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Assessment of Biotic Integrity Using Fish Communities
Author(s) -
Karr James R.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1981)006<0021:aobiuf>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - biota , watershed , habitat , biological integrity , index of biological integrity , biotic component , ecology , environmental science , fish <actinopterygii> , aquatic ecosystem , streams , water quality , abiotic component , fishery , biology , computer science , computer network , machine learning
Man's activities have had profound, and usually negative, influences on freshwater fishes from the smallest streams to the largest rivers. Some negative effects are due to contaminants, while others are associated with changes in watershed hydrology, habitat modifications, and alteration of energy sources upon which the aquatic biota depends. Regrettably, past efforts to evaluate effects of man's activities on fishes have attempted to use water quality as a surrogate for more comprehensive biotic assessment. A more refined biotic assessment program is required for effective protection of freshwater fish resources. An assessment system proposed here uses a series of fish community attributes related to species composition and ecological structure to evaluate the quality of an aquatic biota. In preliminary trials this system accurately reflected the status of fish communities and the environment supporting them.