Ecological Integrity:as A Scientific Tool For Environmental Assessment
An index of ecological integrity (IBI or ICI Index of Biological Integrity for Anglophones)
, also called the index of biotic integrity is a scientific tool for environmental assessment (methodological tool, sometimes combined with a software tool and often a GIS mapping) to identify and prioritize environmental problems of fragmentation at different scales copaysagares.
The basic principle is that ingagrity ecological environments and its proper functional integration in the global ecological system are essential to good ecological status that we seek to find (in Europe through the Water Framework Directive for example).This approach is somewhat broader and comprehensive than the method of biotic indices (eg Biological Index and standardized global IBGN) developed and used in France and Europe, also first for quality assessment of surface water.
These evaluation systems are designed to compute and represent, or model the cumulative impact of anthropogenic influences on the functioning of ecosystems (biogeographic zone, stream, lake, forest, coast, etc..).
These indices are being developed, particularly in North America for different types of ecosystems.They first and foremost concerned rivers; order to assess the impact and severity of physical factors and ecological fragmentation (ie affecting the functioning of ecosystems, even without physical barriers or visible ), for example because of dams or physical phenomena of pipe or tubing, or because of barriers induced by chemical pollution, thermal, agricultural (fertilizers, pesticides), microbial or physical (turbidity, light pollution, tidal plains with drainage , drop in oxygen levels, dystrophisation, etc..) disturbance.
In order to better assess (quantitatively and qualitatively) changes in the composition of biological communities (abnormal changes, and normal, that is related to the seasons and cycles of disturbance of the natural environment), the ecologist must have a temporal monitoring of data or to compare data from a time T to a model of what is supposed to have to be present in the ecosystem studied (acopotentiality).
These index systems are based on the principles of landscape ecology and they are informed by data from biomonitoring and bioindicators.They are designed to reflect the complexity of ecological reality and not just based systems as the years 1970-1990 on the measuring point data pollution, data is often incomplete and not saying anything about the synergies that characterize complex natural systems.They are based on statistical descriptions of sampling of species (presence / absence coverage), giving them a representative value.They are informed by data from biomonitoring and bioindicators. They sometimes rely on modeling and studies acopotentialita or naturalness.
In contrast to simple physicochemical testing of samples of air, water, soil, sediment, which can only give a snapshot and local levels of contaminants, IBI produced an index of net impact on the entire integrated structure biological community. Although the total absence, including the sudden disappearance of a community of species is not an absolute indicator, there is a strong indication of the presence of a pollutant or environmental stressor. The species most affected, and the type of impact (changes, mortality, diseases also provide information on the cause (s) possible (s).
The IBI concept as developed in North America was made by Dr. James Karr in 1981 which has developed as an index using the wealth of communities of fish, algae, macroinvertebrates s, nymph ( possibly via inventoried or dragonfly exuviae of Chironomidae), vascular plants and combinations of these indices.
It is possible to create or adapt them to the IBIS range of a surveillance personnel with minimal training, or for use in a device participatory science (usually with naturalist clubs and coaching by amateurs or confirmed ). The accuracy obtained is less than that achieved by trained professionals, but then sometimes it is easier to acquire a large amount of data. The robustness of the protocol and device (see potential errors in identification or measurement of certain discrete changes) requires a thorough review and quality control carried out by experts before, during and after work to maintain the integrity of data and verify the analysis results.
The use of trained volunteers (parataxonmistes if any) is organized, for example the official agencies responsible for monitoring water bodies (eg the "local volunteer stream monitoring programs" have been developed in Minnesota by the agency MAO (Pollution Control Agency) has developed programs to local environmental assessment based on volunteerism.
The EPA has published a guide for programs involving the production of biotic index through volunteering and to describe related results.
by: Laura Steinfield
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