HR: 14:15h
AN: NB43A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Biological classification of Pennsylvania streams and rivers
AU: * Walsh, M C
EM: c-mwalsh@state.pa.us
AF: The Nature Conservancy The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 208 Airport Drive, Middletown, PA 17057 United States
AU: Nightingale, E
EM: c-bnightin@state.pa.us
AF: The Nature Conservancy The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 208 Airport Drive, Middletown, PA 17057 United States
AU: Deeds, J
EM: jdeeds@paconserve.org
AF: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 209 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 United States
AU: Evans, R
EM: revans@paconserve.org
AF: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 209 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 United States
AB: The Pennsylvania Aquatic Community Classification (ACC) project is developing a classification of lotic systems by their biological characteristics using comprehensive macroinvertebrate, fish, and mussel community data. The ACC project seeks to identify primary aquatic system types using communities, as an alternative to ecoregions and other terrestrially-derived landscape classifications often applied to aquatic systems. Community class types identified through non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis revealed distinct communities across lotic systems. Landscape, physical, and chemistry variables were also associated with community types. Fish and mussel communities were primarily stratified by drainage basin; watershed drainage area, watershed land cover, slope, and water temperature secondarily classified fish community types. Mussel community classes were related to land cover and water chemistry. Geology, longitudinal stream gradients, and watershed land cover, rather than basins, were the most important variables in structuring macroinvertebrate community types. Classification strength analysis revealed that mussel community types have the highest class strength, following in descending class strength by fish and macroinvertebrates community types. Analysis of geographic distribution of community types, their relatively rarity, and threats have implications for stream conservation and restoration.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly