Publication
Title
Impact of habitat diversity on the sampling effort required for the assessment of river fish communities and IBI
Author
Abstract
The spatial variation in the fish communities of four small Belgian rivers with variable habitat diversity was investigated by electric fishing to define the minimum sampling distance required for optimal fish stock assessment and determination of the Index of Biotic Integrity. This study shows that the standardised sampling distance of 100 m was not always sufficient to collect most species present. The required minimum sampling distance seems to be correlated with habitat diversity. In homogeneous streams, a mean sample distance of 282, 452 and 572 m is necessary to capture 80, 90 and 95% of all species present, respectively. In heterogeneous streams, these sample distances decrease to 217, 380 and 503 m. Hence, at least 300 m should be sampled to catch most species present with a single-pass sampling method. However, our results show that a 100 m sampling distance as presently used in the Flemish monitoring programs is sufficient to accurately describe the ecological quality since differences in IBI evaluation between adjacent stretches could at least for some rivers be explained by differences in habitat heterogeneity.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Hydrobiologia. - The Hague, 1948, currens
Publication
The Hague : 2010
ISSN
0018-8158 [print]
1573-5117 [online]
DOI
10.1007/S10750-010-0110-5
Volume/pages
644 :1 (2010) , p. 169-183
ISI
000276071600011
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 19.05.2010
Last edited 16.08.2024
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