Richter et al. Assessing 1#drologicillteration 1173
<br />the Index of Biotic Integrity 991, 1993). Other au- Software Availability and Acknowledgments
<br />thors (Karr 1991, 1993; K-, :_t al. 1993; Minshall
<br />1993) have emphasized the i; +nce of using a multi- The software program developed for computing IRA pa-
<br />parameter suite of metrics to > ecosystem integrity rameter values and deviations is available by written re-
<br />because it is unlikely that at, y metric will be suffi- quest from Smythe Scientific Software, 2060 Dartmouth,
<br />ciently sensitive to be useful :111 circumstances. Boulder, CO 80303, U.S.A., or by phone at (303) 499-
<br />As illustrated by our case the IHA method is 0222. Chuck Smythe of Smythe Scientific Software pro-
<br />extremely useful in drawing . on to aspects of a hy- vided all computer programming of the IRA analyses.
<br />drologic regime altered by vz types of human influ- Andrew Wilcox conducted a literature review of other
<br />ences such as dams and grow: ter pumping. Elucida- ecosystem metrics that greatly aided the development of
<br />tion of hydrologic alteration- however, says little this paper. Hydrologic data were accessed via the "Hy-
<br />about the nature or degree ch biologic patterns droData" system distributed by Hydrosphere, Inc. In-
<br />and processes may degrade ;-)once to such alter- valuable reviews of this paper were provided by P. An-
<br />ations. The tough work of int ,:ngand documenting germeier, G. Auble, J. Friedman, J. Harrison, S. Johnson,
<br />species- or community-speci, pones to hydrologic J. Karr, S. Pearsall, N. L. Poff, D. Salzer, J. Stromberg, R.
<br />changes remains. By revealir direction and magni- Unnasch, K. Walker, R. Wigington, D. Wilber, and A.
<br />tude of hydrologic alteratiolr, lHA method will aid Wilcox, and two anonymous reviewers..
<br />ecological researchers in for tag hypotheses about
<br />the hydrologic causes of v: forms of ecosystem
<br />Literature Cited
<br />modification. For example, :HA results for the
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<br />benthic fauna, and floodplail, t communities. Alley, W. M., and A. W. Bums. 1983. Mixed-station extension of
<br />The IRA method should a ove useful in the de- monthly streamflow records. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
<br />
<br />sign of ecological restoration
<br />-:ims. On the Roanoke 109:1272-1284.
<br />Armitage, P. D. 1984. Environmental changes induced by stream regu.
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<br />Based on the IHA results (Tai restoration hypothe- lated rivers. Universitetsforlaget As, Oslo.
<br />ses should be directed at the cted biotic responses Bain, M. B., J. T. Finn, and H. E. Brooke. 1988. Streamflow regulation
<br />and-fish community structure. Ecology 69:382-392.
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<br />rising and falling river periot J shifts in the annual Carpenter, S. R. 1989. Replication and treatment strength in whole-
<br />minimum flows from winter : <c) the fall season
<br />Pro- lake experiments. Ecology 70:453-463.
<br />
<br />grams to monitor the respow: .
<br />--drologic restoration Carpenter, S. R., T. M. Frost, D. Heisey, and T. K. Kratz. 1989Random-
<br />ized intervention analvsis and the interpretation of whole-ecosys-
<br />could follow two strategies: 4 _tinue to characterize rem experiments. Ecology 70:1142-1152.
<br />the hydrologic regime using i ai method, in order to Colwell, R. K. 1974. Predictability, constancy, and contingency of peri-
<br />look for expected decreases ; . `)efore and after devi odic phenomena. Ecology 55:1148-1153.
<br />ations in IHA groups, and (2} try monitor the status Doppelt, B., M. Scurlock, C. Frissell, and J. Karr. 1993. Entering the wa-
<br />'
<br />
<br />of the targeted biota. Both
<br />I drologic restoration tershed: A new approach to save America
<br />s river ecosystems. Is-
<br />land Press, Washington, D.C.
<br />strategy and the biomoniton "ogram could be con- Dynesius. M.. and C. Nilsson. 1994. Fragmentation and flow regulation of
<br />tinually refined as we learn al he system. river systems in the northern third of the world. Science 266:753-762.
<br />The utility of the IHA meth designing hydrologic Gaines, S. D., and M. W. Denny. 1993. The largest, smallest, highest.
<br />restoration strategies Or for sing potential hydro lowest, longest, and shortest: extremes in ecology. Ecology 74:
<br />1677
<br />-1692.
<br />logic effects associated with is water development Gorman, G. T., and J. R. Katy. 1978. Habitat stricture and stream fish
<br />proposals will be limited 131,; ?Ivdrologic simulation communities. Ecology 59:507-515.
<br />models can be used to cre_ athesized records of Gustard, A. 1984. The characterisation,of flow regimes for assessing
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<br />
<br />logic conditions can be situ
<br />-1 using such models, Universitetsforlaget As, Oslo.
<br />Hesse, L. W., and G. E. Mestl. 1993. An alternative hydrogrtph for the
<br />these conditions could then 7nipared with existing Missouri River based on the precontrol condition. North American
<br />conditions (actual hydrologi,_ isurements or simula- Journal of Fisheries Management 13:360-366.
<br />tion of current conditions) b-. 1111; of the IHA method. Hill. M. T., W. S. Platts, and R. L. Beschta. 1991. Ecological and geo-
<br />
<br />Management decisions coup.
<br />;; be based upon the morphological concepts for instream and out-of-channel flow re-
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<br />IHA's elucidation of hydrolof
<br />-ime changes likely to quirements. Rivers 2:198-210.
<br />Hulling, C. S. 1978. Adaptive environmental assessment and manage-
<br />be associated with altemath"... v.tgement scenarios. meet. John Wiley & sons, London.
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