Download QHEI Training

“Habitat Assessment Using the QHEI “
Edward T. Rankin
June 6
City of Columbus, Level 3 Training Course
Columbus, Ohio
Senior ResearchScientist
[email protected]
 Qualitative
 Habitat
 Evaluation
 Index
The Five Major Factors Which Determine
the Integrity of Aquatic Resources (from Karr 1981)
Alkalinity
Solubilities
Velocity
Temperature
D.O.
Adsorption
pH
Chemical
Variables
Nutrients
Turbidity
Organics
High/Low
Extremes
Land Use
Ground
Water
Flow
Regime
Precipitation &
Runoff
Hardness
INTEGRITY OF THE
WATER RESOURCE
Disease
Parasitism
Reproduction
Biotic
Factors
Competition
Feeding
Predation
“Principal Goal of the Clean Water Act
Nutrients
Sunlight
Organic Matter
Inputs
Energy
Source
Riparian
Vegetation
Seasonal
Cycles
Bank Stability
Siltation
1o and 2 o
Production
Width/Depth
Habitat
Structure
Sinuosity
Current
Substrate
Channel
Morphology
Gradient
Canopy
Instream
Cover
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Visual Method
Tool For Designating Aquatic Life Uses
Tool For Assessing Causes of Impairment
Correlated With Biological Integrity
Associated With Sediment/Nutrient Inputs
Effects on Biota Occur At Multiple Scales
Matches Resolution of Biological Data
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Substrate – Size, Quality
Instream Cover – Type, Quality, Amount
Channel Quality – Sinuosity, Riffle/Pool
Development, Channelization, Stability
Riparian Width, Type, Bank Stability
Pool, Riffle/Run – Depth, Morphology, Current Types,
Riffle/Run Substrates
Stream Gradient – Standardized by Stream Size
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Level 2
◦ This training and site scored independently at last site
tomorrow
◦ Sufficient similarity with Instructor Score
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Level 3
◦ This training and site scored independently (Level II site
above)
◦ Three sites scored outside of this training
◦ Sufficient similarity with all test sites
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Not explicitly
measured in QHEI
Reflected in
certain metrics
Can be limiting to
aquatic life in
many instances
Consider flow
regime when
interpreting data
QHEI and its subcomponents
correlated with IBI at multiple scales
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Data by Site All Years
ECBP & HELP Ecoregions
Reference Sites ONLY
Data by Huc 11 Watershed
IBI Data - 1994-2001
ECBP and HELP Ecoregions
60
60
Mean Huc-11 Scale IBI
y = 9.98 + 0.43x
Site Specific IBI
50
40
30
20
2
R = 0.43
50
40
30
20
2
y = 15.4 + 0.39x R = 0.51
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Site Specific QHEI
80
90
100
10
20
30
40
50
60
Mean Huc-11 Scale QHEI
70
80
Ohio Wadeable Reference Data
100
EWH
WWH
Modified
Probability
80
60
40
20
0
0
20
40
60
QHEI Score
80
100
85
84
83
82
81
42
56
6
55
57
AN
A
61b
Toledo
57b
61d
Pymatuning
Lake
57b
Cleveland
61
61a
6a
57c
61d
57d
57a
Fort
Wayne
Akron
Youngstown
41
61e
61c
Wooster
61c
Canton
55a
70c
55a
Grand
Lake
70e
55c
40
Columbus
55f
55b
70b
55e
55b
D ayton
70a
Marietta
71d
70f
Cincinnati
70d
55d
39
d
70
71d
71
69
70
LEVEL III ECOREGIONS OF OHIO
(after Omernik 1987)
HELP
ECBP
IP
EOLP
WAP
Structural features
include the numerous
components of habitat
that include living and
non- living attributes.
Parent geology and
climatic influences are
two factors that
influence structural
attributes..
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areas of the stream
with fast current
velocity and shallow
depth;
the water surface is
visibly broken by
rocks, boulders, etc.
• Functions:
– High production zone
for macroinvertebrates
– Spawning area for
many sensitive species
– Feeding area for
species groups such as
darters
– Oxygenation
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areas of the stream that
have a rapid, nonturbulent flow;
runs are deeper than
riffles with faster current
velocity than pools;
generally located downstream from riffles where
the stream narrows;
the stream bed is often
flat beneath a run and the
water surface is not
visibly broken.
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Functions:
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Spawning Area
Feeding Area
Oxygenation
Macroinvertebrate
Production
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an area of the stream with
slow current velocity;
depth greater than riffle
and run areas;
the stream bed is often
concave;
stream width frequently is
the greatest;
the water surface slope is
nearly zero.
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Functions:
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Low Flow Refugia
Nursery Area
Resting Area
Cover
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Flat, “canal-like” flow
Shallow, generally
poor habitat
Transitional in natural
streams
Can be predominant
in channelized and
altered streams
P OOL
• Functions:
- Shallow nursery
areas
- Invertebrate
production
Good Stream Habitat
Nutrients & Sediment
Are Intercepted by
Riparian Biomass
Leaves,
Woody
Debris
Erosion:
Particulate P
Dissolved P
Riparian Width
Bacteria,
Fungi
Two-Way
Movement of
Sediment &
Nutrients
Sunlight is
Limited By
the Riparian
Vegetation
Invertebrates (Shredders,
Scrapers)
Woody Debris
SlowsExport of
Sediments & Increases
Conversion of Nutrients to
Desirable Biomass
Algae
Inverts.
Predators
Insectivorous
Fish
Humans
Herbivores
Fish
Predators
Bird,
Mammal
Predators
Major Downstream Exports:
I. Desirable Biomass (e.g.,
fish, plants, birds,
mammals, sensitive
species)
II. Low Sediment Delivery
III. Water Quality Suitable for
ALL Uses
Modified Stream Habitat
Fine Sediment
Bedload with
Algae & Detritus
Erosion:
Sediment with
Particulate P
Dissolved P
Direct Sunlight Affects
100% of Channel;
L ight is Not a L imiting
Factor
One-Way Movement
of Sediment &
Nutrients IntoStreams
Filter Feeding
Lack of Woody Debris
Invertebrates,
Increases Export &
Conversion of Nutrients to Detritivores
Undesirable Biomass
External energy
is required to
maintain modified
environment and
maintain agriculturalproduction
Predators:
Birds, Mammals
Grasses Comprise Majority of
Riparian “Buffer”
Nitrates via
Subsurface
Drainage
Herbivores
Rapid Turnover of Nutrients
(“Short Spirals”) is a Key
Characteristic
Predators:
Invertebrates
Major Downstream Exports:
I. Nutrients & Undesirable
Biomass (e.g., algae,
detritivores, tolerant
species)
II. High Sediment Delivery
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Strong Link Between Channel
Score and Substrate Score
Fine substrates (e.g., silts) source
of attached phosphorus.
Improved channel form will result
in higher channel score, higher
substrate scores and less nutrients
stored in wetted channel
Storm events will re-suspend less
nutrients in stream with intact
channels than with modified
channels
May use pebble count data and
sediment nutrient concentration
from sediment chemical data to
create “hypothetical” loads with
various habitat types
QUESTION: How much channel
improvement (e.g., full restoration
vs. two-stage channel) is needed to
significantly reduce nutrients?
Natural and Modified Reference Sites
ECBP & HELP Ecoregions
25
QHEI Substrate Score
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20
15
10
5
0
0-4
5-8
9 - 12
13 - 16
QHEI Channel Score
17 - 20
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/monitoring/rbp/
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Illinois SHAP
U.S. EPA EMAP/NWS Assessment Methods
RBP Habitat Form
Other State Methods (e.g., quantitative and
qualitative)
QHEI has been modified for other environment and
systems (e.g., HHEI, Lake Erie Shoreline, etc)
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Goal is to explain variation we observe in aquatic
biology
◦ What is relative contribution of habitat condition to observed
biology?
◦ What are the factors limiting the biology?
◦ When in doubt about meaning of metric
 Refer to reference materials
 Think FUNCTIONALLY! What is hypothetical link between metric
and biology (Think like a fish!)