Abstract
The Stress-Response Environmental Statistical System (STRESS), developed by Statistics Canada provides a basis for describing change in the Laurentian Lower Great Lakes. Indicators of environmental change include primary productivity, nutrient concentration, biotic composition, and contaminants found in biota and sediments. Sources of stress include generation of waste residuals, physical restructuring (particularly the loss of wetlands), overharvesting and the introduction of non-native biota.
Existing data suffice to reflect the main features of STRESS. In cases where direct measures of ecosystem response were not available, surrogates were generally found.
Ecosystem data is inherently highly variable and only for long-term intensive monitoring series can trends through time be firmly established. Currently, available data are more useful in making inter-regional comparisons, than in establishing time trends.
The stress data proved to be the most difficult to document. This is particularly true for pollutant loadings from diffuse sources (e.g. from the atmosphere or the drainage basin). STRESS serves to integrate water quality and fisheries perspectives within an ecosystem context.
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