Planning to use Volunteer Data:

Have we put the cart before the horse?

Bev ClarkOntario Ministry of the EnvironmentDorset Environmental Science Centre

It is easy to imagine a multitude of parameters that would beworthwhile monitoring:

phosphorus………………(we’re worried about eutrophication)

frogs………………………(we’re worried about them disappearing)

bacteria…………………..(we’re worried about getting sick)

benthic invertebrates…(we know they reflect ecosystem health)

These are REASONS why we think it’s a good idea to monitor

But – unless we begin with a clearly defined question (hypothesis)

We may be putting the cart before the horse

In order to get the cart behind the horse:

The Question:

Is the trophic status of the lake changing?............... phosphorus

Are amphibians on the decline? ………………frogs

Is the WQ in this lake/stream impacted?…….benthic invertebrates

These questions will drive the sample collections strategiesand shape the scientific design of the monitoring program from the start

The first step in determiningWHAT to monitor is decidingWHY you want to monitor.

Lake Partner Program example:We should measure phosphorus (TP) because it controls algal growth.

Program initiated to improve awareness, foster stewardship etc.Bonus would be: - characterize trophic status of lakes - develop long-term means for TP in Ontario Lakes

([TP] = +/- 6 -10ug/L)

BUTThe ONLY thing that the 800 volunteers were interested in doing was tracking between year changes in the TP concentrations in their lakes.However, the data were not precise enough to do this,and there was an emerging need for precise data for input to models.

So…the program needed to be significantly modified to make the data moreuseful. ([TP] = +/- 0.7 ug/L)

We should have started with: Is the trophic status changing in Ontario lakes?

Perception - The Lake Partner Program collects ONLY TP and Secchi data - surely this is not enough.

people often ask:

“What other thing can we measure?”or

“What’s the next thing we should be looking at?”or

“We have some money – what should we measure?”

The best answer to these questions is,

What is your question?

Several Types of Monitoring Programs

• Do something/anything to increase awareness and foster stewardship.(no big deal if the data is never used)

• Monitor to establish base conditions and observe trends through time.(some day we’ll use this data)

• Collect information that will be “used” as input to models or to answer specific questions.(we need the data yesterday)

• Data mining or metadata/collaboration projects(other peoples data is always cheaper)

A single type of monitoring program would be more useful

• Do something/anything to increase awareness and foster stewardship

(we can still use this data)

• Monitor to establish base conditions and observe trends through time

(we know what we will use it for)

• Collect information that will be “used” as input to models or to answer specific questions.

• Data mining or collaboration projects(consultation process to survey users)

We should be able to say:

“We are assembling these data to answer this question”

Overview of community-based, monitoring programsin eastern Canada

Newfoundland

Subset of programs that are lake based:

The actual number of programs remaining that haveclearly defined goals becomes very small.

Examples of well thought out monitoring programs

• Ontario Benthic Monitoring Network

• Halifax Soil and water conservation Society

• EMAN nature watch programs

Automated Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network

1. Input test site record (location, habitat, taxa abundance)2. Run predictive model in OBBN database to predict test site to

reference group3. Run reference site query (searches database for records of

reference sites in the test site’s predicted group)4. Run index calculator (calculates custom list of summary indices

for test and reference sites and defines “normal range”, usually reference site mean +/- 2 SD)

5. Run Hypothesis Tester (assesses if test site is within normal range of reference sites using multivariate t test)

6. Generate report

Beginning with the question: Is this site impacted?

Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network: Automatic Report Output

Clear Lake InflowLongitude: -74.76912083°Latitude: 45.00890889°22-May-2005Sampled by: Jones & Craig

UNIMPAIRED

Reference Site

Test Site

N

Hwy. 75

Clear Lk.

Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network

Summary StatisticsReference Condition Test Site Significant

mean s meanEPT Richness (Family level) 4.75 1.26 6.90 NoRichness 18.50 1.29 19.30 No% Chironomidae 0.02 0.01 0.01 NoShannon-Wiener (Family level) 2.52 0.06 2.60 NoPielou's Evenness 0.86 0.00 0.79 No% Dominance 22.50 4.20 21.00 NoHilsenhoff Family Index 2.90 0.34 3.20 NoBioMAP WQId 16.60 1.11 15.20 NoBray-Curtis Distance 0.11 0.11 0.20Generalized Multivariate Distance 6.00 7.00

Summary

If you have the general ability to interpret water quality data, then you have the capacity to help community based volunteer groups to set up useful monitoring programs

• Governments can help• NALMS can help

If you have volunteers collecting data first and bringing it to you later for interpretation, then you may have problems.