Re: NANFA--Collecting in southern alabama

Roselawn Museum (roselawn_at_mindspring.com)
Thu, 03 May 2001 14:02:56 -0400

Late last summer, in the worst of our drought, Raccoon Creek was reduced to
a series of near-stagnant pools and a few (possibly spring-fed) riffles.
The water seemed as warm as bath water & I didn't expect to find much in
the way of fish. The blackbanded darter was the ONLY darter I did find
under these conditions. I have also noticed that F. stellifer seem to
survive in areas where little else can.

Steven A. Ellis
Kennesaw, GA

The speaker, Ken Marion of the Univ. of Alabama in
>Birmingham, referred to blackbanded darters, Percina nigrofasciata, as very
>tolerant of turbid, low quality waters and presented an increase in their
>numbers as symptomatic of degrading water quality. Has anyone else heard of
>such a use of blackbanded darters? This is part of the creation of an Index
>of Biotic Integrity (IBI) which has the advantage of simplicity (some
>Senators actually understand it...). I have personal doubts about such
>indices for methodological and statistical reasons, but I'll save that for
>another rave.
>
>--Bruce Stallsmith
>Huntsville, AL
>
>

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