Title: Collection and Analysis of Environmental Stresses Influencing Biological GQA Data in 2000
Author: M. A. O R. W. Martin
Author: Environment Agency
Document Type: Monograph
Annotation: Environment Agency Project ID:EAPRJOUT_1019, Representation ID: 306, Object ID: 2298
Abstract:
This technical report presents the results of the research and development project Collection and Analysis of Environmental Stresses Influencing Biological GQA in 2000, which was financed by the Environment Agency. The project builds on earlier work (reported in Technical Report E126) to collate data on perceived stresses at General Quality Assessment (GQA) biological monitoring sites on rivers throughout England and Wales (e.g. Effluents, mines, quarries, low flow etc.). The Centre for Environmental Information (CIES) developed the Stress Recording System (SRS) software to enable the Environment Agency to collate the data. This software overcomes many of the problems identified in the previous attempt to collect stress data using a simple spreadsheet program. The categorisation of stresses was revised to eliminate overlap between stress categories, in order to reduce the level of subjectivity in the data collection process. The Ecological Appraisal Teams in each of the chosen Environment Agency areas used SRS to collect data on the environmental stresses that they perceived at each of their GQA sites. However, this data collection exercise was incomplete when this report was written. Only 13 out of 27 areas provided information by November 2003, and some of this information was incomplete. At the time of writing, further data continues to be collected from the remaining areas. As a result, it was not possible to complete a comprehensive report on the distribution of the stresses and the quality of the stress data, or to analyse the relationships between biological data and the stress categories at a national level. The scope of the project, and hence of this technical report, was therefore reduced.
Publisher: Environment Agency
Subject Keywords: Rivers; Surveys; Rivers; Lakes; Quality controls; Environmental factors; Computer programming; Data processing; Freshwater ecology
Extent: 53
Permalink: http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:4595
Total file downloads: 256
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