ABSTRACT
CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 297
Biomarkers, Bioindicators, and Management.............................................................................. 297 Larval Trematodes as Bioindicators............................................................................................. 298 Hypotheses, Predictions, and Supporting Evidence .................................................................... 299
Methods: Employing Trematodes in Assessments: Worldwide Opportunities, Application Methodology, and Comparisons with Other Techniques ............................................................ 300
Results .................................................................................................................................................... 301 Larval Trematodes: Worldwide Opportunities for Application................................................... 301 Steps Required for Conducting a Larval Trematode Assessment............................................... 306 Comparison of Larval Trematodes with Other Community Assessment Approaches ............... 309
Discussion .............................................................................................................................................. 309 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................. 311 References .............................................................................................................................................. 311
Wetland managers face a difficult task: how best to use resources to acquire information about wetland condition necessary to make appropriate management decisions. It can be difficult to choose from the array of potential approaches, ranging from directly monitoring whole biotic communities to using proxy biomarkers and bioindicators (Adams and Ryon, 1994). Indicators employing population and community measures vary considerably in the scope of the information conveyed, as well as in the costs associated with using them. This leaves us with the two basic and pertinent questions when evaluating an indicator: (1) Does it provide information useful for management? (2) Is it cost-effective relative to other options?
