Comparative Analysis of Biological Assessments in Sierra Nevada Streams

1. In press: JNABS Vol 25(2) Comparable Biological Assessmentsfrom Different Methods and AnalysesDavid B. Herbst1 and Erik L. Silldorff21 Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, University of California, Route 1-Box 198, Mammoth Lakes, CA 935462 Princeton Hydro, 1108 Old York Road, Suite 1, PO Box 720, Ringoes, NJ 08551 Abstract Regionalized bioassessment programs of state and federal regulatory agencies, and other government and private groups often use different methods to collect and analyze stream invertebrate samples. While this has created concern and confusion over the comparability of these many disparate sources of data, studies have only recently begun to evaluate differences in performance between methods and reconcile the results produced from different programs. To obtain directly comparable data sets, we conducted concurrent sampling at 40 sites in the eastern Sierra Nevada of California using three bioassessment methodologies that differed at each stage, from field sample collection to laboratory processing and data analysis (California Stream Bioassessment Protocol, Region 5 US Forest Service, and Lahontan Regional Water Board methods). We used a performance-based methods system to compare precision, uniformity, discrimination, accuracy, and correlations among multimetric and predictive model output assessment scores. Reference and test sites were first identified using local and upstream watershed disturbance criteria, and invertebrate community measures and models were then developed to discriminate between these site classes. Differences in performance between methods were small, and the assessment scores were both highly correlated and distinguished reference from test sites with similar accuracy. An examination of the association of impaired biological integrity with environmental stress gradients showed that the method using most replication and sample counts provided the best resolution of stressor effect thresholds and signal to noise ratio. Despite slight differences in performance and stress detection, these results demonstrate that even substantially different methods of bioassessment yield very similar, effective discrimination of impaired biological condition. Moreover, this conclusion did not depend on the data analysis approach since both multimetric IBIs and multivariate RIVPACS predictive models were in close agreement. These results suggest that data from multiple sources can often be standardized and used in integrated assessments of stream biological integrity. Flow Chart of Study • Region & Setting • Eastern Sierra • 40 streams: 1st to 4th order • 6000-9000 ft elev • Impact sources: Sediment • Livestock grazing • Channel alteration Contrast of basic differences between the riffle-based methods Responses to sediment stressor: Again similar but UC-SNARL with slightly improved detection of >60% threshold and less reference-test overlap Concordance Correlations: 0.88-0.94 IBIs 0.84-0.88 O/Es Between-method community similarity is low for CSBP relative to others because of low taxonomic resolution, but is close for SNARL x USFS and becomes nearly the same by re-sampling SNARL data to 500 fixed-count. Similar assessments were found between methods Standardizing to a common metric set further improves concordance among methods Example of assessed impairment: minimize test-reference overlap at equal type I error rates and compare sites judged as impaired vs unimpaired High correlations existed for site-by-site co-plots among methods. Similar reference/test distributions but lower variability in UC-SNARL method results in improved signal:noise ratio and potential power Despite slight performance advantage of UC-SNARL….. Detection of impaired test sites equally effective and final site by site assessments are in agreement between methods in 83-93% of cases (based on criterion level at type I =17%) whether comparing within or between IBI or O/E scores Data & output may be combined, OR…. Use integrated assessments and multiple lines of evidence in confirmation of results Metric Precision: Number of IBI metrics meeting potential DQO targets for the different methods - UC-SNARL with a few more than others