Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS) bioassessment methodology to assess the biological health of streams in the upper-middle Brantas River catchment, East Java, Indonesia. A total of 84 `minimally disturbed' reference sites were selected and sampled for macroinvertebrates in riffle habitats. Sampling of macroinvertebrates and identification to family level was conducted by local biologists following intensive training, and under supervision. A quality control protocol was introduced to ensure the data were reliable and reproducible. A suite of `potential predictor' and `monitoring' environmental variables were also measured at each site. The macroinvertebrate data were used to develop a predictive AUSRIVAS model for the upper-middle Brantas river, and the model was then used to assess the `health' of 15 test sites in the catchment. Bioassessment outputs – Observed (O)/Expected (E) ratios – were found to be broadly related to measures of physical disturbance from land use and riparian degradation. Through the process of local reference site selection and sampling, model development, validation and subsequent use, the Australian AUSRIVAS rapid bioassessment method was assessed as being highly applicable to the upper-middle catchment sections of Indonesian river systems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anonymous (1995) The trend of water pollution in the Brantas River basin. Perum Jasa Tirta, Malang
Davies PE (2000) Development of a national bioassessment system (AUSRIVAS) in Australia. In: Wright JF, Sutcliffe DW and Furse MT (eds.), Assessing the Biological Quality of Freshwaters. RIVPACS and Other Techniques. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside, pp. 113–124.
Hart BT, Davies P, Humphrey C, Norris R, Sudaryanti S and Trihadiningrum Y (2001) Application of the Australian River Bioassessment Method (AUSRIVAS) in the Brantas River, East Java, Indonesia. J Environ Manag (in press)
Hawking JH (1995) Taxonomic Workshop Handbook. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Monitoring River Health Initiative Workshop, 6–7th February 1995
Hawkins CP, Norris RH, Hogue JN and Feminella JW (2000) Development and evaluation of predictive models for measuring the biological integrity of streams. Ecol Appl 10: 1456–1477
Horwitz P, Knott B and William WD (1995) A preliminary key to the Malacostracan families (Crustacea) found in Australian Inland Waters. Monitoring River Health Initiative Workshop, 8–10th February 1995.
Humphrey CL, Storey AW, and Thurtell L (2000) AUSRIVAS: operator sample processing errors and temporal variability-implications for model development. In: Wright JF, Sutcliffe DW and Furse MT (eds.), Assessing the Biological Quality of Freshwaters. RIVPACS and other techniques. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside, pp. 143–164
Japan International Cooperation Agency (1998) The Study on Comprehensive Management Plan for the Water Resources of the Brantas River Basin in the Republic of Indonesia. Final Report. Volume I. Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. Niken Consultants, Inc
Konto River Project (1988) Studi Screening DAS Brantas. Laporan Utama. Volume I. Direktorat Jenderal Reboisasi dan Rehabilitasi Lahan. Departemen Kehutanan. Direktorat Jenderal Kerjasama International, Departemen Luar Negeri, Kerajaan Belanda
Loeb SL and Spacie A (1994) Biological Monitoring of Aquatic Systems. Lewis Publishers, Florida
Marchant R, Barmuta L and Chessman BC (1995) A preliminary study of the ordination and classification macroinvertebrate communities from running waters in Victoria, Australia. Austr J Marine Freshw Res 45: 945–962
Merrit RW and Cummins KW (1978) An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Iowa.
Parsons M and Norris RH (1996) The effect of habitat-specific sampling on biological assessment of water quality using a predictive model. Freshw Biol 36: 419–434
Reynoldson TB and Wright JF 2000. The reference condition: problems and solutions. In: Wright JF, Sutcliffe DW and Furse MT (eds.), Assessing the Biological Quality of Freshwaters: RIVPACS and similar techniques. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside, pp. 293–304
Reynoldson TB, Norris RH, Resh VH, Day KE and Rosenberg DM (1997) The reference condition: a comparison of multimetric and multivariate approaches to assess water-quality impairment using benthic macroinvertebrates. J North Am Benthol Soc 16: 833–452
Simpson JC and Norris RH (2000) Biological assessment of water quality: development of AUSRIVAS models and outputs. In: Wright JF, Sutcliffe DW and Furse MT (eds.), Assessing the Biological Quality of Freshwaters: RIVPACS and Similar Techniques. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside, pp. 125–142
Smith BJ (1996) Identification keys to the families and genera of Bivalve and Gastropod Mollusc found in Australian waters. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Albury 20–21 February 1996
Sudaryanti S (1995) Classification and ordination Macroinvertebrate communities in the Brantas River, East Java related to environmental variables. Department of Water Quality Management and Aquatic Ecology. Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands
Sudaryanti S (1998) An Ecological perspective to integrated sustainable management on the Water Resources of the Brantas River Basin, East Java. Report for the Study on Comprehensive Management Plan for the water resources of the Brantas Basin, Faculty of Fisheries, Brawijaya University, Malang
Sudaryanti S, Trihadiningrum Y, Rosmanida, Purwati SU, Supriyanto H and Yuliyanti L (1999) A trial of the Australian River Bioassessment Method in the Brantas River, East Java, Proc. International Conference on Water Quality & Waste Treatment, 19–22 October 1988, Lombok, Indonesia
Trihadiningrum Y, De Pauw N, Tjondronegoro I and Verheyen RF (1996) Use of benthic macroinvertebrates for water quality assessment of the Blawi river (East Java, Indonesia). In: Schiemer F and Boland KT (eds.), Tropical limnology. SPB Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 199–221
Trihadiningrum Y, Sudaryanti S, Rosmanida, Purwati SU, Supriyanto S and Yulianti L (1999) The Brantas study: Toward the Development of Bioassessment Methods using Macroinvertebrates in Indonesia, Proc. National Conference on River Health Bioassessment, Brawijaya University, 8–10 March 1999, Indonesia
Whitten T, Soeriaatmadja RE, and Afiff SA (1996) The Ecology of Java and Bali. Volume II. Dalhouise University, Nova Scotia
Wright JF (1995) Development and use of a system for predicting macroinvertebrates in flowing waters. Austr J Ecol 20: 181–197
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sudaryanti, S., Trihadiningrum, Y., Hart, B.T. et al. Assessment of the biological health of the Brantas River, East Java, Indonesia using the Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS) methodology. Aquatic Ecology 35, 135–146 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011458520966
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011458520966