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The potential and limitations of linking biological monitoring data and restoration needs of urbanized waterways: a case study

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Abstract

The implementation of effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of urbanization on waterways represents a major global challenge. Monitoring data plays an important role in the formulation of these strategies. Using monitoring and historical data compiled from around an urban area (Baltimore, USA), this paper is an assessment of the potential and limitations of the use of fish assemblage monitoring data in watershed restoration. A discriminant analysis between assemblages from urban and reference sites was used to determine faunal components which have been reduced or eliminated from Baltimore area waterways. This analysis produced a strong discrimination between fish assemblages from urban and reference sites. Species primarily associated with reference sites varied taxonomically and ecologically, were generally classified as pollution intolerant, and were native. Species associated with urbanized sites were also native, varied taxonomically and ecologically, and were mixed in pollution tolerance. One factor linking most species associated with reference sites was spawning mode (lithophilic). Spawning habitat limitations may be the mechanism through which these species have been reduced in the urbanized faunas. While this presents a strong general hypothesis, information regarding the specific habitat requirements and responses to urbanization of these species is limited. This represents a limitation to producing effective restoration strategies based on exact goals and targets. Without these, determining the type and number of restoration activities required to restore ecological communities remains problematic.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Maryland DNR (Michael Kashiwagi) for collecting and providing high quality data, the city of Baltimore Water Quality Management Office (Ted Eucare) for access to an excellent data set and loaning equipment, Dan Baldwin and Melissa Appler (MD Department of Planning) for land use information, Blue Water Baltimore for logistical support in collecting, and Wolf Pecher (UB) and Vishal Lalwani (UB) for assisting in data collection. The author is indebted to Charlie Davis of the Natural History Society of Maryland for providing historical observations of the fish community of Gwynns Falls. This manuscript was substantially improved through the comments and suggestions of an anonymous reviewer. This research was funded in part by a University of Baltimore Renaissance Seed Scholarship grant. Some data included in this document were provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Monitoring and Non-tidal Assessment Division.

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    Stanley Kemp

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Kemp, S. The potential and limitations of linking biological monitoring data and restoration needs of urbanized waterways: a case study. Environ Monit Assess 186, 3859–3873 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3663-3

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