Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Index Of Biological Integrity And The Bootstrap: Can Random Sampling Error Affect Stream Impairment Decisions?, Christine L. Dolph, Aleksey Y. Sheshukov, Christopher J. Chizinski, Bruce Vondracek, Bruce N. Wilson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Multimetric indices, such as the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), are increasingly used bymanagement agencies to determine whether surface water quality is impaired. However, important questions about the variability of these indices have not been thoroughly addressed in the scientific literature. In this study, we used a bootstrap approach to quantify variability associated with fish IBIs developed for streams in two Minnesota river basins. We further placed this variability into a management context by comparing it to impairment thresholds currently used in water quality determinations for Minnesota streams. We found that 95% confidence intervals ranged as high as 40 points …