Biotic Indices and Stream Ecosystem Processes: Results from an Experimental Study

We investigated the ability of the North Carolina Biotic Index (NCBI) and the Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera + Trichoptera (EPT) index to track an experimental manipulation of the invertebrate community and resultant alteration of several ecosystem‐level processes in a headwater stream at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in western North Carolina. Indices were calculated from quantitative monthly or bimonthly benthic samples of moss‐covered rockface and mixed substrate habitats, as well as habitat‐weighted values based on the proportion of each habitat in the two streams. One stream (C 55) served as a reference stream over the 6‐yr period of late 1984 through 1990, whereas the other (C 54) received seasonal treatments with an insecticide for 3 yr (1986‐1988). Throughout pretreatment, treatment, and recovery, both the NCBI and EPT indices tracked the disturbance regime of the treatment stream. Indices for the reference stream varied little during the 6‐yr period. Both the NCBI and EPT suggested strong changes in the treatment stream during treatment relative to both pretreatment and the reference stream. Following cessation of insecticide treatments, both indices reflected improved biotic conditions during first and second years of recovery in C 54. Compared with fauna of mixed substrates, rockface fauna had lower (better) NCBI values during pretreatment, and exhibited a greater proportional increase in tolerant taxa during treatment than mixed substrates, emphasizing the importance of including rockface communities in environmental monitoring programs. Changes in both the EPT and NCBI indices closely corresponded to changes in ecosystem‐level processes observed in C 54 from pretreatment to treatment, and recovery periods. These processes include: leaf litter processing rates, organic matter storage, fine particulate organic matter generation and export, and secondary production. With the exception of organic matter storage, all of these processes declined during treatment of C 54, and subsequently increased during recovery. Our results demonstrate the potential of such indices to detect and monitor stream ecosystem changes during and following disturbance. The EPT index was by far the easiest to use from both the standpoint of time required for sample processing and ease of application. Compared with the labor‐intensive sample processing, specimen identification and measurement, and data entry required for secondary production calculations, the EPT index was relatively simple and displayed a remarkable ability to track secondary production of invertebrates in the treatment stream. Our data strongly support the inclusion of the EPT and NCBI indices in these southern Appalachian headwater streams as indicators of both degradation and recovery of stream ecosystem processes from chemical‐induced disturbance.