Bioindicators

This page contains the following sections
	Understanding Ecosystems • Resources • Activities • Who Can Help?

How can animal species be used to indicate the health of different environments?
What types of monitoring are effectively used by school age children to assess the health of environments?
Which species such as macroinvertebrates and frogs can be monitored to assess the quality of water and the health of riparian zones?
Which species can be monitored to assess the overall health of catchment environments? Look at birds, reptiles, fish, butterflies, macroinvertebrates and frogs. There are many more too!

Type	Description	Resources Covering the Topic
Easy	- The state of health of the Mt Lofty catchment. - Aquatic ecosystems in the Mt Lofty Ranges. Looks at macroinvertebrates, vertebrates, fish and frogs. - Clear summary of the issues.	The Mt Lofty Ranges Watershed Protection Office - EPA http://www.dehaa.sa.gov.au/epa/pdfs/fact3.pdf
	- Why monitor frogs? - Brief explanation of bioindicator species.	SA EPA http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/ frogcensus/about.html#about
	- Biological monitoring. - What can be monitored through Waterwatch.	SA Waterwatch http://www.sa.waterwatch.org.au/ monitoring.htm#Biological%20Parameters
	- Amphibian declines. - Article explaining how environmental factors are leading to amphibian population decline.	Western Wildlife http://www.westernwildlife.com.au/frogs/ index.htm
More Comprehensive	- Biological indicators – a summary.	NSW EPA http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/soe/soe2000/ cw/cw_5.2.htm
	- Monitoring river health. - Biological assessment.	SA EPA http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/ water.html
	- The national community based water quality monitoring program. - Good summary of waterway monitoring.	Waterwatch Australia http://www.waterwatch.org.au/library/involve.html
	- Macroinvertebrates and water quality in WA. - PDF download covering the main issues.	Water Resources WA http://www.wrc.wa.gov.au/public/waterfacts/ 2_macro/WF2.pdf
	- In-stream biota. - The life that lives in streams.	VIC Government Natural Resources and Environment http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/web/root/Domino/ vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/water-river-instream-biota/
More Complex	- Ecowatch: Restoration ecology and the use of bioindicators. - PDF download with excellent introduction to the main issues of regeneration and use of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators.	CSIRO http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Images/ ecowatch.pdf
More Complex	- Ecological indicators website. - Follow the links to areas of interest.	Environs Australia http://www.environs.org.au/

Band	Activity	Contact
Early Years	- ‘A Bug’s Life’. - Learn how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- ‘It’s a Frog's Life’. - We bring the frogs to you. Learn about the 7 different frogs of the Mount Lofty Ranges.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board http://www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	- ‘Something Fishy’. - Find out why native fish populations are threatened. - Understanding the importance of habitat, pollution and exotic animals.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- What is a macroinvertebrate? - Discover why macroinvertebrates are bioindicators of water health.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board http://www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	- Act-an-Aquatic. - Uses dressing up to explore a variety of adaptations of aquatic creatures.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board http://www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	- Participate in the annual frog census.	SA EPA http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/frogcensus/
Primary Years	- Macroinvertebrate monitoring. - Outdoor sampling and indoor lessons involving video microscopes. - Look at bioindicators and water quality.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board http://www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	- Habitat assessment. - Assessing the habitat value of a waterway.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board http://www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	- ‘Funky Fish’. - Look at native and introduced fish, and talk through the issues involved in exotic species.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board http://www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	- ‘A Bug’s Life’. - Learn about biological monitoring and how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- ‘A Frog’s Life’. - Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- ‘Something Fishy’. - Find out why native fish populations are threatened. - Understanding the importance of habitat, pollution and exotic animals.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- What is a macroinvertebrate? - Discover why macroinvertebrates are bioindicators of water health.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board http://www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	- Macroinvertebrate monitoring. - Outdoor sampling and indoor lessons involving video microscopes. - Look at bioindicators and water quality.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board http://www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	- Participate in the annual frog census.	SA EPA http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/frogcensus/
Middle Years	- How to build a frog pond.	Environment Australia http://www.ea.gov.au/education/facts/frogpond.html
	- Participate in the annual frog census.	SA EPA http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/frogcensus/
	- Habitat assessment. - Assessing the habitat value of a waterway.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board http://www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	- ‘A Bug’s Life’. - Learn about biological monitoring and how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- Why wetlands? - The role of wetlands in improving water quality and provision of habitat.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- ‘A Frog’s Life’. - Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section1/1-11.htm
	- What is a macroinvertebrate? - Discover why macroinvertebrates are bioindicators of water health.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board http://www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic

Organisation	Who Can Help?
All catchments	EPA Community Monitoring Section (including Waterwatch and Frog Census)
Metropolitan Catchment Water Management Boards	Catchment Care - North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board (CWMB) Our Patch - Patawalonga and Torrens CWMBs Our Patch - Onkaparinga CWMB
Adelaide Metropolitan Area	Urban Forest Biodiversity Program