A River Continuum Analysis of Relationships Between Bioassessment, Land Use, and Macroinvertebrate Assemblages PDF Download

Author: Casey Michael Hanley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Freshwater invertebrates
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Author: Thomas Heatherly
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Illinois streams are subject to numerous stressors that can negatively impact their biological integrity. This study was to determine the effects of measured physicochemical properties on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in Illinois streams, evaluate multimetric and multivariate bioassessment approaches, and make recommendations to water resource managers. Benthic macroinvertebrate and physicochemical data were collected from 55 streams in March 2005. Macroinvertebrates were collecting according to rapid bioassessment protocols. Physicochemical data were collected by grab sample, survey, and from historical records. I identified a gradient that showed streams with high quality habitat usually had relatively low nutrient concentrations. Streams that were placed into groups using a cluster analysis aligned well along this gradient in an ordination. The macroinvertebrate communities reflected nonpoint sources of impact, which were identifiable using a combination of multimetric and multivariate methods.

Author: Jason Saltman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Land use
Languages : en
Pages : 63

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In this study, I examined relationships between land-use patterns and macroinvertebrate communities in 45 first through fourth-order stream reaches in four subwatersheds within a New England watershed. Land-use patterns were quantified in GIS at three spatial scales to determine the effect of scale on the strength of relationships between instream biological conditions and adjacent land-use conditions. A GIS was used to quantify forest, agricultural, and developed land use at three spatial scales, including the entire upstream catchment area and two sub-corridors. Macroinvertebrate communities were analyzed using a multimetric approach and a multivariate approach to relate community composition to land-use variables measured at each spatial scale. Among community metrics, richness, EPT richness, percent affinity, and total metric scores were significantly correlated with quantified land-use variables, including percent forest, percent agriculture, percent developed, and percent agriculture + developed at the upstream catchment scale. Land-use variables also showed significant correlations with community composition as indicated by ordination axes resulting from multivariate analysis. Results of the approaches were in general agreement with each other, each indicating that relationships between instream benthic conditions and adjacent land use were strongest at the entire-upstream-catchment scale. These results suggest that conditions and processes occurring at this scale appear to be more influential than are localized adjacent land-use conditions in shaping community composition and in-stream biological conditions.

Author: Sergi Sabater
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0128118008
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Multiple Stressors in River Ecosystems: Status, Impacts and Prospects for the Future provides a comprehensive and current overview on the topic as written by leading river scientists who discuss the relevance of co-occurring stressors for river ecosystems. River ecosystems are subject to multiple stressors that threaten their ecological status and the ecosystem services they provide. This book updates the reader's knowledge on the response and management of river ecosystems to multi-stress situations occurring under global change. Detailing the risk for biodiversity and functioning in a case-study approach, it provides insight into methodological issues, also including the socioeconomic implications. - Presents a case study approach and geographic description on the relevance of multiple stressors on river ecosystems in different biomes - Gives a uniquely integrated perspective on different stressors, including their interactions and joint effects, as opposed to the traditional one-by-one approach - Compiles state-of-the-art methods and technologies in monitoring, modeling and analyzing river ecosystems under multiple stress conditions

Author: Paul S. Giller
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198549772
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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The aim of this book is to provide an accessible, up-to-date introduction to stream and river biology. Beginning with the physical features that define running water habitats, the book goes on to look at these organisms and their ecology.

Author: Elizabeth Ellen Risley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geomorphology
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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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.

Author: Stefan Schmutz
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319732501
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.

Author: Hector R. Santiago
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Benthos
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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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.

Author: Frances Patricia Lash
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aquatic invertebrates
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Ecological research on stream and river ecosystems aims to gain an understanding of the dynamic and complex impacts of environmental factors on biotic communities within riverine landscape (riverscape). Human activities significantly impact both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Local environmental factors are known to influence the structure and function of stream ecosystems and biodiversity. The patterns of benthic macroinvertebrate distribution are related to the natural and human influenced variation of environmental factors. Ecologists assess stream physical and biological conditions in response to human land use activities using ecological indicators. This study is an assessment of the ecological condition of the Lower Brazos River Watershed. Macroinvertebrate assemblage structure was compared from 33 sites within the 6 subbasins differing in land use type and degree. Land use within the subbasins was measured using data from the National Land Use Database. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected and a variety of physiochemical variables were measured. Multivariate analysis grouped the subbasins using habitat variables and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Decreasing habitat heterogeneity resulted in a decline of diversity and richness of organisms. Differences in the richness and diversity of the macroinvertebrate assemblages are attributed to habitat structure and land use. This study highlights the importance of considering both local habitat and landscape parameters of watersheds in stream biological assessments to understand the response of benthic communities to disturbances.

Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water quality bioassay
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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