A study of the effect of physical and chemical stressors on biological integrity within the San Diego hydrologic region |
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Authors: | Kristofor A Voss Alex Pohlman Shekar Viswanathan David Gibson Joe Purohit |
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Institution: | (1) School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, South Korea; |
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Abstract: | Environmental agencies across the United States have searched for adequate methods to assess anthropogenic impacts on the
environment. Biological assessments, which compare the taxonomic composition of an aquatic assemblage to relevant biocriteria,
have surfaced as an effective method to assess the ecological integrity of US waterbodies. In this study, bioassessment data
were collected and analyzed in conjunction with physical habitat and chemical stressor data for streams and rivers within
the San Diego basin from 1998 through 2005. Physical stressors such as sediment loading, riparian destruction, and in-stream
habitat homogenization affect many locations in the region. However, physical habitat measures alone were found to frequently
overestimate the biological integrity of streams in the region. Many sites within the San Diego Basin, although unaffected
by physical stressors, continue to exhibit low biological integrity scores. Sites with low biological integrity tend to possess
higher specific conductance and salinity compared to sites with high biological integrity. We suggest that one possible reason
for these differences is the source water used for municipal purposes. |
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Keywords: | |
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