Correspondence of stream benthic invertebrate assemblages to regional classification schemes in Missouri

Benthic invertebrates from 44 reference streams throughout the state of Missouri were examined for their concordance with established regionalization systems, both aquatic and terrestrial. Invertebrate assemblages coincided nicely with Pflieger's established aquatic faunal regions system, expanding its generality to more than fish assemblages. Our benthic invertebrate and Pflieger's fish assemblages coincided well with both Bailey's ecological sections and Omernik's ecoregions. Subregionalization using Pflieger's subregions and Bailey's subsections further reduced unexplained variation and is recommended for use wherever possible. The concordance of the aquatic fauna and terrestrial features implies the possibility of coordinated regional management among different natural resource disciplines.