) ◽  
pp. 20120153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia N. Macedo ◽  
Michael T. Coe ◽  
Ruth DeFries ◽  
Maria Uriarte ◽  
Paulo M. Brando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Soya Bean ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Small Streams

Large-scale cattle and crop production are the primary drivers of deforestation in the Amazon today. Such land-use changes can degrade stream ecosystems by reducing connectivity, changing light and nutrient inputs, and altering the quantity and quality of streamwater. This study integrates field data from 12 catchments with satellite-derived information for the 176 000 km 2 upper Xingu watershed (Mato Grosso, Brazil). We quantify recent land-use transitions and evaluate the influence of land management on streamwater temperature, an important determinant of habitat quality in small streams. By 2010, over 40 per cent of catchments outside protected areas were dominated (greater than 60% of area) by agriculture, with an estimated 10 000 impoundments in the upper Xingu. Streams in pasture and soya bean watersheds were significantly warmer than those in forested watersheds, with average daily maxima over 4°C higher in pasture and 3°C higher in soya bean. The upstream density of impoundments and riparian forest cover accounted for 43 per cent of the variation in temperature. Scaling up, our model suggests that management practices associated with recent agricultural expansion may have already increased headwater stream temperatures across the Xingu. Although increased temperatures could negatively impact stream biota, conserving or restoring riparian buffers could reduce predicted warming by as much as fivefold.

scholarly journals The Importance of Riparian Forest Cover to the Ecological Status of Agricultural Streams in a Nationwide Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikko Tolkkinen ◽  
Saku Vaarala ◽  
Jukka Aroviita
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractForested riparian corridors are a key management solution for halting the global trend of declining ecological status of freshwater ecosystems. There is an increasing body of evidence related to the efficacy of these corridors at the local scale, but knowledge is inadequate concerning the effectiveness of riparian forests in terms of protecting streams from harmful impacts across larger scales. In this study, nationwide assessment results comprising more than 900 river water bodies in Finland were used to examine the importance of adjacent land use to river ecological status estimates. Random forest models and partial dependence functions were used to quantify the independent effect of adjacent land use on river ecological status after accounting for the effects of other factors. The proportion of adjacent forested land along a river had the strongest independent positive effect on ecological status for small to medium size rivers that were in agricultural landscapes. Ecological quality increased by almost one status class when the adjacent forest cover increased from 10 to 60%. In contrast, for large rivers, adjacent forested land did not show an independent positive effect on ecological status. This study has major implications for managing river basins to achieve the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) goal of obtaining good ecological status of rivers. The results from the nationwide assessment demonstrate that forested riparian zones can have an independent positive effect on the ecological status of rivers, indicating the importance of riparian forests in mitigating the impacts of catchment-level stressors. Therefore, forested buffer zones should be more strongly considered as part of river basin management.

scholarly journals Land use and biotic integrity in shallow streams of the Hondo River basin, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 1448
Author(s):  
Rodrigo I. Pacheco-Díaz ◽  
Juan J. Schmitter-Soto ◽  
Birgit Schmook ◽  
Gerald A. Islebe ◽  
Holger Weissenberger
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Biotic Integrity ◽  
Human Settlements ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Secondary Vegetation ◽  
Student’S T ◽  
Landscape Information

Aquatic environments face a variety of threats in the Hondo River basin, Southeastern Yucatan Peninsula. Some of these impacts, like pollution by pesticides, may depend on land use and cover. Our objective was to assess the effect of land use/cover using a previously published index of biotic integrity (IBI), based on fishes and designed for shallow streams in the Hondo River basin. Our hypothesis was that land uses that cause deforestation and pollution, such as urbanization, cattle breeding, or sugar cane fields, would be reflected in low IBI values, at least at some spatial scales. The 23 sites originally used in 2008-2009 to estimate by electrofishing the relative abundance and other characteristics of selected fish species and guilds to construct the IBI, were revisited in February 2010, to validate by direct inspection the type of land use/cover suggested by landscape information in digital databases. We analyzed the effect of seven types of land use/cover (agriculture, pasture, human settlements, water bodies, wetlands, forest, and secondary vegetation) on the IBI values, at four spatial scales, i.e., the percent of every land use/cover at progressively larger circles (125, 250, 500, and 1 000 m diameter) centered on the water body where the IBI value was measured. Correlations were established among the percent land/use cover by scale around 23 sites, and with their corresponding IBI values. Then, Student’s t tests were calculated to examine significant differences in land use/cover between groups of localities above and below the median IBI value, and Mann-Whitney’s U tests were applied to compare IBI values between localities with and without a given landscape cover. Agriculture, human settlements, and secondary vegetation correlated negatively with the IBI; forests positively.  Differences were significant (p < 0.05) for forest (higher in sites with higher IBI values) and human settlements (lower in sites with higher IBI). Of all the landscape categories located in the Hondo River basin, with the exception of pasture, those of anthropogenic origin tended to be detrimental to aquatic biotic integrity.

FRAGILIDADE AMBIENTAL DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO CAPIVARA, BOTUCATU-SP

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Daniela Polizeli Traficante ◽  
Sérgio Campos ◽  
Rodrigo Lillla Manzione ◽  
Bruno Timóteo Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Map Algebra ◽  
River Watershed ◽  
Eucalyptus Forest ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Degraded Pastures

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar a fragilidade ambiental da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Capivara, Botucatu-SP. Foram utilizados os atributos uso da terra, solos, declividade e geologia através da Combinação Linear Ponderada (álgebra de mapas) em que cada um foi considerado um fator condicionante à fragilidade ambiental. A normalização dos fatores se deu pelas classes de fragilidade com notas variando de um a cinco, de muito baixa à muito alta, respectivamente, e a determinação dos pesos pelo método do Processo Hierárquico Analítico. Os resultados indicaram que a bacia apresentou altos índices de fragilidade, em 90,4% de sua área total, tendo o uso da terra ocupado pelas áreas de pastagens degradadas como o maior vetor de pressão. Somente 9,6% da área total da bacia foi classificada com baixos índices de fragilidade onde estão as áreas com cobertura florestal (nativas e reflorestamento de eucalipto) mata ciliares e as áreas de várzea. Estes índices de alta fragilidade vêm contribuindo para a redução da disponibilidade hídrica da bacia como consequência da falta de planejamento ambiental e exploração desordenada dos recursos naturais.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Análise Multicriterial, EASY AHP, SIG, Planejamento Ambiental. ENVIRONMENTAL FRAGILITY IN CAPIVARA RIVER WATERSHEDABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to identify the environmental fragility of Capivara River Watershed, Botucatu, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Attributes like land use, soil, slope and geology were combined through weighted linear combination (map algebra) in which each of them was considered a conditioning factor to the environmental fragility. Factors standardization was given through the fragility classes with grades ranging from one to five, very low to very high, respectively, and the determination of weights by the Analytical Hierarchy Process method. The results indicated that the Capivara River Watershed showed high levels of fragility, with 90.4% of total area, and the land use occupied by degraded pastures was the greatest pressure vector for these high rates. Only 9.6% of the basin total area were classified as low fragility indexes, which are the areas with forest cover (natives and eucalyptus forest), riparian forest and lowland areas. These high fragility indexes have contributed to the reduction of water availability in basin because of lack of environmental planning and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.KEYWORDS: Multi-Criteria Analysis, EASY AHP, GIS, Environmental Planning.

Landscape Change in an Agricultural Watershed: The Effect of Parcelization on Riparian Forest Cover

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Kleiman ◽  
D L Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Landscape Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Farm Scale ◽  
Land Use Policies ◽  
Increasing Trends

In this research we address factors contributing to landscape change in a midwestern (USA) watershed. Specifically, the relationship between the parcelization of agricultural land (ownership subdivisions) and changes in amounts of riparian forest cover are explored. The study area is the River Raisin Watershed in southeastern Michigan, which is typical of rural watersheds in the lower Great Lakes region. Two townships within the watershed were sampled from data spanning a 20-year time period. Using land-use and land-cover data for 1968, 1978, and 1988, combined with ownership records for the same years, we determined a relationship between rates of parcelization and changes in forest cover. These findings indicate that increasing trends in riparian forest area follow increases in land parcelization at the township scale. For these two townships, agricultural decline and land-use diversification seem positively related to larger areas and widths of riparian forests. As the number of acres being farmed and the number of farms have decreased, the land has been divided into more and smaller lots and the forests along rivers like the Raisin and its tributaries have increased in area. There are several possible factors at the township and farm scale which may influence this landscape phenomenon, including land-use policies, governmental programs, agricultural mechanization, and agricultural economics.

scholarly journals Effects of Land Use Intensification on Avian Predator Assemblages: A Comparison of Landscapes with Different Histories in Northern Europe

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Manton ◽  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Vladimir Naumov
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Avian Predator ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Habitat Networks

Land use and landcover change alter the ability of habitat networks to maintain viable species populations. While their effects on the quality, amount and patterns of landcover patches are commonly studied, how they affect ecological processes, such as predation on focal species remains neglected. This macroecological study tests the hypothesis that predator assemblages are affected by land use intensity linked to different socio-economic contexts. We measured the distribution and abundance of two avian predator groups (generalist corvid birds and specialist raptors), and proxy variables that mirror their food resources, at three spatial scales in northern Europe’s West and East. In total, we made 900 survey counts for avian predators and their resources in six landcover strata throughout five landscapes and analyzed their relationships. The abundance of omnivorous corvid birds was associated with the number of anthropogenic food resources. Thus, corvid birds were most common in the urban and agricultural landcovers, and where forest cover was low. Corvid bird abundance, and availability of their resources, increased with increasing land use intensity. Raptors were less abundant than corvid birds and most common in semi-natural grasslands. The number of raptor species increased with decreasing land use intensity. This study shows that the abundance and composition of avian predator species must be understood to maintain functional habitat networks.

scholarly journals Riparian forest structure and stream geomorphic condition: implications for flood resilience

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Keeton ◽  
Erin M. Copeland ◽  
S. Mažeika P. Sullivan ◽  
Mary C. Watzin
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Riparian Corridors ◽  
Stream Condition ◽  
Stream Geomorphology

Managing riparian corridors for flood resilience requires understanding of linkages between vegetation condition and stream geomorphology. Stream assessment approaches increasingly use channel morphology as an indicator of stream condition, with only cursory examination of riparian vegetation. Our research (i) examines relationships between stream geomorphic condition, as assessed by Rapid Geomorphic Assessment (RGA) scores, and riparian forest structure, and (ii) investigates scale dependencies in the linkages between land cover and stream geomorphology. We sampled vegetation structure and composition and assessed geomorphic condition at 32 stream reaches within the Lake Champlain Basin, USA. RGA scores were modeled as a function of structural attributes using classification and regression trees. Landsat coverages were used to delineate land uses within five nested spatial scales. Generalized linear models (GLM) evaluated relationships between land cover and RGA scores. Standard deviation of basal area partitioned the greatest variability in RGA scores, but dead tree density and basal area (positively) and shrub density (negatively) were also significant predictors. RGA was related to forest and agricultural cover at the two finest scales. Riparian forest structure is highly dynamic in relation to stand development and disturbance history; simple forest cover information does not capture these differences or their influences on stream geomorphic condition.

scholarly journals Influences of Multiscale Land Cover Characteristics and Specific Conductivity on Fish Assemblages in the Nolichucky River Watershed, Tennessee

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley S. Gotwald ◽  
J. Brian Alford
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Specific Conductivity ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
River Watershed

We evaluated the potential of using fish species and functional traits as indicators of land use impacts to fish assemblages. We used environmental data collected at multiple spatial scales (local, reach, and upstream catchment) for 19 tributary and main stem sites in the Nolichucky River watershed in Tennessee. Canonical correspondence analyses showed that temperature, elevation, specific conductivity, sediment yield, impervious surfaces, and row crop cover at the catchment scale were strongly associated with fish assemblage structure, as well as forest cover from all three spatial scales. Blocked indicator species analysis, with stream size as the block, showed that significantly strong indicators of the least-impacted riparian land use condition (&ge;60% forest cover) were Saffron Shiner (Notropis rubricroceus), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss), Longnose Dace (Rhynichthys cataractae), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdi). Traits indicative of the least-impacted sites were the herbivorous trophic guild, mean female age-at-maturity, longevity, rock-gravel spawners, montane geology and pelagic swimmers. Specific conductivity was strongly related to multiple catchment-scale land use variables, and was a strong local-scale influence on fish assemblage structure. Our results show promise for using a relatively common but endemic southern Appalachian fish species, the Saffron Shiner, as an indicator for land-use related impacts to these streams.

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