Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
Affected ParksBig South Fork NRRA (BISO) Importance / IssuesAt both BISO and OBRI, free-flowing rivers are the central resource management focus. The parks’ enabling legislation, together with National River (BISO) and Wild and Scenic River (OBRI) designations, reflects this emphasis. Both parks harbor significant aquatic resources – including numerous federally listed species, and both are threatened by industries of resource extraction, upstream development, and water withdrawal. BLRI protects half of the remaining high elevation wetlands in the Southern Appalachians, numerous high elevation seeps and streams, and managed trout fisheries. These resources are threatened by air pollution impacts, including acid deposition, and deposition of toxic substances (e.g. mercury). Other management issues include development along the park boundary, management of agricultural leases within the park, and forest insect and disease impact. Preliminary Monitoring ObjectivesSpecific monitoring objectives are: 1. Determine long-term trends in species composition and tolerance indices at selected index sites. 2. Correlate trends in water quality and physical habitat measures with changes in the composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate species assemblages. Benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring in accordance with this protocol will be utilized for: • Characterization of the existence, severity,
and trends of impairment to the water resource. MethodsAquatic macroinvertebrates are effective long-term integrators of the short term events influencing water quality in a particular location. To evaluate the condition of a water body, water resource professionals use an integrated approach that may include analyses of water quality and quantity, physical habitat characterization, and biological assessment, which utilizes biological surveys.  |
To meet the need for cost-effective sampling, a number of rapid bioassessment methods have been developed. These methods are generally described in the EPA‘s Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers (EPA 841-B-99-002), and individual state and federal investigators have developed a number of rapid bioassessment protocols (RBP). The principal conceptual underpinnings of RBPs are: • Cost-effective, scientifically valid,
procedures for biological surveys Protocol Development & StatusThe Network evaluated RBP protocols employed in the four states (TN, VA, KY, and NC) in which APHN parks are resident. In general all states use some modification of general procedures described in the EPA Wadeable Streams Manual. APHN will utilize a rapid bioassessment protocol adapted from the Standard Operating Procedures developed and used by the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. The North Carolina protocol has been widely adopted for use in other monitoring programs, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and six years of macroinvertebrate monitoring has been accomplished using this protocol in BISO. In most cases, sampling stations will be co-located with water quality monitoring stations, in order to provide park managers with the appropriate level of information needed to determine whether management changes are warranted. Contact InformationJim Hughes Appalachian Highlands Network Big South Fork NRRA 4564 Leatherwood Road Oneida, TN 37841 James_D_Hughes@nps.gov |
Green Darners (photo by Alvin Braswell)