HR: 1330h
AN: NB33B-18    [Abstracts]
TI: Refernce Conditions for Streams in the Grand Prairie Natural Division of Illinois
AU: * Sangunett, B
EM: sangunet@uiuc.edu
AF: Illinois Natural History Survey, Rm 172 MC-652 607 E. Peabody Dr , Champaign, IL 61820 United States
AU: DeWalt, R
EM: edewalt@inhs.uiuc.edu
AF: Illinois Natural History Survey, Rm 172 MC-652 607 E. Peabody Dr , Champaign, IL 61820 United States
AB: As part of the Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), 12 potential reference quality stream sites in the Grand Prairie Natural Division were evaluated in May 2004. This agriculturally dominated region, located in east central Illinois, is the most highly modified in the state. The quality of these sites was assessed using a modified Hilsenhoff Biotic Index and species richness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) insect orders and a 12 parameter Habitat Quality Index (HQI). Illinois EPA high quality fish stations, Illinois Natural History Survey insect collection data, and best professional knowledge were used to choose which streams to evaluate. For analysis, reference quality streams were compared to 37 randomly selected meandering streams and 26 randomly selected channelized streams which were assessed by CTAP between 1997 and 2001. The results showed that the reference streams exceeded both taxa richness and habitat quality of randomly selected streams in the region. Both random meandering sites and reference quality sites increased in taxa richness and HQI as stream width increased. Randomly selected channelized streams had about the same taxa richness and HQI regardless of width.
UR: http://ctap.inhs.uiuc.edu/
DE: 1800 HYDROLOGY
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly