This document reviews major monitoring programs or agencies in Alberta and elsewhere in North America, and provides background on past aquatic sampling and protocol development in the ABMP. Based on this past work and information from other aquatic monitoring programs, a set of protocols for sampling biotic and abiotic parameters in large lakes, large rivers, wetlands, and streams in Alberta is provided. Estimates of time needed to complete protocols and costs for equipment are also given.
Large lakes and rivers (approximately 100 of each) should be sampled across Alberta to provide provincial-scale data on biodiversity trends in these habitats. Biotic elements suggested for sampling in lakes include phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. In rivers fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and benthic algae will be sampled.
Streams and wetlands should be sampled at higher densities than lakes and rivers. Streams and wetlands should be sampled at the same density as terrestrial plots, which are arranged on a 20 x 20 km grid. This results in a total of 1656 sampling points across the province. I suggest that streams be sampled near those terrestrial points that fall in the Rocky Mountain and foothills ecoregions, while wetlands should be sampled everywhere else in the province. Benthic macroinvertebrates and benthic algae will be sampled at stream sites, while aquatic macroinvertebrates and vascular plants will be sampled at wetland sites. Abiotic factors, such as water physiochemistry, will also be sampled at all sites.
The ABMP has defined statistical targets related to detection of trends in biodiversity. These include detection of a change of 3% per year in biodiversity parameters within a region (a region is defined as approximately 50 sampling points) after 15 years of surveys (three full sampling rotations) with a 90% certainty; detection of a difference of 50% between regions after five years of surveys (one complete sampling rotation) with a 90% certainty; and a <10% probability of declaring a difference in these parameters when one does not exist. The number of sites that must be sampled to meet these statistical targets depends on variance in the groups being sampled. The aquatic groups proposed here for inclusion in the ABMP have levels of variance acceptable under the statistical guidelines for the ABMP.
The protocols outlined in this document should be tested during the 2005 field season. A field test is necessary to ensure time and cost estimates are accurate, that sampling equipment is compatible with sampling sites which must be accessed by quad or helicopter, and to determine if there are any procedural or equipment problems which must be addressed. Sampling protocols can be adjusted based on this field test, before the aquatic sampling protocols are fully implemented as part of the ABMP.