2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Trait-based multimetric indices for diatom assessment of rivers and streams across the conterminous United States | Virtual Platform
Trait-based multimetric indices for diatom assessment of rivers and streams across the conterminous United States
Taxonomic inconsistency in diatom datasets can constrain use of diatoms as biological indicators in rivers and streams assessments in the United States (US). For projects like the USEPA’s National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), differences in species identification or nomenclature among multiple taxonomy laboratories can render diatom data unusable in large-scale assessments. We address this problem by developing trait-based diatom multimetric indices (MMIs) to assess river and stream condition across the conterminous US, using a separate MMI for the East, Plains, and West ecoregions. Diatom data from the 2008-2009 NRSA were used to develop candidate metrics by assigning taxa to morphological and functional traits based on genus-level attributes. Other metrics were developed from diatom genera. The final trait-based MMI for the East had the greatest precision and ability to discriminate reference from disturbed sites, followed by MMIs for the Plains and West. MMI performances were comparable with NRSA MMIs for other biological assemblages for these ecoregions. Our work shows trait-based diatom indices are effective for large-scale assessments, and because they are less labor-intensive and more immune to taxonomic inconsistencies than species-based indices, they are also more practical and reliable.
- Monitoring
- Management
- Ecosystem
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Presenters/Authors
Luisa Riato
(), ORISE c/o US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, riato.luisa@epa.gov;
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Ryan Hill
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, hill.ryan@epa.gov;
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Alan Herlihy
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, herlihy.alan@epa.gov;
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David Peck
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, peck.david@epa.gov;
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Philip Kaufmann
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, Kaufmann.Phil@epa.gov;
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John Stoddard
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, Stoddard.John@epa.gov;
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Steven Paulsen
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, Paulsen.Steve@epa.gov;
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