2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
6/06/2017 | 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM | TEACHING AN OLD DOG A NEW TRICK: TOOLS FOR USING BIOLOGICAL DATA IN NEW WAYS | 301A
TEACHING AN OLD DOG A NEW TRICK: TOOLS FOR USING BIOLOGICAL DATA IN NEW WAYS
A primary goal of the Clean Water Act is to preserve and protect the biological integrity of the Nation's waters. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has built a comprehensive dataset using methods developed in 1989. Three factors have greatly increased the ability of ADEM to use its biological data in new ways while maintaining consistency over time: 1) the flexibility of the 1989 methods; 2) development of a Watershed Condition Gradient (WCG) to classify each watershed by its condition; and 3) calibration of the ADEM biological datasets to the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) framework to characterize biological response to anthropogenic stress. The BCG and WCG provide tools for prioritizing specific watersheds for protection and restoration, as well as a method for setting achievable restoration goals. While Alabama's multi-metric indices are calibrated to least-impaired reference conditions, the BCG provides a framework for understanding current conditions relative to natural, undisturbed conditions. Applied on larger scales, the BCG and WCG could facilitate the use of data collected using different methods for a single purpose.
- C17 Bioassessment
- S26 Biological Success Criteria for Stream Restoration Project Monitoring: Are We Still Searching for Unicorns?
- S27 Advancing Consistency in Ecological Assessments
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Presenters/Authors
Elizabeth Huff
(), Alabama Department of Environmental Management, esh@adem.alabama.gov;
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