{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1604"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1604","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Biomonitoring of Stream Water Quality: Comparative Sensitivities of Macroinvertebrate Indices and Leaf Decomposition Rates","abstract":"This study compared macroinvertebrate diversity indices with leaf decomposition rates in order to determine if both measures are sensitive to variation in water quality. Eight sites in the James River and its tributaries in southwest Missouri were sampled during summer 2001 and spring 2002 and compared with existing water chemistry data. Results revealed that leaf decomposition rates did not correlate with several standard macroinvertebrate diversity indices and water chemistry data. In contrast, the macroinvertebrate indices showed significant correlation to site rankings based on water chemistry. Hoever, even these commonly used bioindicators did not show consistency in their designation of the water quality at each site. The data from this study suggest that the use of decomposition rates as a stand-alone indicator of water quality may not be possible, but it is still a valuable tool in understanding the biological processes within a stream system.","abstract_html":"This study compared macroinvertebrate diversity indices with leaf decomposition rates in order to determine if both measures are sensitive to variation in water quality. Eight sites in the James River and its tributaries in southwest Missouri were sampled during summer 2001 and spring 2002 and compared with existing water chemistry data. Results revealed that leaf decomposition rates did not correlate with several standard macroinvertebrate diversity indices and water chemistry data. In contrast, the macroinvertebrate indices showed significant correlation to site rankings based on water chemistry. Hoever, even these commonly used bioindicators did not show consistency in their designation of the water quality at each site. The data from this study suggest that the use of decomposition rates as a stand-alone indicator of water quality may not be possible, but it is still a valuable tool in understanding the biological processes within a stream system.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Penticuff, Mark"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Biology","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["John Havel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2002-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:15:42Z","subjects":["Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Mark Penticuff"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/603","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["John Havel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Penticuff, Mark"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Biology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Mark Penticuff"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/603"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study compared macroinvertebrate diversity indices with leaf decomposition rates in order to determine if both measures are sensitive to variation in water quality. Eight sites in the James River and its tributaries in southwest Missouri were sampled during summer 2001 and spring 2002 and compared with existing water chemistry data. Results revealed that leaf decomposition rates did not correlate with several standard macroinvertebrate diversity indices and water chemistry data. In contrast, the macroinvertebrate indices showed significant correlation to site rankings based on water chemistry. Hoever, even these commonly used bioindicators did not show consistency in their designation of the water quality at each site. The data from this study suggest that the use of decomposition rates as a stand-alone indicator of water quality may not be possible, but it is still a valuable tool in understanding the biological processes within a stream system."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Biomonitoring of Stream Water Quality: Comparative Sensitivities of Macroinvertebrate Indices and Leaf Decomposition Rates"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["John Havel"],"dc:creator":["Penticuff, Mark"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study compared macroinvertebrate diversity indices with leaf decomposition rates in order to determine if both measures are sensitive to variation in water quality. Eight sites in the James River and its tributaries in southwest Missouri were sampled during summer 2001 and spring 2002 and compared with existing water chemistry data. Results revealed that leaf decomposition rates did not correlate with several standard macroinvertebrate diversity indices and water chemistry data. In contrast, the macroinvertebrate indices showed significant correlation to site rankings based on water chemistry. Hoever, even these commonly used bioindicators did not show consistency in their designation of the water quality at each site. The data from this study suggest that the use of decomposition rates as a stand-alone indicator of water quality may not be possible, but it is still a valuable tool in understanding the biological processes within a stream system."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/603"],"dc:rights":["© Mark Penticuff"],"dc:subject":["Biology"],"dc:title":["Biomonitoring of Stream Water Quality: Comparative Sensitivities of Macroinvertebrate Indices and Leaf Decomposition Rates"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Biology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:15:42Z"}