Example Stressor-Response Relationships Table
| Stressor | Characterization of Exposure: Intensity, Time, and Space | Stressor-Response Relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Toxic chemical | External concentration in medium Internal concentration in organism Biomarker | Concentration-response or time-response relationships from controlled experiments or field observational studies; ecological process models. |
| Dissolved oxygen and oxygen-demanding contaminants (e.g., BOD, COD) | Dissolved oxygen concentrations | Concentration-response relationships from controlled experiments or field observational studies; ecological process models. |
| Suspended particles | Suspended concentration (e.g., TSS) | Concentration-response relationships from controlled experiments or field observational studies. |
| Settled particles (bed load) | Degree of embeddedness, texture | Embeddedness- or particle size-response relationships from controlled experiments or field observational studies. |
| Thermal energy | Temperature | Thermal tolerances from controlled experiments or field observational studies. |
| Mineral nutrients | Dissolved concentration | Concentration-response relationships from controlled experiments or field observational studies. Ecological process models of eutrophication. |
| Habitat | Structural attributes | Attribute-response relationships from field observational studies; ecological process models; habitat suitability models |
| Water withdrawal/drought | Hydrograph and associated summary statistics (e.g., 7Q10) | Field observational studies; in-stream flow process models. |
| Pathogen | Presence or abundance of pathogen | Controlled laboratory exposures or field observational studies relating pathogen presence with disease or symptoms |
| Non-indigenous invasive species | Presence or abundance of the species | Ecological process models (food web, energetic, predator-prey, etc.) or field observational studies. |
| Effluent | Dilution of effluent | Effluent dilution - response in the laboratory (e.g., WET) |
| Contaminated ambient media | Location and time of collection | Analysis of medium - lab or in situ tests using the medium. |