1997). These subsidiary questions are relevant to a separate societal value of interest to the MAHA study, 

 fishery health. 



There are several possible complementary relationships with other indicators (Table 4-4). It can be used as 

 part of a suite of indicators to address multiple assessment questions, or can provide a more complete 

 assessment of biological integrity when combined with other indicators using biological assemblages. 



Component metrics of the indicator are selected based on their hypothesized response to stressors which are 

 monitored at different scales and incorporate information from different levels of biological organization. Possible 

 causes of poor condition as determined by the indicator can be identified (although specific cause-effect 

 relationships cannot always be ascertained) by examining correlations between the indicator or component 

 metrics and various measures of ecosystem stress (measurement variables or multi-component indicators). 

 Finally, the potential exists that the indicator may provide information that is highly redundant with indicators 

 derived from stream macroinvertebrate assemblages. This has yet to be evaluated for the MAHA study. 

 DeShon (1995) reported that multimetric indicators for fish and benthic macroinvertebrates provided 

 complementary, rather than redundant, information when compared in Ohio streams. 



Table 4-3, Assessment questions driving development of indicator 



Principal Question Relevant to the Societal Value of Biological Integrity 



What % of stream miles (and spatial distribution) have fish assemblages that differ from 

 "reference" condition as measured by: 



• Species richness? 



Number of species and/or % individuals of species sensitive to human disturbance? 

 Cumulative index of biotic integrity based on fish assemblage? 



Subsidiary Questions Relevant to the Societal Value of Fishery Health 



What % of stream miles have game fish? 



Which species are most abundant or widely distributed? 



What is the % of stream miles with game fish classified by stream order? 



What % of stream miles support coldwater vs. warmwater fisheries as determined by the fish 



species? 



Specific assemblages of interest include: 



Cold water (e.g., salmon, trout) 



Cool water (e.g., smallmouth bass) 



Warm water (e.g., largemouth bass, sunfish) 



4-5 



