TY - JOUR
T1 - Measuring river health
T2 - The uncertainty associated with impact assessment using a single sample biological assessment technique
AU - Franks, Catherine A.
AU - Mahony, Michael J.
AU - Franks, Stewart
PY - 2005/5/30
Y1 - 2005/5/30
N2 - The AUSRIVAS modelling package is the most sophisticated rapid biological assessment technique available for assessing the health of Australian rivers. Macroinvertebrate samples are collected, and the observed taxa are compared to those expected to be present if the site was in pristine condition. However, the method relies on only a single sample collected from each site to be assessed. Multiple macroinvertebrate samples were collected from sites upstream and downstream of four wastewater treatment plants in the lower Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia, to assess the impacts of effluent discharge on creek health, and to investigate the implications of the within-site variability of AUSRIVAS outputs for impact assessment. Preliminary data demonstrate that the AUSRIVAS model can produce a range of outputs for a single site, and that this variability is then amplified creating greater uncertainty when sites are compared to quantify the actual ecological; impact of each wastewater treatment plant.
AB - The AUSRIVAS modelling package is the most sophisticated rapid biological assessment technique available for assessing the health of Australian rivers. Macroinvertebrate samples are collected, and the observed taxa are compared to those expected to be present if the site was in pristine condition. However, the method relies on only a single sample collected from each site to be assessed. Multiple macroinvertebrate samples were collected from sites upstream and downstream of four wastewater treatment plants in the lower Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia, to assess the impacts of effluent discharge on creek health, and to investigate the implications of the within-site variability of AUSRIVAS outputs for impact assessment. Preliminary data demonstrate that the AUSRIVAS model can produce a range of outputs for a single site, and that this variability is then amplified creating greater uncertainty when sites are compared to quantify the actual ecological; impact of each wastewater treatment plant.
KW - AUSRIVAS models
KW - Australia
KW - Effluent discharge
KW - Impact assessment
KW - Macroinvertebrates
KW - Output variability
KW - Rapid biological assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=18844395580&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:18844395580
SN - 0144-7815
SP - 176
EP - 182
JO - IAHS-AISH Publication
JF - IAHS-AISH Publication
IS - 294
ER -