A conceptual framework for integrating hydrological and biological indicators into watershed management

Development of integrated ecological indicators for assessment of the condi tion of altered watersheds is fundamental to sound policy and decision maki ng in water resource management. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for developing and integrating a set of hydrological and biologic indicato rs that can show the modified spatial and temporal distributions of hydrolo gical and biological conditions which result from land use/cover changes ac ross the study watersheds by using Geographic Information Systems, remote s ensing, multiple physical and biological databases, and simulation models. Effects of management practices and programs can be evaluated by comparing the temporal distributions of these indicators over a certain period. The p aper further outlines steps needed to bridge the gaps between the largely p hysical and structural aspects of research on watershed indicators and the work on biological processes and indicators of ecosystems for integrating t hese indicators into watershed planning and management processes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.