Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual Prepared for The New Zealand Ministry for the Environment by Barry J. F. Biggs Cathy Kilroy NIWA, Christchurch Published by: NIWA, P.O. Box 8602, Christchurch, New Zealand (Phone: 03 348 8987 Fax: 03 348 5548) for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment ISBN 0-478-09099-4 Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual Biggs, B.J.F. Kilroy, C. © The Crown (acting through the Minister for the Environment), 2000. Copyright exists in this work in accordance with the Copyright Act 1994. However, the Crown authorises and grants a licence for the copying, adaptation and issuing of this work for any non-profit purpose. All applications for reproduction of this work for any other purpose should be made to the Ministry for the Environment. Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual Contents Summary of figures ....................................................................................................................................vi Summary of tables ................................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... x 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purpose and scope ................................................................................................................ 1 2 Design of sampling programmes: “begin with the end in mind” ......................................... 3 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Types of sampling programmes ......................................................................................... 3 2.3 Defining your objectives ...................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Issues of scale ........................................................................................................................ 5 2.5 Examples of setting objectives and carrying out a sampling programme ................... 6 2.6 Reference sites ..................................................................................................................... 12 2.7 Maximising information for the available budget ......................................................... 13 3 Determining data precision and number of sampling replicates required ........................ 16 3.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Measures of variability ......................................................................................................17 3.3 Estimating the number of replicate samples needed for general resource surveys ................................................................................................................. 17 3.4 Estimating the number of replicate samples required for testing hypotheses of differences in two population means for periphyton biomonitoring and consent evaluation ..............................................................................................................20 3.5 Estimating number of replicate samples required for testing hypotheses regarding compliance with periphyton cover or biomass guidelines ........................ 22 3.6 Stratifying sampling effort to increase precision and reduce effort ............................ 24 3.7 Estimating the number of replicate samples required and level of differences in testing effects: a cautionary note .............................................................. 25 4 Specific considerations in planning studies ............................................................................. 26 4.1 Resource surveys ................................................................................................................ 26 4.2 Impact assessments ............................................................................................................ 28 4.3 State of the Environment monitoring .............................................................................. 31 4.4 Some practical considerations before you start your study ......................................... 33 5 Common New Zealand stream habitats and their periphyton communities .................... 34 5.1 Spring-fed streams .............................................................................................................. 34 5.2 Lake-fed streams ................................................................................................................. 34 5.3 Wetland-fed streams ........................................................................................................... 35 5.4 Low-altitude streams.......................................................................................................... 35 iii Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual 5.5 Hill-country-fed streams .................................................................................................... 36 5.6 Non-glacial mountain streams.......................................................................................... 37 5.7 Glacial mountain streams .................................................................................................. 37 5.8 Streams regulated by dams ............................................................................................... 38 6 Field procedures ............................................................................................................................. 39 6.1 General ................................................................................................................................. 39 6.2 Location of sites................................................................................................................... 39 6.3 Site records ........................................................................................................................... 40 6.4 Rapid assessment protocols .............................................................................................. 40 6.5 Quantitative protocols .......................................................................................................46 6.6 Methods for sampling periphyton on artificial substrates ........................................... 52 6.7 Nutrient limitation assays ................................................................................................. 57 6.8 Community metabolism (maximum primary productivity and community respiration) using benthic respirometry .......................................................................... 68 6.9 Sample transport, storage and registration..................................................................... 74 7 Biomass analyses ........................................................................................................................... 76 7.1 Overview of biomass analyses ......................................................................................... 76 7.2 Sample preparation ............................................................................................................ 76 7.3 Chlorophyll a ....................................................................................................................... 77 7.3.1 Equipment ........................................................................................................................... 79 7.4 Ash-free dry mass (AFDM) ............................................................................................... 85 7.5 Biomass accrual and growth rate estimates .................................................................... 91 8 Taxonomic analyses....................................................................................................................... 95 8.1 Overview of taxonomic analyses...................................................................................... 95 8.2 Sample preparation ............................................................................................................ 96 8.3 Relative abundance assessments using an inverted light microscope ....................... 97 8.4 Quantitative analysis (cell counts) using an inverted or compound microscope ......................................................................................................................... 100 8.5 Procedures for cleaning diatoms and making permanent mounts ........................... 105 8.6 Biovolume estimates ........................................................................................................ 108 8.7 QA/QC procedure for taxonomic enumerations......................................................... 108 9 Data analysis and reporting ....................................................................................................... 112 9.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 112 9.2 A general philosophy for data analysis ........................................................................