Key to Methods - Biotic Ratings
Native Species List Rating: This rating counts the number of common native fishes and macro-invertebrates that are likely seen in most surveys. These nine species include the fishes Awaous guamensis, Eleotris sandwicensis, Kuhlia xenura (or Kuhlia sp. prior to name change), Lentipes concolor, Sicyopterus stimpsoni, Stenogobius hawaiiensis, the crustaceans Atyoida bisulcata, Macrobrachium grandimanus, and the mollusk Neritina granosa. Watersheds without survey efforts are unranked.
Introduced Genera List Rating: This rating counts the genera of potentially harmful introduced animals that are commonly observed in most surveys. The genus of an animal was used in this rating to avoid confusion in observations with taxonomic problems associated with identifying individual species of some genera (e.g. various Tilapia species can be difficult to identify and are reported differently in different surveys.) These genera include the fishes Cichla, Cichlasoma, Clarias, Gambusia, Limia, Micropterus, Oreochromis, Poecilia, Sarotherodon, Tilapia, and Xiphophorus, the amphibians Bufo and Rana, the mollusk Corbicula, and the crustacean Macrobrachium (excluding the native Macrobrachium grandimanus). Watersheds without survey efforts are unranked.
All Species Score Rating: Scoring is based on several parameters. Positive scoring attributes include the presence of endangered or candidate species (5 pts each), presence of native species group 1 species (2 pts each for Awaous guamensis, Lentipes concolor, Sicyopterus stimpsoni, and Neritina granosa), and all other native species (1 pt each). Negative scoring attributes include introduced species group 1 (-2pts each for members of the genera Bufo, Cichla, Cichlasoma, Clarias, Corbicula, Gambusia, Limia, Macrobrachium, Micropterus, Oreochromis, Poecilia, Rana, Sarotherodon, Tilapia, and Xiphophorus) and all other introduced genera (-1 pt each). Species groups were based on the Hawai'i Stream Assessment (1990) criteria and extended to cover all observed species. Watersheds without survey efforts are unranked.
Total Biological Rating: a combination of the Native Species List Rating, Introduced Genera List Rating, and the All Species Score Rating. Where surveys were not designed to observe the species or genera in the Native Species List Rating and the Introduced Genera Rating (e.g.,only damselfly surveys), the All Species Score Rating was used as the pre-standardized Total Biological Rating. All ratings have been standardized to a 0 to 10 range based on the results for all watersheds statewide. Watersheds without survey efforts are unranked.
