ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the issues that may account for the apparent difficulty in developing inland lake Index of Biotic Integrity. It discusses several candidate metrics for lakes in southern New England and some of the implications of the results and needs for further research. Biological assessments require data that represent or index the resident assemblages. The public value different things about lakes than they value for streams. The public often values a park-like aesthetic for lakes, as a place for homes, vacation cabins, and parks for camping, picnics, and swimming. Fish species tolerances to stress in lake ecosystems often differ from their tolerances in stream ecosystems. The data used were from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Northeast Lakes Pilot. EMAP sampled fish assemblages, as well as water chemistry, zooplankton, physical habitat, and riparian birds in 179 lakes and reservoirs during the summers of 1992 to 1994 in the Northeast.
