Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fisheries Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Surveys 2023

Description

These data represent an assessment of Ichthyofaunal community structure in selected streams located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Sites are sampled on a rotational basis once every two years. Currently (2023), 11 watersheds are sampled using IBI protocols. In 2023, five sites were surveyed in the following streams: Cataloochee Creek, Abrams Creek, Noland Creek, West Prong Little River and West Prong Little Pigeon River. Fish community assemblage assessments are made after collecting specimens using backpack electrofishing and seining techniques. An IBI is used to determine how many species of fish are represented in a stream segment by surveying various habitat types: riffles, runs, pools, and shoreline. Techniques for IBI sampling also use seining in conjunction with electrofishing for fish capture. The point of IBI sampling isn’t to remove all the fish present, but rather to determine the community assemblage, i.e., species diversity within the stream segment. The GRSM Fishery Division works in conjunction with aquatics biologists at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), who then provide “scores” regarding the species’ representation or robustness given the site criteria. IBI scores and metrics are determined using the TVA IBI Stream Survey Recording System v2.02. Once data have been entered by GRSM staff in the TVA Stream Survey database, results are sent to TVA biologists, who then provide GRSM with the scores associated with the species observed. Scores for 2023 survey data were provided to GRSM by TVA on January 11, 2024.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698686?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/699124?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698688?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698691?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698690?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698687?Reference=2302217
53 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/698689?Reference=2302217

Tags

  • index-of-biotic-integrity
  • ibi
  • appalachian-highlands-network
  • branch-fisheries
  • fish-community
  • origin-internal
  • grsm
  • southeast-region
  • aphn
  • great-smoky-mountains-national-park
  • fisheries
  • ser

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