ABSTRACT

Limited attempts have been made to construct a multimetric index that evaluates the conditions of riverine and palustrine plant assemblages, with the exception of Stewart et al. (1999) and Simon et al. (2001). The plant index of biotic integrity (PIBI) is a multimetric measure that evaluates species composition, habitat guild structure, relative abundance, and plant health of individuals for palustrine and riverine areas along southern Lake Michigan (Simon et al., 2001). Swink and Wilhelm (1994) developed an index of floristic quality that incorporates tolerance and fidelity to native plant community membership as important components.