Biotic Index Manual En

7/28/2019 Biotic Index Manual En

1/9

Biotic IndexAPPLICATION OF THE BISEL BIOTIC INDEX AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Complete Manual

English Version

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission(Project number 116534-CP-1-2004-1-AT-MINERVA-M).This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot beheld responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.


2/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 2 of 9

INTRODUCTION

Using a biotic index in biology classes at secondary school level is in many important aspects different from the professional routine

assessment by means of biotic indices. The assessments made by secondary school students should not in any way be less accurate

as those of professional investigators, but the focus is different: in water research center, obtaining a repetitive and lengthy series of

biotic indicator values is important in order to monitor if water quality treatment efforts for surface waters (e.g., construction of waste-

water treatment plants and sewage systems) are successful. In a school setting students will, as a rule, be unable to follow the changes

in biotic index values over many years, nor should that be the purpose of the exercise.

Environmental education, in particular, familiarising students with such concepts as ecosystem, biodiversity and the impact of man on

non-renewable natural resources is the major purpose of working with the BISEL Biotic Index in secondary schools.

Using this approach, as many students as possible should be involved during all steps of the investigation and there should not exist a

strict division of tasks as is advised for professional research (e.g. one technician taking samples and another identifying the animals)

Another factor that strongly differs is the limitations of distance and time of research which are imposed when utilising biotic index

studies in a school.

Preparing a case study

Prior to going out in the field with the students the project needs to be carefully prepared, meaning that the biology teacher needs to

identify a suitable study site, decide how the study can be fit into the curriculum and time table, and acquire the necessary material.

Selection of the study site

There are some practical considerations to be taken into account regarding distances between the school and the sampling site

Preferably the river or the water courses to be studied should be within walking distance of the school. Even if a bus is easily available

preference should be given for waters as close a possible to the school in order to avoid travel time and maximize time in the field.

Since the purpose of the BISEL Biotic Index is to study differences in the biodiversity of waters according to the amount of pollution

present and to find causal relations between biotic and abiotic factors, the study site must be chosen so that the quality differences

between sampling sites can be easily detected. The study site must therefore have at least two sampling sites e. g. site A with a

diversified macroinvertebrate community quality and site B with poorer quality. Optimally, 3 sampling sites should be selected with

various water quality: good (15 or more species), moderate (more then 5 species) and distinctly poor (5 or less species). These

sampling sites can be located along the same watercourse or in 2 or 3 different ones. One usually finds good quality stretches in the

upper reaches of a water course, distinctly bad ones immediately downstream of sewage outlets or sewage treatment plants from

urbanised zones, e.g., a village, and moderate ones some kilometres downstream of such an outlet.

The sampling sites should be photographed and indicated on a topographic map with a scale of 1: 25,000 or less.


3/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 3 of 9

Information has to be collected beforehand concerning all possible aspects related to the quality assessment e.g., concerning the

chemical composition and origin of waste-water emissions, the periodicity and type of mechanical cleaning, the type of land-use around

the water course, etc.) For this kind of information one may contact the local authorities, which if they do not possess it themselves,should be able to direct you to the proper regional or national institutions. It may also be very useful to contact local environmen

organisations since their staff or members usually can give information which authorities may not possess; such as illegal dumping o

liquid manure or pesticides.

The data collection of the study site should be completed regularly e.g. an institution analyses the physico-chemical composition

annually.

Selection of the study period

Two factors have to be taken in consideration of the timing of the study: (1) the period of the year best suited for taking samples and

(2) the amount of time necessary for working out the case study in the field and at school.

First, the best period to take samples of a macroinvertebrate community in the temperate zone is April - September. If performed late

or earlier in the year, temperatures may be so low that many animals are still hidden in the mud in a state of hibernation and high wate

levels during autumn/winter may make it difficult to reach the permanent part of the water course.

In southern Europe this time period may be shorter and start earlier i.e. from March to July, since it will become too dry in the later

months.

Practical considerations concerning exam periods and of course summer holidays shorten the available time period to a few months.

Probably the best time in the temperate part of Europe is in the beginning of the school year i.e. in September and in the beginning of

the second term i.e. in early May. In Southern Europe the only suitable period may be during spring time as it is too dry in September,

or later in autumn.

Second, consideration has to be given to the fact that a field trip takes at least two hours and sorting out and identification at least six

hours. For each campaign, therefore, a full day needs to be reserved. Collecting, processing and identification of the samples do no

necessarily have to take place on the same day. If not, then the samples are to be fixed which makes it more difficult and unpleasant toidentify certain groups of macroinvertebrates such as leeches and flatworms. Also, from an educational point of view, it is

recommendable that the observations the students make in the field are spaced not too far in time from the lab study. Otherwise it will

become difficult to form a conceptual whole.


4/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 4 of 9

Equipment needed

EQUIPMENT CHECK-LIST

Personal outfit:

Rubber boots and outdoor clothing that may get dirty e.g. a parka and an old pair of jeans (responsibility of the students). Ask thestudents to bring their outfit to school prior to the first excursion so it can be checked. Female students have a tendency to prefer beingsmartly dressed above practical considerations and may show up in golden rubber galoshes hardly xml:namespace prefix = st1 />10cm high.

A pair of surgical gloves. These are necessary for reasons of general cleanness (especially when working in mud) and for reasons ofhygiene (i.e. to avoid possible contaminations in polluted water). There is also the almost instinctive tendency to use clothing forwiping hands.

A backpack or bag with the necessary items for cleaning up after sampling (a plastic bottle filled with tap water, soap and a towel forwashing hands as well as a jack-knife for scraping mud of boots, a plastic garbage bag to put boots in, and an extra pair of socks andspare trousers)

Equipment for sampling macroinvertebrates:

Hand net and Wellington boots (one per group of students);

Large and small laboratory trays

Tweezers or pincers to pick up out some of the animals from the sediment which need to be kept alive for identification andobservation.

Equipment for filling out record sheets

Record sheets (one per group of students per sampling point).

Clipboards the size of an A4 paper consisting of a tin sheet of hardboard, a clip and a sheet of transparent plastic (e.g. a Xeroxtransparency). The record sheet is fixed between the board and the transparency which protects it from rain. To write on the recordsheet while it rains the board is held at an angle while the plastic sheet is partially lifted up.

Non water-soluble writing material such as fine tipped permanent markers or pencils.

One topographical map.

Equipment for identifying

Stereoscopic microscopes + transformators + lights (at least one set for each group of students) or magnifying glasses

Petri dishes to identify the animals under the microscope.

Notebooks for writing down the identifications and semi-quantitative data.

Identification keys for each group of students.

Field Studies CouncilFSC PublicationsPreston MontfordMontford BridgeShrewsbury SY41HWUKTel: 01743 852140Fax: 01743 852101

Equipment for calculating the BISEL Biotic Index

Compilation sheet and the biotic index.


5/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 5 of 9

To optimise the educational value of such a study it is necessary that there is sufficient equipment of good quality. For instance, if there

is only one stereoscopic microscope available for twenty students and only one hand net, then the possibility of involvement of the

individual student becomes technically limited. A good rule of thumb is a 1 to 3 ratio: there should be sufficient essential material foreach group of 3 students to sample, process the samples and identify the species.

Task distribution

As previously stated, it is strongly recommended that each student participates as fully as possible in each of the different steps of the

study. This means that work distribution of particular tasks should be avoided (e.g. one group takes the samples, another sieves). It is

better to split up the class into groups of two or three students (depending on the size of the class) so that each group carries out all the

different steps of the study. This will stimulate all of the students as tasks that require keen observation and deduction, e.g., filling out

the protocol form and identifying the animals are shared and hence seem less difficult. Of course, each group should take their own

macroinvertebrate sample at the same place where they made the abiotic measurements and averages are also subsequently

calculated.

Field work

Sampling of study site

According to the standard procedures for sampling, the same area must be sampled during the same time (e.g., 1x 20 m during 3-5

minutes) since otherwise the obtained qualitative and semi-quantitative data can not be compared. Standardisation of sampling surface

and sampling time is therefore the first necessary step and the area sampled should be divided among the groups of students and

should be consistent over the years. If in one year there are 4 groups of 3 students then each group can sample 5 m over a stretch of

20 m. If the next year there are 15 students or 5 groups then each can sample a 4 m stretch. Sampling should start in the most

downstream section and the other groups should subsequently work in the upstream direction.

The hand net with the catch (collected sample) that is collected after 5 minutes is laid down on land so that the contents become visible

IMPORTANT: Vertebrates such as newts, tadpoles and fish should be thrown back in the water as well as large pieces of debris such

as stones and branches. Special attention must be given to hard substrates as stones and branches which are protruding out of the

sediment since sessile rare macroinvertebrates such as freshwater sponges only occur there.

Filling out the record sheet

Most items in the record sheet should be filled out before the sampling site is disturbed.


6/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 6 of 9

Field measurements

Physico-chemical field measurements need to be carried out, as stated, prior to the biological sampling (start with an undisturbed water

sample).

Safety and sanitary precautions

All students should have had their injection against tetnis (lock jaw).

Use surgical gloves since even slightly polluted water can be infected with human wastes or by animals (e.g. ducks, beavers, etc) by

Salmonella which causes paratyphoid. Removal of amphibians from the net is also best done with a protection as some people get

severe allergic reactions against the toxins secreted by these animals, especially by toads, newts and salamanders. It is important to

handle amphibians with wet hands so as not to damage their delicate skin.

Avoid or take extra care when sampling in heavily polluted waters as the risks of getting paratyphoid, typhus and meningitis are too

high. Some of these waters can also be polluted by chemicals which are highly toxic.

Avoid parts of the water course where risks of drowning are high, i.e. stretches with straight concrete walls, with steep banks and very

strong currents. Such places do not yield good samples anyway.

Avoid parts of a watercourse were the bottom is hard and slippery as working with the hand net can throw ones balance off due to the

drag of the net, and a bad fall may result.

Do not wear rubber boots with a smooth or faintly ribbed sole, since this will inevitably cause slipping even on shallow slopes, especially

when the ground or the grass is wet.

Do not sample in a swift flowing watercourse during or after heavy rainfall as the drag on the hand net is very strong and you are liable

to be pulled in the water. During such periods sampling is often poor.

Do not disturb the sediment with your hands as broken bottles and rusty pieces of metal may cut you.

Do not put blades of grass or pieces of other vegetation growing on the river banks in your mouth since these can be infested with

parasites such as liver flukes which spend part of their life cycle in aquatic animals. Some emergent plants are also highly toxic e.g.

hemlock.

Disinfect cuts and scratches immediately.


7/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 7 of 9

Always keep a first aid kit within reach.

Sampling with a hand net is hard work. It is advisable to ask the students to bring sandwiches and something to drink with a high sugar

content. Take a break in between, otherwise, fatigue will make the students attention wane.

Working near the water on sunny days may result in severe sunburn. Use a protective sun lotion.

Processing of samples

1. Fill out the record sheet: name of the brook, sampling site, date, hour, your name(s).

2. Put on the boots and gloves . While standing on the bank (in order not to cloud the water already), fill one large and two small

laboratory trays about half-full with water from the brook.

3. Catch as many water animals as possible with the handnet. To examine the deep parts of the brook, one person puts on thewaders. After each sample, empty the net into the large laboratory tray, including parts of plants, little stones, mud, etc...

4. Catch animals in the large laboratory tray with a small aquarium net, a spoon or a pipette - depending on their size - and movethem into the first small laboratory tray until there is at least one specimen of each kind present in this tray. Pay specialattention to animals that hide themselves in or on parts of plants, stones, mud (use a tweezer)...

5. When you cannot find any other new kinds of animals in the large laboratory tray, begin to analyze your sample.

6. Catch, with a spoon or a pipette, at least one specimen of each kind of macroinvertebrate in the first small laboratory tray andmove it into the vessel with the cap magnifying glass. Be sure to screw the cap on.

7. Identify the animal(s) by means of the cap magnifying glass. Start with the identification key card. On this basis, you will get a

good idea of the different forms of the water fauna classified up to a level higher than the family (phylum, classis orordo).

8. Continue identifying up to the level of the family, the genus or the species, making use of the available identification keys.

9. Note the taxa found on the record sheet. Note whether you have found one or more individuals of these animals.

10. Empty the vessel with the cap magnifying glass in the second small laboratory tray and identify another kind ofmacroinvertebrate in the first small laboratory tray (repeat steps 6-9).

11. After identification of all the different kinds of macroinvertebrates, empty all laboratory trays back into the brook.


8/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 8 of 9

Calculation of BISEL Biotic Index.

Follow the instructions given in the short manual. The instruction are divided in a hi and a low level calculation.

TotalS.U.

01 25 610 1115 >15MACRO-INVERTEBRATES

B I O T I C I N D E X

flattened mayfly nymph stonefly nymph

cased caddisfly larva

freshwater limpet mayfly nymphs

snails dragonfly larva freshwater shrimp

freshwater hoglouse pea-cockle water boatman leeches

worms non-biting midge larva

rat-tailed maggot

Total:
http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=0&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=0&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=0&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=1&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=1&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=1&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=2&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=2&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=2&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=3&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=3&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=3&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=4&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=4&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=3&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=2&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=1&print=0http://www.freeyourriver.net/index.php?cid=6589&folder=63469&modul=68&topselection=0&print=0


9/9

Biotic Index

Complete Manual

Page 9 of 9

Biotic Index: lower level

flatworms

true worms

leeches

snails

pea-cockels

swan mussels

freshwater limpet

freshwater crayfish

water hoglouse

freshwater shrimps

water mites

burrowing mayfly nymph

flattened mayfly nymphs

swimming mayfly nymph

demoiselle nymph

other damselfly nymph

dragonfly nymphs

stonefly nymphs

water measurer

pond skaters

water scorpion

water boatman

alderfly larva

cased caddisfly larva

caseless caddisfly larva

water beetles

cranefly larva

rat-tailed maggots

blackfly larva

non-biting midge larva

Biotic Index: score

Interpretation of biological assessment results

When the final stage is completed, the whole class should form a discussion group which surveys the data step-by-step, and if the

biotic indices indicate the possibility of pollution, try to trace the most likely source or origin of the pollution. It may be possible that a low

Biotic Index is not the result of a single stressor but of a combination of stress factors.

Finally, when the possible source (or sources) of pollution is pinpointed, the class can be divided in two groups, one group canrepresent the person(s) who is/are responsible for the pollution and the other group can represent an environmentally-minded

organisation and sum up the reasons why the practice(s) should be changed. Have them try to come to a compromise on reaching

better environmental conditions while continuing economic development.

GOOD LUCK

Biotic Index Manual En

Documents

Transcript of Biotic Index Manual En