[MPWG] USGS National Database for data on Invertebrates, Fish, Water Quality, etc.

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

While the subject matter in this national database is not exactly about
plants, we all know that water quality and healthy invertebrate ommunities
are important parts of the plant equation.  It looks like an interesting
database and may be a worthy of a "bookmark" for several of you.

All the best,
Patricia


USGS Announces Online Access to Nationwide Invertebrate Community Data

Invertebrate community data from 1,700 stream sites in more than 50 major
river basins across the Nation can be downloaded from the NAWQA Data
Warehouse at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/data. Data are from more than
5,000 invertebrate community samples that were collected from 1993 through
2002 by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

Invertebrate community samples document the presence of invertebrate taxa
and their relative abundances within designated stream reaches. Data are
added after quality-assurance reviews are completed, so if your geographic
areas of interest are not represented, revisit the Data Warehouse
periodically.

The NAWQA Data Warehouse also provides online access to data on fish
communities from more than 1,000 stream locations, as well as data from
thousands of water-quality samples from about 6,400 stream sites and 7,000
wells, and from streambed sediment and aquatic animal tissue. Water-quality
samples are analyzed for pesticides, trace elements, volatile organic
compounds, and nutrients; sediment and tissue samples are analyzed for
organic compounds, such as DDT, and trace elements, such as mercury.

For information on biological sampling protocols, refer to "Revised
protocols for sampling algal, invertebrate, and fish communities as part of
the National Water-Quality Assessment Program" at
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/protocols/OFR02-150/index.html.

For questions regarding biological collection methods and taxonomy, contact
Dr. Steve Moulton, smoulto at usgs.gov, 703-648-6874. Additional information
about NAWQA ecological studies is available at
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/ecology.

For questions regarding online data retrievals from the NAWQA Data
Warehouse, contact gs.nawqa.data at usgs.gov or Mr. Sandy Williamson,
253-428-3600, ext. 2683.

We encourage you to share this information with your staff, colleagues, and
memberships. Feel free to notify local, State, and regional stakeholders
who may be interested in biological information.

Thank you for your continued interest in USGS information and findings.





Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>