| Assessing water quality at large geographic scales: relations among land use, water physicochemistry, riparian condition, and fish community structure. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 12677296 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Data collected from 172 sites in 20 major river basins between 1993 and 1995 as part of the US Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program were analyzed to assess relations among basinwide land use (agriculture, forest, urban, range), water physicochemistry, riparian condition, and fish community structure. A multimetric approach was used to develop regionally referenced indices of fish community and riparian condition. Across large geographic areas, decreased riparian condition was associated with water-quality constituents indicative of nonpoint source inputs-total nitrogen and suspended sediment and basinwide urban land use. Decreased fish community condition was associated with increases in total dissolved solids and rangeland use and decreases in riparian condition and agricultural land use. Fish community condition was relatively high even in areas where agricultural land use was relatively high (>50% of the basin). Although agricultural land use can have deleterious effects on fish communities, the results of this study suggest that other factors also may be important, including practices that regulate the delivery of nutrients, suspended sediments, and total dissolved solids into streams. Across large geographic scales, measures of water physicochemistry may be better indicators of fish community condition than basinwide land use. Whereas numerous studies have indicated that riparian restorations are successful in specific cases, this analysis suggests the universal importance of riparian zones to the maintenance and restoration of diverse fish communities in streams. |
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Authors:
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Michael R Meador; Robert M Goldstein |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Environmental management Volume: 31 ISSN: 0364-152X ISO Abbreviation: Environ Manage Publication Date: 2003 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2003-04-04 Completed Date: 2003-06-24 Revised Date: 2003-11-14 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7703893 Medline TA: Environ Manage Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 504-17 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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US Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 413, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA. mrmeador@usgs.gov |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Agriculture Animals Ecosystem Environmental Monitoring* Fishes* Geography* Plants Population Dynamics United States Water / chemistry Water Pollutants / analysis* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Water Pollutants; 7732-18-5/Water |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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