Abstract
This article considers the interactions among science, politics, public administration and the general public within the framework of the assessment of biological condition as it pertains to ecological integrity. Strong public concern for environmental protection and health helps to shape policy. The legislative mandate of “maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of waters” is both a statement of political will and a commitment. The public administration bears the responsibility for efficient water management under the auspices of maintaining a high quality of environmental health. The increasing complexity of perspectives on environmental topics increases the input of ecological sciences to the administrative process. Ecologists play an essential role in advancing scientific knowledge, developing methods to implement legislative mandates and educating the public (and public officials) about natural processes and interactions, as well as the ecological consequences of human activities. A variety of questions posed at the administration level concerning both pollution and physical impairments can be answered by biological assessment. With emphasis on benthic macroinvertebrates and levels of taxonomic resolution, examples from Austria are provided to show the efforts necessary to maintain scientific accuracy whilst maintaining practicality. Some examples of species-centred and community-based surrogate parameters used in Austria to assess the ecological integrity of rivers are presented (e. g. saprobiological aspects, functional feeding groups, longitudinal zonation analysis).
This article is dedicated to all who are engaged in ensuring the survival of our remaining natural aquatic resources and the successful restoration of those riverine landscapes impaired by human uses.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Angermeier, P. L. & J. R. Karr, 1994. Relationships between woody debris and fish habitat in a small warmwater stream. Trans. am. Fish.Soc. 113(6): 716–726.
Austrian Federal Government, 1995. National Environmental Plan. Ministry for Environmental Affairs, Vienna: 324 pp.
Austrian Standards M 6232, 1997. Önorm M 6232: Guidelines for the ecological study and assessment of rivers, Vienna: 1-84.
Bauernfeind, E. & O. Moog, 2000. Mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) and the assessment of ecological integrity — a methodological approach. Hydrobiologia 422/423: 71–83.
Berger, H., W. Foissner & F. Kohmann, 1997. Bestimmung und Ökologie der Mikrosaprobien nach DIN 38410. G. Fischer, Stuttgart: 1-291.
Cairns, J. Jr. & J. R. Pratt, 1993. A history of biological monitoring using benthic macroinvertebrates. In Rosenberg D. M. & V. H. Resh (eds), Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Invertebrates. Chapman & Hall, New York: 10–27.
Chovanec, A., in press. Dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) as indicators of the ecological integrity of aquatic systems — a new assessment approach. Verh. Int. Verein. Limnol. 27.
Chovanec A., H. Heger, V. Koller-Kreimel, O. Moog, T. Spindler & H. Waidbacher, 1994. Anforderungen an die Erhebung und Beurteilung der ökologischen Funktionsfähigkeit von Fließgewässern-eine Diskussionsgrundlage. ÖWAW 11/12: 257–264.
Cranston, P. S., 1990. Biomonitoring and invertebrate taxonomy. Envir. Monit. Assess. 14: 265–273.
Cummins, K. W., 1973. Trophic relations of aquatic insects. Ann. Rev. Ent. 18: 183–206.
Cummins, K. W. & M. J. Klug, 1979. Feeding ecology of stream invertebrates. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 10: 147–172.
Danecker, E., 1992. Phototrophe und Heterotrophe Organismen als Indikatoren der Verunreinigung von Fliessgewässern. Wiener Mitteilungen 105: 26 pp.
Davis, W. S. & T. P. Simon, 1995. Biological assessment and criteria: tools for water resource planning and decision making. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL: 1-415.
De Pauw, N. & G. Vanhooren, 1983. Method for biological quality assessment of water courses in Belgium. Hydrobic logia 100: 153–168.
Dynesius, M & C. Nilsson, 1994. Fragmentation and flow regulation of river systems in the northern third of the world. Science 266: 753–762.
Frey, D. G., 1977. Biological integrity of waters — an historical approach. In Ballentine, R. K. & L. J. Guarraia (eds), The Integrity of Water. Proceedings of a symposium. US Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, D.C.: 127–140.
Friedrich, G., 1992. Ökologische Bewertung von Fließgewässern — eine unlösbare Aufgabe? In Friedrich, G. & J. Lacombe (eds), Ökologische Bewertung von Fließgewässern. Limnologie aktuell 3, G. Fischer Vlg., Stuttgart-New York: 1–7.
Furse, M. T., D. Moss, J. F. Wright & P. D. Armitage, 1984. The influence of seasonal and taxonomic facts on the ordination and classification of running water-sites in Great Britain and on the prediction of their macro-invertebrate communities. Freshwat. Biol. 14: 257–280.
Graf, W., U. Grasser & J. Waringer, 1995. Trichoptera. In Moog, O. (ed.), Fauna Aquatica Austriaca — A Comprehensive Species Inventory of Austrian Aquatic Organisms with Ecological Notes. Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry. Wasserwirtschaftskataster Vienna: loose-leaf binder.
Hilsenhoff, W. L., 1982. Using a biotic index to evaluate water quality in streams. Technical Bulletin No. 132, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources: 1-22.
Hilsenhoff, W. L., 1987. An improved biotic index of organic stream pollution. The Great Lakes Entomologist 20,1: 31–39.
lilies, J. & L. Botosaneanu, 1963. Problèmes et methodes de la classification et de la zonation ecologique des eaux courantes. considerées surtout du point de vue faunistique. In:. Verein, theor. und angew. Limnologie 12: 1–57.
Janecek, B., C. Orendt & O. Moog 1995. Tanypodinae. In Moog. O. (ed.), Fauna Aquatica Austriaca — A Comprehensive Species Inventory of Austrian Aquatic Organisms with Ecological Noies. Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Wasserwirtschaftskataster Vienna: loose-leaf binder.
Johnson, B. L., W. B. Richardson & T. J. Naimo, 1995. Pas, present, and future Concepts in Large River Ecology. BioScience 45(3): 134–141.
Jungwirth, M., 1986. Flußbau und Fischerei. Quantitative Untersuchungen über die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Flußre gulierungen auf Fischbestände. Wr. Mitt. Bd. 70, Institut für Wasserwirtschaft, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien.
Karr, J. R., 1996. Ecological integrity and ecological health are nor the same. In Schulze, P. (ed.), Engineering Within Ecological Constraints. National Academy of Science, Washingtor D.C.
Karr, J. R. & I. J. Dudley, 1981. Ecological perspective on water quality goals. Envir. Manage. 5: 55–68.
Karr, J. R., K. D. Fausch, P. D. Angermeier, P. R. Yart & I. J Schlosser, 1986. Assessing biological integrity in running wa ters: a method and its rationale. Illinois Natural History Survey Special Publication 5, Champaign, Illinois.
Kohler, A. & G. A. Janauer, 1996. Zur Methodik der Untersuchungen von aquatischen Makrophyten in Fließgewässern. In Steinberg, C., H. Bernhardt & H. Klapper (eds., Handbuch Angewandte Limnologie. Grundlagen — Gewässerbelastung — Restaurierung — Aquatische Ökotoxikologie — Bewertung — Gewässerschutz, ecomed, Landsberg am Lech.
Lenat, D. R., 1993. A biotic index for the southeastern United States: derivation and list of tolerance value, with criteria for assigning water-quality ratings. J. n. am. Benthol. Soc. 12(3): 279–290.
Lenat, D. R. & M. T. Barbour, 1994. Using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure for Rapid, Cost-effective, Water Quality Monitoring: Rapid Bioassessment. In Loeb, S. L. & A. Spacie (eds), Biological Monitoring of Aquatic Systems, Lewis Publishers: 187-215.
Mackay, R. J. & G. B. Wiggins, 1979. Ecological diversity in Trichoptera. Ann. Rev. Ent. 24: 185–208.
Mauch, E., 1990. Ein Verfahren zur gesamtökologischen Bewertung der Gewässer. Wasser + Boden 11/1190: 763–767.
Merritt, R. W. & K. W. Cummins (eds), 1984. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, 2nd edn. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Metcalfe, J. L., 1989. Biological water quality assessment of running waters based on macroinvertebrate communities: history and present status in Europe. Envir. Pollut. 60: 101–139.
Moog, O., 1991. Biologische Parameter zum Bewerten der Gewässergüte von Fließgewässern. Wien, Landschaftswasserbau 11: 235–266.
Moog, O., 1992. Das Konzept der biozönotischen Regionen — ein Hilfsmittel zur Charakteristik anthropogener Einflüsse auf benthische Fließgewässerzönosen. Erw. Zusammenfassung der DGL Jahrestagung 1992, Bd. II: 622-626.
Moog, O., 1994. Ökologische Funktionsfähigkeit des aquatischen Lebensraumes. Wiener Mitt. 120: 15–59.
Moog, O. (ed.), 1995. Fauna Aquatica Austriaca — A Comprehensive Species Inventory of Austrian Aquatic Organisms with Ecological Notes. Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Wasserwirtschaftskataster Vienna: loose-leaf binder.
Moog, O., in press. Biological River Water Quality Assessment in Austria. Proceedings of the “Internat. Workshop on Assessment and Classification of Rivers”, Düsseldorf 5-7.11.1996.
Moog, O. & A. Chovanec, 1998. Die ökologische Funktionsfähigkeit — ein Ansatz der integrierten Gewässerbewertung in Österreich. Münchener Beiträge zur Abwasser-, Fischerei-und Flußbiologie 51, Oldenburg Verlag München, Wien: 57-118.
Moog, O. & M. Car, 1995. Simuliidae. In Moog, O. (ed.), Fauna Aquatica Austriaca — A Comprehensive Species Inventory of Austrian Aquatic Organisms with Ecological Notes. Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Wasserwirtschaftskataster Vienna: loose-leaf binder.
Moog, O., A. Schmidt-Kloiber & R. Vogel, 1997. Ecoprof — Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Auswertungsmodelles zur Beurteilung der ökologischen Funktionsfähigkeit auf Basis benthischer Fließgewässerzönosen. Report BMLF, Vienna. The computer software Ecoprof is available at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Sektion IV, A-1030 Vienna, Marxerg. 2, Austria.
Muhar, S., M. Kainz, M. Kaufmann & M. Schwarz, 1998. Erhebung und Bilanzierung flußtypspe/.ifisch erhaltener Fließgewässerabschnitte in Österreich. ÖWAW 50: 119–127.
Orendt, C., 1993. Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur Ökologie litoraler, benthischer Chironomidae und anderer Diptera (Ceratopogonidae, Chaoboridae) in Seen des nördlichen Alpenvorlandes, mit einem Beitrag zur Eignung und Verwendung von Chironomiden als Trophie-Indikatoren. Thesis Univ. München: 1-274, 18 tables.
Resh, V. H. & J. D. Unzicker, 1975. Water quality monitoring and aquatic organisms: the importance of species identification. J. Wat. Pollut. Cont. Fed. 47, 1.
Rosenberg, D. M. & V H. Resh, 1993. Freshwater biomonitoring and benthic invertebrates. Chapman & Hall, New York: 1–488.
Rosenberg, D. M., H. V. Danks & D. M. Lehmkuhl, 1986. Importance of insects in environmental impact assessment. Envir. Manage. 10: 773–783.
Rott, E., K. Hofmann, P. Pall, P. Pfister & E. Pipp, 1997. Indikatorlisten für Aufwuchsalgen — Teil 1: Saprobielle Indikation. Bundesministerium für Land-und Forstwirtschaft, Wien: 1-73.
Steedman, R. J., 1994. Ecosystem health as a management goal. J. n. am. Benthol. Soc. 13(4): 605–610.
Stubauer, I. & O. Moog, in press. Taxonomic sufficiency versus need of information — comments based on the Austrian experiences in biological water quality monitoring. Verh. int. Verein. Limnol 27.
UN (United Nations). 1992. Report of the Conference on Environment and Development The Earth Summit. Rio de Janeiro, June 3-14, 1992, New York.
Waringer, J. & W. Graf, 1997. Atlas der österreichischen Köcherfliegenlarven. Facultas-Universitätsverlag, Vienna: 1-286.
Zelinka, M. & P. Marvan, 1961. Zur Präzisierung der biologischen Klassifikation der Reinheit fließender Gewässer. Arch. Hydrobiol. 57, 3: 389–407.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Moog, O., Chovanec, A. (2000). Assessing the ecological integrity of rivers: walking the line among ecological, political and administrative interests. In: Jungwirth, M., Muhar, S., Schmutz, S. (eds) Assessing the Ecological Integrity of Running Waters. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 149. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4164-2_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4164-2_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5814-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4164-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive