Application of the biotic index IBE-IOC for water quality assessment in wadeable streams in south-east Brazil

aim: this work presents the results of the first water quality assessment using the biotic index índice biótico estendido - instituto oswaldo cruz (ibe-ioc) for 1st to 4th order streams in the serra dos órg？os region, rio de janeiro state, brazil. the aims were to evaluate the sensitivity of ibe-ioc, verifying its ability to assess anthropogenic impacts over the stream gradient and along the year; methods: the sensitivity of the index was evaluated according to the degree of interquartile overlap in box-and-whisker plots; results: the index is able to distinguish different types of environmental integrity and different impacts by deforestation and organic pollution; conclusions: our results supported the recommendation of ibe-ioc as a useful tool for water quality assessment of wadeable streams in this region.