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R. Jan Stevenson Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824

Periphyton Data from National-Scale Assessments Can Inform Nutrient Criteria Development for Southeastern States. R. Jan Stevenson Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824.

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R. Jan Stevenson Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824

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  1. Periphyton Data from National-Scale Assessments Can Inform Nutrient Criteria Development for Southeastern States R. Jan Stevenson Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824

  2. Periphyton Data from Region 4 and National-Scale Assessments Can Inform Nutrient Criteria Development for Southeastern States R. Jan Stevenson Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Chris Decker U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Athens, GA 30605

  3. Outline • Review “Diatom Responses to Nutrient Conditions in Region 4 Streams”, a report prepared for USEPA Region 4 by Chris Decker and me. • Review results from NAWQA-NEET and NRSA periphyton studies that relate to Region 4 • NEET: Covariation in pH and NP with Human Disturbance Gradient confounds assessing nutrient effect • NRSA: Modeled MMIs with tested metrics, species characterizations for refined metric testing • Next steps • Further species traits analysis • Website and Database

  4. Streams sampled in Region 4 during summer 2006 and summer 2007 (SPNBR and SPNR) N=169

  5. Wide range of nutrient concentrations should be sufficient to produce biological responses The 25th percentiles of TP and TN at all sites sampled in Region 4 streams were 0.020 and 0.234 mg/L, respectively

  6. pH was unusually low in Coastal Plain Streams Region 4 NRSA

  7. Correlation Between Water Chemistry and Land Use Land Cover Variables

  8. Diatom Species Composition Highly Related to Nutrient & pH/Cond Gradients

  9. C D Inferred TP Jack (ln(mg TP/L)) Resid Inf TP Jack (ln(mg TP/L)) Observed TP (ln(mg TP/L)) Observed TP (ln(mg TP/L)) A B Inferred TP (ln(mg TP/L)) Resid Inf TP (ln(mg TP/L)) Observed TP (ln(mg TP/L)) Observed TP (ln(mg TP/L)) Region 4 TP Metric (Weighted Average (PLS) Regression) • ∑piOpti • i=1-n spp

  10. Many Diatom Metrics Correlated to TP and Human Disturbance Gradient

  11. Most Response is in Low Range of Nutrients Note Linearity and Non-linearity of Responses

  12. Weighted Average Metric Better Related to Land Use than Indicator Species Metrics

  13. Response of Periphyton Could Be Used to Justify Nutrient Criteria (thresholds or reference condition)

  14. NAWQA-NEET

  15. NAWQA-NEET

  16. NARS: Periphyton MMI(no new metrics used) Site Class (R=reference, MD=moderately disturbed, HD=highly disturbed, V=reference validation)

  17. Metrics Selected for National and Regional MMIs

  18. Traditional MMI Modeled MMI NRSA Periphyton MMI by Ecoregion:Eastern Highlandsand Lowland Plains Site Class (R=ref, MD=mod dist, HD=high dist, V= validation)

  19. NRSA: Species Traits

  20. Web Site: Species Traits • Trait Types • Weighted Average Optima • Indicator Species Values • Indicate What? • Reference and Trashed or Human Disturbance Gradient • Biological condition traits • Sensitive and Tolerant Taxa • Ecological Functions • Stressors • Nutrients, pH, siltation, hydrologic alteration (dam upstream) • Existing and New Traits based on NARS surveys

  21. Web Site: Database • Input Tables • Species names and traits (12 traits at a time) • Sample IDs, species names, counts • Taxa harmonization table • QA • Matches for all taxa names, count totals • Metric calculation • Weighted average metrics (∑piOpti) • Indicator species metrics (% spp or ind w trait)

  22. Summary • Periphyton metrics work in Region 4 and can be use to support development of nutrient criteria • Periphyton metrics could be better • Lots of Potential from Existing and New Data Sets • Next steps • Further species traits analysis • Website and Database

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