ASTM_D_4556_-_02.pdf

Designation:D 4556 02Standard Guide forSelecting Stream-Net Sampling Devices for CollectingBenthic Macroinvertebrates1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4556;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 The Surber,portable invertebrate box,Hess,Hessstream bottom,and stream-bed fauna samples are qualitativeand most are reasonably quantitative collecting devices.Theyare operated by hand.They provide for outlining a definiteunit-area,for collecting the macroinvertebrates within the area,and are equipped with a net to retain organisms.They aredesigned to be placed by hand onto or in some cases into mud,sand,gravel,or rubble substrate types,in shallow streams,orshallow areas of rivers.1.2 The drift net sampler is a qualitative and quantitativecollecting device used to capture drifting organisms in flowingwaters.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:D 1129 Terminology Relating to Water2D 4557 Practice for Collecting Benthic Macroinvertebrateswith Surber and Related Type Samplers3D 4558 Practice for Collecting Benthic Macroinvertebrateswith Drift Nets33.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of terms used in this guide,refer to Terminology D 1129.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 benthosthe community of organisms living in or onthe bottom or other substrate in an aquatic environment.3.2.2 habitatthe place where an organism lives,for ex-ample,mud,rocks,shoreline,twigs,riffle,pool,etc.3.2.3 macroinvertebratesbenthic or substrate dwelling or-ganisms visible to the unaided eye and retained on a U.S.Standard No.30(0.595-mm mesh openings)sieve.The stan-dard sieve opening for marine benthic fauna is 1.0 mm,U.S.Standard No.18 sieve.Examples of macroinvertebrates areaquatic insects,macrocrustaceans,mollusks,annelids,round-worms,and echinoderms.3.2.4 microhabitata smaller and more restricted habitat,for example,certain position on a rock,certain particle sizesediment,etc.3.2.5 stream-net samplera lotic collecting device,fittedwith a net of various sizes,that collect organisms into it byflowing water passing through the sampler.4.Significance and Use4.1 The significance of using stream-net samplers is tocollect macrobenthos inhabiting a wide range of habitat typesfrom shallow flowing streams or shallow areas in rivers.Thestream-net devices(Surber,portable invertebrate box,Hess,Hess stream bottom,and stream-bed fauna samplers)are unitarea samplers used for collecting benthic organisms in certaintypes of substrates.These devices are hand operated and permitcollections of qualitative or reasonably quantitative samples ofbenthic macroinvertebrates from flowing shallow waters.Theyare used to obtain quantitative estimates of the standing crop,for example,biomass,number of individuals and number oftaxa of benthic macroinvertebrates per unit area of streambottom.Drift nets are another type of qualitative and quanti-tative sieving device that are useful for collecting benthicmacroinvertebrates that either actively or passively enter thewater column from all types of substrates in flowing waters.These devices are used to determine the drift of benthicorganisms from a variety of substrate types at one time.5.Description of Stream-Net Samplers5.1 The Surber sampler(see Figs.1 and 2)is designed toobtain a qualitative or quantitative sample of macroinverte-brates from a unit area.The device is used in shallow flowingstreams and shallow areas of rivers with mud,sand,gravel,orrubble substrates.Modification of its basic design has resultedin other sampling devices,such as the portable invertebrate boxsampler(see Fig.3).The latter closed-box-type sampler is1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E47 on BiologicalEffects and Environmental Fate and is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeE47.03 on Sediment Assessment and Toxicology.Current edition approved April 10,2002.Published July 2002.Originallypublished as D 455685.Last previous edition E 455685(1995)e1.2Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 11.01.3Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 11.05.1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959,United States.NOTICE:This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.Contact ASTM International(www.astm.org)for the latest information.preferred,if available.A variety of mesh sizes is available andmesh size should be selected based on the objectives of thestudy;the finer the m