Download or read book Changes in Stream Habitat Structure and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in a Side Channel of the Middle Fork Nooksack River Following a Stream Enhancement Project written by Stephanie Matia Estrella and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Effects of Instream Structures on Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Salmonid Habitat in Cee Cee Ah Creek of Pend Oreille County Washington written by Scott Jungblom and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Past stream habitat restoration has been focused primarily on increasing specific fish populations with little knowledge of how these habitat manipulations affect the benthic macroinvertebrate community. This study focuses on assessing the immediate effects of instream habitat restoration structures on the benthic macroinvertebrate community and its environment. Physical measurements, water quality measurements, benthic invertebrate and substrate composition samples were taken at three experimental structure locations and one upstream control site twice before structure placement in June and July 1998 and twice after structure placement (October and November 1998). Six benthic samples were taken at each site on each sample date. Three samples each were taken five meters above and below the structure site, sampling a ten-meter zone of impact for each structure. The Kalispel Natural Resource Department built a series of salmonid stream habitat restoration structures in Cee Cee Ah Creek of Pend Oreille Co. Washington in August of 1998. Experimental site 1 received a modified single log weir or channel constrictor, site 2 received a K-dam and site 3 received an upstream-V weir. Comparisons were made between data collected at each site before structure placement vs. after and between each experimental site vs. the upstream control site. All sites shared similar physical and water quality data within each sample date except for slight differences in stream width, embeddedness, and discharge, which changed seasonally. Cobble dominated the system with a high percentage of gravel substrate present at site 3. Structure construction resulted in an increase in stream width and depth at each site above and/or below each structure. There was no significant difference in benthic density or community metric analysis between upstream and downstream samples at any site throughout the study. Therefor upstream and downstream samples were combined to assess each structure's complete ten-meter zone of impact. The upstream control site density did not change significantly throughout the study. However, the density of each experimental site (site 1, site 2, and site 3) and the combined experimental sites (site 1+2+3) did increase significantly in post structure samples (October and November combined). There was no significant difference in the density of the control site and experimental sites one or three either before or after structure placement. However, the density at site 2 (K-Dam) and at the combined experimental sites was significantly higher than the control site after structure placement (October and November combined). Community composition did not change significantly throughout the study at any site and there was no difference between the control site and any experimental site before or after structure placement. The total number of families present during the study was 60, dominated by Chironomidae at site 1 and alternated between Chironomidae and Heptageniidae at the control site, and experimental sites 2 and 3. While the number of feeding guild taxa did not change significantly at any site during the study, the percent shredder composition increased at all three structure sites for both post-structure sample dates. The upstream control did not show a similar trend. Analysis of each sample's volumetric substrate composition in relation to its invertebrate metrics values showed significant differences in metric values corresponding to certain substrate compositions for all the metrics tested except Percent Dominant Family. Samples with reduced small, medium, large and combined gravel compositions and increased cobble + boulder concentration showed an increase in water quality for the metrics: Density, Total Number of Taxa, EPT Index, and the Shannon-Weiner diversity index. However samples with the above substrate compositions showed a decrease in water quality for the metrics: Scraper/Collector ratio, percent EPT, EPT/C ratio and FBI score. This study shows that instream habitat restoration structures significantly increased local macroinvertebrate density and did not jeopardize community diversity or composition. By using instream structures that create specific substrate class compositions habitat managers may be able to enhance problem macroinvertebrate community metrics found in initial assessments. While the scope of this study was restricted to short-term effects on a specific habitat, these results clearly identified the benefits of instream structures as well as the need for future long-term studies to include pre-restoration sampling at control or reference sites"--Document.

Download or read book Physical Habitat Changes and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages at Tributary Confluences in Cobble bed Upland Streams written by Elizabeth M. Wallis and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Determining the Association Between the Structure of Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities and Agricultural Best Management Practices written by Roger Holmes (M.Sc.) and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Farmers have been encouraged to adopt more sustainable farming practices (BMPs) that mitigate adverse agricultural effects on the natural environment. However, the ability of BMPs to protect or restore riverine systems continues to be questioned due to limited evidence directly linking BMP use with improved ecological conditions. The exclusion of hydrological pathways in previous field studies may explain why a direct link has not yet been established. The goal of this study was to assess the association between benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and the number and location of agricultural BMPs. Macroinvertebrates and water chemistry were sampled in 30 headwater catchments in the Grand River Watershed. Catchments exhibited gradients of BMP use and location as measured by the degree of hydrologic connectedness. Stepwise ordination regressions and variance partitioning were used to determine which environmental variables (i.e., BMP metrics, water chemistry parameters, habitat characteristics, and land use variables) were associated with benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. Water chemistry parameters were negatively associated with BMP metrics suggesting BMPs were mitigating losses of nutrients and sediments. However, BMP abundance and location explained minimal variation in benthic macroinvertebrate structure within the 30 sampled catchments. The absence of a strong association between BMPs and benthic macroinvertebrates may indicate a need for greater numbers and targeted siting of BMPS to improve water quality beyond a threshold point that would allow recolonization of intolerant invertebrate taxa. Focusing of conservation goals on ecological conditions and the promotion of BMPs that enhance in-stream habitat may also be required.

Download or read book Factors Influencing Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Structure in an Agricultural Headwater Stream System of the Midwestern United States written by Hector R. Santiago and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Although the notion that streams are influenced by the character of their landscape at multiple spatial scales is not new, the relative degree to which local versus regional factors affect ecological function in streams is not fully understood, and can be different between geographically proximate watersheds. Anthropogenic disturbances to the landscape such as agricultural practices can be detrimental to stream ecosystems. This study examined the influences of local habitat and riparian corridor condition compared to regional landscape influences on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a Midwestern agroecosytem. Twenty-four reaches in the North Fork and Upper Fork sub-basins of the Sugar Creek watershed, Wayne County, Ohio were sampled to better understand how different habitat and landscape factors affect the structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in these impacted headwater streams. A total of 72,529 macroinvertebrates representing 79 families in 22 orders were collected during Autumn of 2005 and Spring 2006 to compare assemblage structure between watersheds and across seasons. Family richness, evenness, and diversity showed no difference attributable to watershed, while evenness and diversity exhibited seasonal differences. Chironomid abundance seemed to account for the seasonal change. Percent Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (%EPT) was significantly influenced by watershed and season with the North Fork watershed exhibiting a higher abundance of these pollution tolerant and habitat sensitive taxa than the Upper Fork at all sample sites. A Geographic information system (GIS) was used to delineate sample watersheds and analyze landscape character. Proportion (%) of low Intensity residential, high intensity residential, industrial/commercial, deciduous forest, evergreen forest, mixed forest, row crop, pasture/hay, wooded wetland and herbaceous wetland were calculated per hydrologic unit. The dominant land uses in both study watersheds were crop, pasture, deciduous forest, and low intensity residential. The North Fork exhibited a significantly higher proportion of pasture and deciduous forest land types than the Upper Fork, which was dominated by row crops, then pasture and forest respectively. North Fork had almost twice the amount of deciduous forest as did the Upper Fork. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to assess the macroinvertebrate family-environment relationship and variance partitioning determined the degree of influence of 8 local and 8 regional environmental factors on invertebrate assemblage structure in each study basin. Local habitat factors explained 25.8% of the total variance while regional landscape factors explained 23.6% of the total variance with 2.7% of the variability shared by both. Upper Fork sites were generally scattered along a silt/muck to cobble habitat gradient, while North Fork sites were arranged along a pasture-forest to rowcrop landscape gradient. The higher proportion of pasture and deciduous forest in the North Fork may explain the greater distribution of EPT taxa found in the watershed, while the greater proportion of crops and smaller proportion of forest in the Upper Fork may explain the greater influence of fine substrates in the watershed. Other environmental factors including glacial geology and groundwater influence may have also contributed to these differences by introducing coarser substrates and cooler, stream temperatures.

Download or read book The Diversity and Composition of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Streams in the Mackenzie River System Northwest Territories written by Ryan William Scott and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Impending natural resources development and concern about the effects of climate change have spurred increased efforts to study and monitor aquatic habitats in the Mackenzie River system. As part of Environment Canada's attempt to survey the system in advance of the construction of the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled at 50 streams spanning the geographical range of the Mackenzie system in the Northwest Territories, Canada, to assess spatial patterns in diversity and assemblage structure and the environmental factors driving them. Replicated, quantitative D-net samples were collected during the late summer of 2005 through 2008, mostly at crossings of the proposed pipeline route. 373 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded, mainly aquatic insects, which were identified to the genus or species levels; other groups were identified to higher taxonomic levels. Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera diversity declined along a latitudinal gradient, while Trichoptera diversity declined in the middle of the latitudinal range and rose towards the far north. Chironomidae (Diptera) increased in diversity and abundance towards the far north, becoming dominant in the northern sub-arctic forest and lowland tundra of the Mackenzie Delta. Diversity, measured as the average generic richness per stream, correlated with a composite environmental variable representing stream size, but not much else; spatial trends in local generic richness were only apparent in the far north of the study area. Regional diversity was assessed using rarefaction curves and showed a clear decrease from south to north across the study area for most taxa; the major exception was the chironomid subfamilies Orthocladiinae and Chironomini, the former being diverse throughout the study area and the latter increasing in diversity on the tundra. Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera were well-represented in the south of the study area, but decreased sharply in diversity and abundance in the north; another common order, Megaloptera, was entirely absent from the study area, as were crayfish. Community composition varied along a latitudinal gradient, with some species restricted to northern latitudes and many more species restricted to the southern areas. Composition varied by region, as did the environmental factors that control it. Streams in the north of the system are connected to hundreds of small lakes and tend to freeze in the winter, which increases habitat stability; assemblages in this region were characterized by relatively large chironomids that are usually associated with lentic habitats and by a lack of taxa that are intolerant to freezing. Substrate was the main factor explaining differences in assemblage composition in this region. Just to the south, alluvial streams are more common and permafrost is continuous with very shallow active layers, iv which likely results in intense discharge peaks and ice scour in the spring and flashy summer hydrographs. Invertebrates in this region were mainly short-lived, small sized orthoclads, baetids and chloroperlids; the annual disturbance regime seems likely to be an important factor shaping community composition in this region. Many streams in this region received input from saline springs, resulting in perennial flow, and these streams harboured several taxa that were absent or rare in other streams at similar latitudes, including several stoneflies (e.g. Pteronarcys, Sweltsa); the presence of flow during the winter was found to be a major factor affecting community composition in this region, which surrounded the town of Norman Wells, NT. Nutrient dynamics appeared to be important in structuring benthic assemblages in the southern portion of the study region, with highnutrient streams supporting a diverse fauna which included many taxa that were absent in the north, while communities in low-nutrient streams were more similar to the northern alluvial stream fauna. There was no spatial distinction between low- and high-nutrient streams in the southern region, and the difference may be due to the local conditions of permafrost, which is patchy and discontinuous in the region. Evidence that winter ice and permafrost conditions are important drivers of benthic invertebrate diversity and community composition in the Mackenzie system, along with the latitudinal gradients which are consistent with a temperature/climate gradient, raises the possibility that benthic assemblages may be useful as indicators of effects of global climate change on freshwater habitats in the Canadian north. More immediately, construction of the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline may affect stream habitat due to sedimentation, and plans for the operation of the pipeline have raised concerns about potential effects on permafrost conditions. Implications for development of a biomonitoring program utilizing benthic invertebrates and their potential as indicators of climate change are discussed.

Download or read book Changes in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure in Acid and Metal contaminated Lakes Following Water Quality Improvements written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Multimetric Analysis of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Present Downstream of a Small Run of the River Dam in Upstate New York written by Olive Streeter Chen and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though environmental managers are increasingly turning to dam removal and alteration to mitigate the economic and environmental costs associated with their maintenance and operation, little is known about the potential environmental impacts of these management decisions as data is often not collected prior to and following implementation of changes. A biological assessment of a reach downstream of a prospective micro-hydroelectric project site was conducted in order to generate baseline data for the development of an adaptive management plan to assess the effects of small-scale hydro power projects on stream conditions. Biotic integrity of the reach downstream of the Annandale Dam (Annandale-On-Hudson, NY) and three other distinct riparian habitats along the Saw Kill were evaluated using six family-level metric indices, non-multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and indicator family analysis. Results indicated that the riparian habitats of the Saw Kill are characterized by little to no biological degradation. Multimetric index scores of the Annandale Dam were comparable to those of other good quality riparian habitats along the Saw Kill, suggesting that the presence of the dam does not substantially impair the water quality of downstream areas. Future biological assessments should focus on accounting for the effect of seasonal variation on macroinvertebrate community composition.

Download or read book Changes in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure in Acid and Metal contaminated Lakes Following Water Quality Improvements written by Jennifer A. Reasbeck and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Influence of Network Structure Habitat Fragmentation and Faunal Sources on Aquatic Communities in Headwater Streams written by Sean D. Sipple and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Headwater streams comprise the majority of the stream network, providing important ecological functions to the downstream network. Although we are beginning to understand how network structure may influence fish, our understanding of how it influences benthic macroinvertebrate dispersal and population connectivity is limited. We also know little about how these patterns and processes may be disrupted as a result of human-driven landscape change such as stream barriers to movement and creation of artificial habitats such as stormwater and farm ponds. In this study, I investigated the effect of stream network position, stream size, and local habitat on benthic macroinvertebrates, and determined to what degree road crossings and impoundments may be degrading benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in headwater streams. These mechanisms were explored using Maryland Department of Natural Resources, (MDNR) Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and environmental data from first-order streams in the Piedmont region of Maryland. Using an Information Theoretic Approach (ITA), models were developed based on the hypothesized relationships between benthic macroinvertebrate and fish community structure and several network and anthropogenic impact variables. Based on my results, aquatic community structure was dependent on local habitat conditions and stream network structure. Both assemblages responded negatively to roads, which may suggest an isolation effect. These results also suggest that impoundments are acting as sources for benthic macroinvertebrates and fish, including non-native species.

Download or read book Macroinvertebrate Community Composition in Stream Networks Across Three Land Cover Types written by Raj Kiran Parmar and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land cover change strongly affects biodiversity in stream ecosystems, with several studies demonstrating the negative impacts of agricultural and urban expansion on local community richness. However, little is known of the effects of land cover on the variation among sets of local communities in stream networks, as well as the drivers of community variation in these systems. Using the metacommunity framework, this study takes a multi-scale approach to understand how macroinvertebrate communities are assembled across three catchment land cover types; native forest, agricultural and urban. Specifically, the aims of this study are to assess; (1) how stream network land cover influences alpha and beta diversity of macroinvertebrate communities and, (2) the relative role of local environmental conditions and spatial dispersal variables in structuring these communities. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples and local in-stream and riparian environmental variables were collected at 20 sampling sites in each of the six study stream networks in Auckland. Spatial distance proxies of macroinvertebrate dispersal in stream networks were calculated using geospatial techniques. Community alpha and beta diversity, environmental and distance variables were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Comparisons showed reference forest and impacted (agricultural and urban) networks supported distinct communities, with lower alpha diversity in the impacted stream networks. Unexpectedly, beta diversity in the impacted networks was greater than, or equal to the reference stream networks, with community dissimilarity almost entirely driven by species turnover. Overall, irrespective of land cover, macroinvertebrate communities were largely structured by local environmental conditions. Benthic substrate and the presence and composition of riparian vegetation were the most significant local environmental variables influencing community composition. Spatial dispersal limitation variables had a small, but significant, effect on inter-site community dissimilarity and overall community structure in each catchment. Network distance between local communities explained the greatest variation in community dissimilarity of the three distance types. This study identified potential drivers of macroinvertebrate community variation in Auckland streams, specifically highlighting the relative role of local environmental and spatial dispersal processes. The results of this study have relevance for biomonitoring and state of environment reporting of Auckland’s freshwater systems, as well as future stream rehabilitation projects.

Download or read book Relationships Among Land Use Geomorphology Local Habitat and Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Agricultural Headwater Stream Systems written by Elizabeth Ellen Risley and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: In-stream habitat structure and water chemistry have significant influence on the structure and composition of stream macroinvertebrate assemblages. Habitat at this local scale can be significantly affected by the geomorphology of a stream or region. Both in-stream habitat and geomorphology are, in turn, influenced by other factors operating at the landscape scale (e.g., land use, connectivity of habitat patches, etc.). It is unclear which of these three scales of habitat has the greatest influence over lotic assemblage structure. Anthropogenic disturbance to a stream ecosystem can occur at all three scales of habitat, and is particularly common in predominantly agricultural systems. The Sugar Creek watershed in northeastern Ohio represents several different types of anthropogenic disturbance, including dairy farming, crop production, urbanization, and industrialization. The South and Middle Forks of the Sugar Creek watershed, dominated by agriculture and a mix of agriculture and industry, respectively, were sampled in early summer 2005 for habitat and macroinvertebrates. Richness, evenness, diversity, familylevel biotic index, percent Diptera Chironomidae, and the number of macroinvertebrates were all similar across the drainages. The percent Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera was significantly larger in the Middle Fork than in the South Fork. There were no significant differences in habitat or macroinvertebrate assemblages between the two drainages overall. In-stream habitat structure and water chemistry explained 58.8% of the variation between sites among macroinvertebrate taxa. Geomorphology explained 10.4% and land use 9.4% of the variation. Shared variances between different scales of habitat did not explain substantial amounts of variation among macroinvertebrate taxa. These results have, however, identified several sites in the South Fork with good potential for Best Management Practice implementation and several sites in the Middle Fork for preservation.

Download or read book Stream Corridor Restoration written by and published by National Technical Info Svc. This book was released on 1998 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document is a cooperative effort among fifteen Federal agencies and partners to produce a common reference on stream corridor restoration. It responds to a growing national and international interest in restoring stream corridors.

Download or read book Response of the Cache Creek Macroinvertebrates During the First 10 Years Following Disturbance by the 1988 Yellowstone Wildfires written by G. Wayne Minshall and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We evaluated the effects of disturbance on stream benthic macroinvertebrates at the ecological scales of time, stream size, and burn extent in six segments of Cache Creek over the first 10 postfire years. Postfire changes in macroinvertebrate taxa richness, density, and dominant taxa in the burn streams were significantly different from those in the reference stream. Chironomidae and Baetis typically comprised 40?60% of the macroinvertebrate assemblages of burned streams but only 15?18% of the assemblage in the reference site. Coefficients of variation for the 10-year period indicated that richness, density, biomass, and Baetis abundance were more variable (1.2?3.5 times higher) in the burn streams than in the reference stream and that variability in Chironomidae abundance in burn sites increased with stream size. Fire effects were not attenuated progressively with increasing stream size, probably because the proportion of the catchment burned did not decrease. However, similar-sized streams in which 68?71% of their catchments burned were more severely disturbed than those in which only 39?47% burned. Long-term effects on the macroinvertebrate community were due largely to the loss of terrestrial vegetation and increased runoff, which caused severe alterations in stream channel conditions and large-scale bedload movement.

Download or read book Fishes of the Salish Sea written by Theodore W. Pietsch and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fishes of the Salish Sea is the definitive guide to the identification and history of the marine and anadromous fishes of Puget Sound and the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. This comprehensive three-volume set, featuring striking illustrations of the Salish Sea's 260 fish species by noted illustrator Joseph Tomelleri, details the ecology and life history of each species and recounts the region's rich heritage of marine research and exploration. Beginning with jawless hagfishes and lampreys and ending with the distinctive Ocean Sunfish, leading scientists Theodore Wells Pietsch and James Orr present the taxa in phylogenetic order, based on classifications that reflect the most current scientific knowledge. Illustrated taxonomic keys facilitate fast and accurate species identification. These in-depth, thoroughly documented, and yet accessible volumes will prove invaluable to marine biologists and ecologists, natural resource managers, anglers, divers, students, and all who want to learn about, marvel over, and preserve the vibrant diversity of Salish Sea marine life. Comprehensive accounts of 260 fish species Brilliant color plates of all treated species Illustrated taxonomic keys for easy species identification In-depth history of Salish Sea research and exploration

Download or read book Regulated Rivers written by Albert Lillehammer and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taken from the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Regulated Streams, these essays cover problems of river regulation, considering both the theoretical implications and the practical effects of these measures. International in scope, this collection will provide new insight into the topic for freshwater biologists and others concerned with the research and planning of water power projects.

Download or read book Monitoring Stream and Watershed Restoration written by Philip Roni and published by C A B International. This book was released on 2005 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable tourism is not a static target, but a dynamic process of change, a transition. This book considers how monitoring using indicators can assist tourism to make such a sustainability transition. It encourages the reader to view tourism from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective that draws on material from a wide range of sources including ecology, global change and the new and emerging field of sustainability science. The book explains why monitoring is important for different groups of stakeholders; public and private sector, NGOs and communities. It also examines important monitoring considerations such as what and where to measure, how much will monitoring cost and how the data can be presented. The book puts particular emphasis on indicator use and implementation. It highlights the process and techniques to develop and use indicators and then provides clear and detailed examples of monitoring in practice around the globe at different geographic scales.