Regional Applications of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Use in Water Resource Management

摘要

The index of biotic integrity (IBI) integrates 12 measures of stream fish assemblages for assessing water resource quality. Initially developed and tested in the Midwest, the IBI recently was adapted for use in western Oregon, northeastern Colorado, New England, the Appalachians of West Virginia and Virginia, and northern California. The concept also was extended to Louisiana estuaries. In regions of low species richness, the IBI proved difficult to apply and often required extensive modification. Adapting the IBI to those regions required that metrics be replaced, deleted, or added to accommodate regional differences in fish distribution and assemblage structure and function. The IBI holds promise for direct biological monitoring because of its strong ecological foundation and flexibility. Vermont, TVA, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois have incorporated the IBI into their monitoring or standards programs. The IBI thus serves as a quantitative, biological goal for water resource management. (Copyright 1988 by the American Fisheries Society.)