Graduate Program

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2008

Thesis Director

Robert Fischer

Thesis Committee Member

James Novak

Thesis Committee Member

Karen Gaines

Abstract

Stream habitat assessment procedures have been used to monitor logical potential, habitat restoration, and determine anthropogenic impacts on streams. In the past, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) have determined which stream reaches to sample habitat quality based on historical data, accessibility, and whether or not a reach is representative of an area. To develop a consistent and unbiased procedure for choosing sampling locations, the IDNR and INHS have proposed a technique by which watersheds are divided into homogeneous stream segments called valley segments. Valley segments within each watershed are determined by GIS parameters including surficial geology, predicted flow, slope, and drainage area. To date no research has been conducted to 1) detail the methodology used to test the valley segment model, 2) determine if arcs within a MAVS have similar habitat variables, 3) determine if the stream habitat within a valley segment is homogeneous, and 4) determine if different valley segments have varying habitat variables.

To test the valley segment concept, two adjacent valley segments were randomly selected within thirteen streams in the Embarras River watershed, located in east-central Illinois. Reaches were randomly selected within each valley segment, and a modified USEPAPA Wadeable Streams Assessment was used to quantify channel, bank, riparian, and floodplain structure. Habitat variables were combined for each stream through a principle components analysis (PCA) in order to measure environmental variation, and two multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) tests were performed on PCA axes 1-3 to determine if differences existed within and between adjacent valley segments. Within each valley segment, reaches were significantly different from each other indicating a relatively heterogeneous physical environment (3.52 ≤F

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