The coastal plain headwater stream restoration (CP-HStR) index: a macroinvertebrate index for assessing the biological effectiveness of stream restoration in the Georgia coastal plain, USA.

Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8508350 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-2959 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01676369 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Environ Monit Assess Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 1998- : Dordrecht : Springer
Original Publication: Dordrecht, Holland ; Boston : D. Reidel Pub. Co., c1981-

Invertebrates*/physiology ; Rivers*; Animals ; Ecosystem ; Environmental Monitoring ; Georgia

Stream restoration projects undertaken as compensatory mitigation pursuant to Sect. 404 of the U.S. Clean Water Act must be evaluated using ecological performance standards that are objective and verifiable and based on the best available science that can be measured or assessed in a practicable manner. While performance standards for physical stream conditions are common, evaluating biological conditions following stream restoration activities has proven more problematic. We developed a macroinvertebrate multimetric index for headwater streams in three Southeastern Plains subecoregions (65 g, 65 h, and 65 l) of Georgia using 76 sites sampled in 2019. An abiotic disturbance gradient based on principal components analysis of instream habitat, physicochemical, and land use variables was employed to assign condition classes (good, fair, poor) among sites within each subecoregion. We identified genus-level macroinvertebrate richness and proportional richness of traits-based metrics (habit and functional feeding groups) that demonstrated high discriminatory power between good and poor abiotic conditions and response to individual stressors. Subecoregion-specific metrics were then standardized and aggregated to develop the final index and biological reference curves. These biological reference curves represent a continuum of relevant regional conditions against which a stream enhancement or restoration project may be assessed relative to other streams throughout the region and allow for the award of mitigation credit, if applicable, to be based directly on the relative improvement of biological conditions. These biological performance standards will supplement other performance standards (hydrologic and geomorphic measures) necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of stream restoration projects in the study area.
(© 2022. This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Ecol Appl. 2011 Sep;21(6):1962-71. (PMID: 21939037)
Environ Manage. 2011 Sep;48(3):602-14. (PMID: 21644015)
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Apr 15;621:1208-1223. (PMID: 29074249)
Environ Manage. 2003 May;31(5):670-82. (PMID: 12719896)
J Environ Qual. 2006 Sep 13;35(5):1924-38. (PMID: 16973634)
Environ Manage. 2000 Oct;26(4):437-445. (PMID: 10954807)
Environ Monit Assess. 2007 Aug;131(1-3):185-200. (PMID: 17171273)
Environ Monit Assess. 2001 Oct;71(2):177-85. (PMID: 11686199)
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 15;651(Pt 2):2615-2630. (PMID: 30340196)

EPA999999 United States ImEPA Intramural EPA; EP-C-17-001 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Keywords: Coastal plain; Headwater streams; Macroinvertebrate index; Stream mitigation; Success criteria

Date Created: 20220331 Date Completed: 20220404 Latest Revision: 20230401

20240829

PMC9066382

10.1007/s10661-022-09987-6

35357588