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EM Identity and Description

EM Identification (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Short Name em.detail.shortNameHelp ?	Aquatic vertebrate IBI for Western streams, USA	Vertebrate IBI for Western streams, USA	Vertebrate IBI for Western streams, USA	Vertebrate IBI for Western streams, USA
EM Full Name em.detail.fullNameHelp ?	Development of an aquatic vertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI) for Western streams, USA	Index of biotic integrity for Western streams, USA	Index of biotic integrity for Western streams, USA	Index of biotic integrity for Western streams, USA
EM Source or Collection em.detail.emSourceOrCollectionHelp ?	None	*	*	*
EM Source Document ID	404	*	*	*
Document Author em.detail.documentAuthorHelp ?	Pont, D., Hughes, R.M., Whittier, T.R., and S. Schmutz.	*	*	*
Document Year em.detail.documentYearHelp ?	2009	*	*	*
Document Title em.detail.sourceIdHelp ?	A Predictive Index of Biotic Integrity Model for A predictive index of biotic integrity model foraquatic-vertebrate assemblages of Western U.S. Streams	*	*	*
Document Status em.detail.statusCategoryHelp ?	Peer reviewed and published	*	*	*
Comments on Status em.detail.commentsOnStatusHelp ?	Published journal manuscript	*	*	*

Software and Access (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Software Access info Exit em.detail.modelAccessInformationHelp ?	Not applicable	*	*	*
Contact Name em.detail.contactNameHelp ?	Didier Pont	*	*	*
Contact Address	Centre d’E´ tude du Machinisme Agricole et du Genie Rural, des Eaux et Foreˆts (Cemagref), Unit HYAX Hydrobiologie, 3275 Route de Ce´zanne, Le Tholonet, 13612 Aix en Provence, France	*	*	*
Contact Email	didier.pont@cemagref.fr	*	*	*

EM Description (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Summary Description em.detail.summaryDescriptionHelp ?	ABSTRACT: "Because of natural environmental and faunal differences and scientific perspectives, numerous indices of biological integrity (IBIs) have been developed at local, state, and regional scales in the USA. These multiple IBIs, plus different criteria for judging impairment, hinder rigorous national and multistate assessments. Many IBI metrics are calibrated for water body size, but none are calibrated explicitly for other equally important natural variables such as air temperature, channel gradient, or geology. We developed a predictive aquatic-vertebrate IBI model using a total of 871 stream sites (including 162 least-disturbed and 163 most-disturbed sites) sampled as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program survey of 12 conterminous western U.S. states. The selected IBI metrics (calculated from both fish and aquatic amphibians) were vertebrate species richness, benthic native species richness, assemblage tolerance index, proportion of invertivore–piscivore species, and proportion of lithophilic-reproducing species. Mean model IBI scores differed significantly between least-disturbed and most-disturbed sites as well as among ecoregions. Based on a model IBI impairment criterion of 0.44 (risks of type I and II errors balanced), an estimated 34.7% of stream kilometers in the western USA were deemed impaired, compared with 18% for a set of traditional IBIs. Also, the model IBI usually displayed less variability than the traditional IBIs, presumably because it was better calibrated for natural variability. "	ABSTRACT: "Because of natural environmental and faunal differences and scientific perspectives, numerousindices of biological integrity (IBIs) have been developed at local, state, and regional scales in the USA. These multiple IBIs, plus different criteria for judging impairment, hinder rigorous national and multistate assessments. Many IBI metrics are calibrated for water body size, but none are calibrated explicitly for other equally important natural variables such as air temperature, channel gradient, or geology. We developed a predictive aquatic-vertebrate IBI model using a total of 871 stream sites (including 162 least-disturbed and 163 most-disturbed sites) sampled as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program survey of 12 conterminous western U.S. states. The selected IBI metrics (calculated from both fish and aquatic amphibians) were vertebrate species richness, benthic native species richness, assemblage tolerance index, proportion of invertivore–piscivore species, and proportion of lithophilic-reproducing species. Mean model IBI scores differed significantly between least-disturbed and most-disturbed sites as well as among ecoregions. Based on a model IBI impairment criterion of 0.44 (risks of type I and II errors balanced), an estimated 34.7% of stream kilometers in the western USA were deemed impaired, compared with 18% for a set of traditional IBIs. Also, the model IBI usually displayed less variability than the traditional IBIs, presumably because it was better calibrated for natural variability. "	ABSTRACT: "Because of natural environmental and faunal differences and scientific perspectives, numerousindices of biological integrity (IBIs) have been developed at local, state, and regional scales in the USA. These multiple IBIs, plus different criteria for judging impairment, hinder rigorous national and multistate assessments. Many IBI metrics are calibrated for water body size, but none are calibrated explicitly for other equally important natural variables such as air temperature, channel gradient, or geology. We developed a predictive aquatic-vertebrate IBI model using a total of 871 stream sites (including 162 least-disturbed and 163 most-disturbed sites) sampled as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program survey of 12 conterminous western U.S. states. The selected IBI metrics (calculated from both fish and aquatic amphibians) were vertebrate species richness, benthic native species richness, assemblage tolerance index, proportion of invertivore–piscivore species, and proportion of lithophilic-reproducing species. Mean model IBI scores differed significantly between least-disturbed and most-disturbed sites as well as among ecoregions. Based on a model IBI impairment criterion of 0.44 (risks of type I and II errors balanced), an estimated 34.7% of stream kilometers in the western USA were deemed impaired, compared with 18% for a set of traditional IBIs. Also, the model IBI usually displayed less variability than the traditional IBIs, presumably because it was better calibrated for natural variability. "	ABSTRACT: "Because of natural environmental and faunal differences and scientific perspectives, numerousindices of biological integrity (IBIs) have been developed at local, state, and regional scales in the USA. These multiple IBIs, plus different criteria for judging impairment, hinder rigorous national and multistate assessments. Many IBI metrics are calibrated for water body size, but none are calibrated explicitly for other equally important natural variables such as air temperature, channel gradient, or geology. We developed a predictive aquatic-vertebrate IBI model using a total of 871 stream sites (including 162 least-disturbed and 163 most-disturbed sites) sampled as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program survey of 12 conterminous western U.S. states. The selected IBI metrics (calculated from both fish and aquatic amphibians) were vertebrate species richness, benthic native species richness, assemblage tolerance index, proportion of invertivore–piscivore species, and proportion of lithophilic-reproducing species. Mean model IBI scores differed significantly between least-disturbed and most-disturbed sites as well as among ecoregions. Based on a model IBI impairment criterion of 0.44 (risks of type I and II errors balanced), an estimated 34.7% of stream kilometers in the western USA were deemed impaired, compared with 18% for a set of traditional IBIs. Also, the model IBI usually displayed less variability than the traditional IBIs, presumably because it was better calibrated for natural variability. "
Specific Policy or Decision Context Cited em.detail.policyDecisionContextHelp ?	None reported	*	*	*
Biophysical Context	Wadeable and boatable streams in 12 western USA states	*	*	*
EM Scenario Drivers em.detail.scenarioDriverHelp ?	not applicable	*	*	*

EM Relationship to Other EMs or Applications

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Method Only, Application of Method or Model Run em.detail.methodOrAppHelp ?	Method + Application	Model Run Associated with a Specific EM Application	Model Run Associated with a Specific EM Application	Model Run Associated with a Specific EM Application
New or Pre-existing EM? em.detail.newOrExistHelp ?	New or revised model	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains

Related EMs (for example, other versions or derivations of this EM) described in ESML

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Document ID for related EM em.detail.relatedEmDocumentIdHelp ?	Doc-403	Doc-403	Doc-403	Doc-403
EM ID for related EM em.detail.relatedEmEmIdHelp ?	EM-820 \| EM-826	EM-821	None	None

EM Modeling Approach

EM Relationship to Time (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Temporal Extent em.detail.tempExtentHelp ?	2004-2005	*	*	*
EM Time Dependence em.detail.timeDependencyHelp ?	time-dependent	*	*	*
EM Time Reference (Future/Past) em.detail.futurePastHelp ?	past time	*	*	*
EM Time Continuity em.detail.continueDiscreteHelp ?	Not applicable	*	*	*
EM Temporal Grain Size Value em.detail.tempGrainSizeHelp ?	Not applicable	*	*	*
EM Temporal Grain Size Unit em.detail.tempGrainSizeUnitHelp ?	Not applicable	*	*	*

EM spatial extent (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Bounding Type em.detail.boundingTypeHelp ?	Geopolitical	*	*	*
Spatial Extent Name em.detail.extentNameHelp ?	Western 12 states	*	*	*
Spatial Extent Area (Magnitude) em.detail.extentAreaHelp ?	>1,000,000 km^2	*	*	*

Spatial Distribution of Computations (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Spatial Distribution em.detail.distributeLumpHelp ?	spatially distributed (in at least some cases) ? Comment: 871 total sites surveyed for this work	* ? Comment: 871 total sites surveyed for this work	* ? Comment: 871 total sites surveyed for this work	* ? Comment: 871 total sites surveyed for this work
Spatial Grain Type em.detail.spGrainTypeHelp ?	other (specify), for irregular (e.g., stream reach, lake basin)	*	*	*
Spatial Grain Size em.detail.spGrainSizeHelp ?	stream reach	*	*	*

EM Structure and Computation Approach (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Computational Approach em.detail.emComputationalApproachHelp ?	Analytic	*	*	*
EM Determinism em.detail.deterStochHelp ?	deterministic	*	*	*
Statistical Estimation of EM em.detail.statisticalEstimationHelp ?	Conventional (frequentist) statistics	*	*	*

Model Checking Procedures Used (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Model Calibration Reported? em.detail.calibrationHelp ?	No	*	*	*
Model Goodness of Fit Reported? em.detail.goodnessFitHelp ?	No	*	*	*
Goodness of Fit (metric\| value \| unit) em.detail.goodnessFitValuesHelp ?	None	*	*	*
Model Operational Validation Reported? em.detail.validationHelp ?	Yes ? Comment: Compared to another journal manuscript IBI scores (Whittier et al)	* ? Comment: Compared to another journal manuscript IBI scores	* ? Comment: Compared to another journal manuscript IBI scores	* ? Comment: Compared to another journal manuscript IBI scores
Model Uncertainty Analysis Reported? em.detail.uncertaintyAnalysisHelp ?	No	*	*	*
Model Sensitivity Analysis Reported? em.detail.sensAnalysisHelp ?	Yes	*	*	*
Model Sensitivity Analysis Include Interactions? em.detail.interactionConsiderHelp ?	Yes	*	*	*

EM Locations, Environments, Ecology

Location of EM Application (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

Terrestrial location (Classification hierarchy: Continent > Country > U.S. State [United States only])

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
North America United States Oregon Montana Wyoming Colorado South Dakota California North Dakota Arizona Idaho Utah Washington Nevada	*	*	*

Marine location (Classification hierarchy: Realm > Region > Province > Ecoregion)

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
None	*	*	*

Centroid Lat/Long (Decimal Degree)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Centroid Latitude em.detail.ddLatHelp ?	44.2	*	*	*
Centroid Longitude em.detail.ddLongHelp ?	-113.07	*	*	*
Centroid Datum em.detail.datumHelp ?	WGS84	*	*	*
Centroid Coordinates Status em.detail.coordinateStatusHelp ?	Estimated	*	*	*

Environments and Scales Modeled (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Environmental Sub-Class em.detail.emEnvironmentalSubclassHelp ?	Rivers and Streams	*	*	*
Specific Environment Type em.detail.specificEnvTypeHelp ?	wadeable and boatable streams	*	*	*
EM Ecological Scale em.detail.ecoScaleHelp ?	Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class	*	*	*

Organisms modeled (* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left)

Scale of differentiation of organisms modeled

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
EM Organismal Scale em.detail.orgScaleHelp ?	Guild or Assemblage	*	*	*

Taxonomic level and name of organisms or groups identified

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
other fish amphibians	*	*	*

EnviroAtlas URL

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Total Annual Reduced Nitrogen Deposition, U.S. EPA (Omernik) ecoregions	Total Annual Reduced Nitrogen Deposition, U.S. EPA (Omernik) ecoregions	Total Annual Reduced Nitrogen Deposition, U.S. EPA (Omernik) ecoregions	Total Annual Reduced Nitrogen Deposition, U.S. EPA (Omernik) ecoregions

EM Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) potentially modeled, by classification system

* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left

CICES v 4.3 - Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (Section > Division > Group > Class)

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
[Ecosystem] Regulation & Maintenance Maintenance of physical, chemical, biological conditions Lifecycle maintenance, habitat and gene pool protection Maintaining nursery populations and habitats	*	*	*

National Ecosystem Services Classification System (NESCS) Plus

(Environmental Subclass > Ecological End-Product (EEP) > EEP Subclass > EEP Modifier)

EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Rivers and Streams (111) Fauna (4) Fish Site Indicator	*	*	*

EM Variable Names (and Units)

* Note that for runs, variable name is displayed only where data for that variable differed by run AND those differences were reported in the source document. Where differences occurred but were not reported, the variable is not listed. Click on variable name to view details.

To view run information for variables, select any variable below or view run data for all variables.

Predictor

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Driving Variables (and Units) em.detail.drivingVariableHelp ?	Anthropogenic reference criteria (disturbance) (variable) Ecoregions (Not applicable) Environmental variables (Not reported) Vertebrate assemblage (fish & amphibian) metrics (Not reported)	Composition (Not applicable) Ecoregion (Western Forested Mountains) (Not applicable) Environmental variables (variable) Evenness/diversity (Not applicable) Functional feeding group (Not applicable) Habitat (Not applicable) Metric range (variable) Richness (Not applicable) Tolerance to pollution (Not applicable) Vertebrate assemblage metrics (Not reported)	Composition (Not applicable) Ecoregion (Western Forested Mountains) (Not applicable) Environmental variables (variable) Evenness/diversity (Not applicable) Functional feeding group (Not applicable) Habitat (Not applicable) Metric range (variable) Richness (Not applicable) Tolerance to pollution (Not applicable) Vertebrate assemblage metrics (Not reported)	Composition (Not applicable) Ecoregion (Western Forested Mountains) (Not applicable) Environmental variables (variable) Evenness/diversity (Not applicable) Functional feeding group (Not applicable) Habitat (Not applicable) Metric range (variable) Richness (Not applicable) Tolerance to pollution (Not applicable) Vertebrate assemblage metrics (Not reported)
Constant or Factor Variables (and Units) em.detail.constantFactorVariableHelp ?	Composition (Not applicable) Conductivity (uS/cm) Evenness/diversity (Not applicable) Functional feeding group (Not applicable) Habitat (Not applicable) Richness (Not applicable) Riparian disturbance (No./transect) Riparian vegetation complexity (unitless) Tolerance to pollution (Not applicable) Total nitrogen (ug/L) Total phosphorus (ug/L)	Riparian disturbance (No. /transect) Riparian vegetation complexity (Not reported) Total phosphorus (ug/L)	Riparian disturbance (No. /transect) Riparian vegetation complexity (Not reported) Total phosphorus (ug/L)	Riparian disturbance (No. /transect) Riparian vegetation complexity (Not reported) Total phosphorus (ug/L)

Intermediate

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Intermediate (Computed) Variables (and Units) em.detail.intermediateVariableHelp ?	None	Natural gradient adjustment (variable) Redundancy check (various) Reproducibility (S/N) (unitless) Responsiveness (variable)	Natural gradient adjustment (variable) Redundancy check (various) Reproducibility (S/N) (unitless) Responsiveness (variable)	Natural gradient adjustment (variable) Redundancy check (various) Reproducibility (S/N) (unitless) Responsiveness (variable)

Response

EM ID em.detail.idHelp ?	EM-821	Western forested mountains	Xeric	Plains
Observed Response Variables (and Units) em.detail.observedResponseHelp ?	None	*	*	*
Computed Response Variables (and Units) em.detail.computedResponseHelp ?	Assemblage tolerance index (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI ) Mountain region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Mountain region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Mountain region (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Plains region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Plains region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Plains region (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Xeric region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Xeric region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) Xeric region (most disturbed) (unitless) Native benthic species richness (No. species) Proportion of invertivore-piscivore species (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (%) Vertebrate species richness (No. species)	Assemblage tolerance index (least disturbed) (unitless) Assemblage tolerance index (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI ) mountains region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) mountain region most disturbed (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) mountains region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (least disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Index of biotic integrity (most disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Native benthic species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Native benthic species richness (most disturbed) (No. species) Proportion of invertevore-piscivore species (most disturbed) (%) Proportion of invertivore-piscivore species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (most disturbed) (%) Vertebrate species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Vertebrate species richness (most disturbed) (No. species)	Assemblage tolerance index (least disturbed) (unitless) Assemblage tolerance index (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI ) mountains region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) xeric region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) xeric region (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (least disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Index of biotic integrity (most disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Native benthic species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Native benthic species richness (most disturbed) (No. species) Proportion of invertevore-piscivore species (most disturbed) (%) Proportion of invertivore-piscivore species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (most disturbed) (%) Vertebrate species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Vertebrate species richness (most disturbed) (No. species)	Assemblage tolerance index (least disturbed) (unitless) Assemblage tolerance index (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI ) mountains region (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) plains region (least disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (IBI) plains region (most disturbed) (unitless) Index of biotic integrity (least disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Index of biotic integrity (most disturbed) (unitless (0-1)) Native benthic species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Native benthic species richness (most disturbed) (No. species) Proportion of invertevore-piscivore species (most disturbed) (%) Proportion of invertivore-piscivore species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (least disturbed) (%) Proportion of lithophilic reproducing species (most disturbed) (%) Vertebrate species richness (least disturbed) (No. species) Vertebrate species richness (most disturbed) (No. species)

US EPA

EcoService Models Library (ESML)

View Runs

: Development of an aquatic vertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI) for Western streams, USA (EM-821)

EM Identity and Description

Related EMs (for example, other versions or derivations of this EM) described in ESML

EM Modeling Approach

Comment:

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EM Locations, Environments, Ecology

Terrestrial location (Classification hierarchy: Continent > Country > U.S. State [United States only])

Marine location (Classification hierarchy: Realm > Region > Province > Ecoregion)

Centroid Lat/Long (Decimal Degree)

Scale of differentiation of organisms modeled

Taxonomic level and name of organisms or groups identified

EnviroAtlas URL

EM Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) potentially modeled, by classification system

* Note that run information is shown only where run data differ from the "parent" entry shown at left

CICES v 4.3 - Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (Section > Division > Group > Class)

National Ecosystem Services Classification System (NESCS) Plus

(Environmental Subclass > Ecological End-Product (EEP) > EEP Subclass > EEP Modifier)

EM Variable Names (and Units)

* Note that for runs, variable name is displayed only where data for that variable differed by run AND those differences were reported in the source document. Where differences occurred but were not reported, the variable is not listed. Click on variable name to view details.

Predictor

Intermediate

Response