Development of a Fish-Based Index of Biotic Integrity for Small Inland Lakes in Central Minnesota

Abstract

We developed a fish‐based index of biotic integrity (IBI) for a set of Minnesota lakes having similar geophysical and chemical features. Fish data were collected by means of trap nets, gill nets, shoreline seines, and backpack electrofishing. Of 30 evaluated metrics, we identified 16 metrics of three types: species richness, community assemblage, and trophic composition. In contrast to lotic IBIs, where a single sampling gear is usually used, data from all four sampling gears were necessary for IBI development. We selected metrics based on responses to measures of human‐induced stress based on watershed land use patterns and human population density. Species richness and community composition metrics describing intolerant or habitat specialist species were most sensitive to differences in human‐induced stress. Because these species were found in the nearshore zone of lakes, effective sampling of the nearshore fish community was essential to the development and performance of the IBI. Trap‐net‐ and gill‐net‐based metrics, however, were essential to the development of trophic composition metrics, the trap nets providing the best insectivore and omnivore metric and the gill nets providing the best top carnivore metrics. Lake IBI scores reflected differences in land use patterns, trophic state, and aquatic vegetation. Sensitivity analysis indicated that selected metrics contributed to IBI performance, but the relative contribution of individual metrics varied among human‐induced stress categories. Additional work is needed to test the performance of this IBI on an independent group of lakes, to set the range of applicability, and to determine the effectiveness of the IBI as an assessment tool for lakes.

National-level integrative ecological health assessments based on the index of biological integrity, water quality, and qualitative habitat evaluation index, in Korean rivers

“…The Yeongsan River watershed did not show major guild alterations because the system was already nutrient rich as a result of the influx from the agricultural farms located on the land adjoining the lower half of the watershed. Our results are in accordance with the typical trend observed in eutrophic waters (Drake and Pereira, 2002). With an increase in pollution, sensitive species and insectivores are eliminated from the guild structure, paving the way for the emergence of an omnivorous population (US EPA, 1998; Barbour et al, 1999).…”

Water-quality models to assess algal community dynamics, water quality, and fish habitat suitability for two agricultural land-use dominated lakes in Minnesota, 2014

“…Madison Lake was included as part of a study of microcystin levels in eutrophic south-central Minnesota lakes by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Lindon and Heiskary, 2007). Fish community integrity surveys were completed for both lakes following the methods of Drake and Pereira (2002). Pearl Lake was included in the potential future climate scenarios of cisco (Coregonus artedii) refuge lakes to assess potential cisco refugia, using the MIN-LAKE 2010 water-quality model (Fang and others, 2012).…”

Natural and Human Influences on Fish Species Richness in Small North Temperate Lakes: Implications for Bioassessment

“…Tolerant species are ubiquitous, and no relation is expected between tolerant species richness and development or connectivity. Tolerance designations were based on Whittier and Hughes (1998), Drake andPereira (2002), andJennings et al (1998). Membership of species within groups was not exclusive; assignment was based on ecological relevance and resulted in some species belonging to more than one group (Table 2).…”

“…For lakes similar to those evaluated in this study, water quality monitoring or biotic indices based on alternative taxa such as macrophytes (Hatzenbeler et al 2004) are likely to provide more reliable and precise indicators of resource condition. However, fish-based indices may be more usefbl in larger systems (Drake and Pereira 2002) that contain a more diverse assemblage, and their use should not be ruled out based on results from small lakes.…”