Short-term responses of macroinvertebrate drift following experimental sediment flushing in a Japanese headwater channel

We examined short-term responses of macroinvertebrate drift associated with experimental sediment flushing in a headwater. Increases in the drifting abundances of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera coincided with increases in bed load yield rather than peaks in discharge or suspended sediment concentrations. The approach and arrival of a sediment wave may provide a physical cue that initiates the escape of benthic macroinvertebrates. Because fine bed load sediments, with diameters <4 mm, tended to accumulate on and in the substrate matrix, such sedimentation affected the benthic macroinvertebrates residing on and in the substrate, increasing the number of macroinvertebrates in the drift. Therefore, the decreases observed in the densities of most macroinvertebrate taxa following sediment flushing were probably associated with sediment deposition and the resulting escape of macroinvertebrates from benthic habitats. The magnitudes of the decreases in macroinvertebrate density were lower at sites located 200 m downstream from the sediment sources than at sites located 20 m downstream. The results from this experimental flushing study suggest that bed load movement and resulting sediment accumulation alter macroinvertebrate drift patterns and cause decreases in the abundances of benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams.     

Runoff and the longitudinal distribution of macroinvertebrates in a glacier‐fed stream: implications for the effects of global warming

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Effects of structural habitat on drift distance and benthic settlement of the caddisfly,Ceratopsyche sparna

We conducted two experiments in flow-through, artificial streams to examine how habitat structure affected drift and benthic resettlement of larval hydropsychid caddisflies (Ceratopsyche sparna). In the first experiment, we quantified drift distance and the number of times larvae re-entered the drift in 9.0 × 0.51-m channels with contiguous patches (ea. 2.5-m long) of biofilm-covered gravel, biofilm-covered cobbles (– Cladophora), and Cladophora-covered cobbles (+ Cladophora). In the second experiment, we tracked nocturnal movements of larvae after benthic settlement in 2.8 × 0.1-m channels, each containing one of the three habitat types. In experiment 1, drift distance was (1) greatest in gravel and lowest in cobbles + Cladophora, (2) inversely related to hydraulic roughness of habitats, (3) independent of body size, and (4) similar for live and dead larvae. Average drift distance was relatively short (<2.5 m), regardless of habitat type. Number of drift re-entries also varied among habitats, being greatest in gravel and lowest in cobbles + Cladophora. No larvae re-entered the drift after settling in Cladophora patches. Results from experiment 2 revealed that drift propensities were higher for larvae in biofilm-covered gravel and cobbles than in cobbles + Cladophora. Larvae remaining in substrate patches (i.e. not drifting) laid fewer draglines in biofilm-covered stones than in Cladophora patches. Extent of benthic movement (i.e., crawling) by non-drifting larvae did not differ significantly among habitats. However, distance moved did differ with flow direction, being 4× greater downstream than upstream. These results highlight how local substrate and hydraulic conditions interact to affect small-scale movements of caddisfly larvae.     

Effects of headwater impoundment and channelization on invertebrate drift

The construction of a flood control impoundment on Twitty's Creek added large numbers of organisms of limnetic origin to the stream ecosystem. However, the number of limnetic organisms per unit volume of water decreased rapidly as the distance downstream from the reservoir increased and, during most sampling periods, made up an insignificant portion of the total drift biomass at 7.2 km downstream. Factors favoring the extended downstream drift of limnetic organisms were high stream discharge and low water temperature.Several taxa of benthic organisms had much lower drift rates in the station immediately below the dam than at other stations and several taxa commonly taken at other stations were not captured immediately below the reservoir outfall. One possible explanation is that these organisms may have longer drift recruitment distances than the distance from the reservoir outfall to the sample location.A comparison of drift densities of organisms of benthic origin and benthic standing crop densities in channeled and unchanneled streams revealed that drift densities were higher in channeled streams than in unchanneled streams for most taxa of invertebrates. In addition, channeled streams appeared to have lower benthic standing crops than unchanneled streams for most taxa of invertebrates.In stream sections impacted by either channelization or the Twitty Lake outfall, the energy dynamics of the stream ecosystems were altered by increased density of drifting invertebrates. From the standpoint of increasing food availability to the fish fauna of the stream, these changes would appear to benefit drift feeding species and negatively impact bottom feeding species.     

Longitudinal extent of acidification effects of plantation forest on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in soft water streams: evidence for localised impact and temporal ecological recovery

Plantation conifer forest can increase the risk of acidification in acid-sensitive catchments with consequences for macroinvertebrates and ecosystem functioning. This study compared headwater streams in forested and non-forested catchments to appraise the distance required for the acid effect on macroinvertebrates to diminish downstream. Strict criteria were followed in the selection of paired streams, including similarities in elevation, aspect, stream order, geographical proximity, geology and soil type, with no inflowing tributaries in the first 2.5 km and no major land-use other than plantation forest and moorland. Consequently two headwater streams (one forested, one non-forested) drained Ordovician sedimentary geology and two headwater streams (one forested, one non-forested) drained Old Red Sandstone (ORS) were selected. All streams drained peaty soils. Up to six sites at 500 m intervals were sampled in triplicate by multihabitat kick sampling. Ecological impact and recovery from acid effects involved the entire macroinvertebrate community, but varied between seasons. Acid-sensitive Ephemeroptera revealed marked effects of episodic acidification, with Baetis rhodani and Rhithrogena semicolorata found to be transient between seasons. The increase in acid-sensitive ephemeropteran species with increasing distance downstream indicates the finite effects of forest mediated acidification on soft water streams in Ireland. Ecological impact appears, therefore, to be localised within the catchment, with ecological recovery occurring a short distance downstream. This is the first study to have reported such results.     

Macroinvertebrate community patterns in relation to leaf-associated periphyton under contrasting light and nutrient conditions in headwater streams

1. Temperate headwater streams traditionally have been considered heterotrophic and brown food web dominated with little primary production. Recent work, however, suggests algae on leaves in these streams may play a greater role than previously thought through interactions with microbial decomposers like fungi. Algae also may be important for macroinvertebrates colonizing leaves in streams. Algae are a more nutritious food resource for shredders than fungi and bacteria and provide a food resource for non-shredder macroinvertebrates.
2. In a field experiment, we manipulated light in three low-nutrient and three high-nutrient streams using leaf bags filled with red maple leaves in winter and spring. After four weeks we measured algal and fungal biomass, leaf stoichiometry, and macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass associated with the leaf bags. We also identified the macroinvertebrate community and examined differences in functional feeding guilds and taxa under ambient- and shaded-light treatments and low- and high-nutrient concentrations in relation to measured leaf characteristics.
3. Algal biomass on leaves was greatest in high-nutrient streams and ambient-light treatments in both seasons. Fungal biomass on leaves was greatest in high-nutrient streams and showed a moderate marginally significant positive correlation with algae during the winter. Leaf C:N was negatively correlated to algae in winter and fungi in both seasons, while leaf N:P and C:P were negatively correlated to fungi in winter and algae in spring. Interactions between fungi and algae on leaves and the nutritional importance of each for macroinvertebrates likely change across seasons, potentially impacting macroinvertebrate community composition.
4. Macroinvertebrate diversity did not differ, but biomass was significantly greater in shaded-light treatments during spring. Abundance was highest in the high-nutrient ambient-light conditions in both seasons, corresponding to greatest algal biomass. Functional feeding guild biomass and abundance were related to different leaf characteristics by season and guild. Higher algal biomass was an important factor for colonization of certain macroinvertebrates (e.g., Ephemerella (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae) and Stenonema (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae)), while others were more abundant under shaded treatments with lower algal biomass (e.g., Tipula (Diptera: Tipulidae)), indicating taxa-specific responses.
5. Leaf-associated algae may be an important factor mediating macroinvertebrate communities associated with leaves in temperate headwater streams. Our results demonstrate that green and brown food webs intersect within leaf packs, and they cannot be easily disentangled. We therefore should consider both autochthonous and allochthonous resources within headwater streams when examining their communities or developing water management strategies.

     

Plant distribution and abundance in relation to physical conditions and location within Danish stream systems

The distribution of obligate submerged plants, amphibious plants and terrestrial plants in streams was examined in relation to water depth, substrate and distance to the banks using univariate and mulitivariate analyses. The analyses were based on recordings in more than 40000 quadrats (25×25 cm) in 208 unshaded sites in the predominantly small and shallow (<1.6 m) Danish streams. Also, the distribution of plant abundance and richness from the source to the outlet of the stream system was determined.The submerged plants in Danish streams include 87 terrestrial, 22 amphibious and 30 obligate submerged taxa. The distribution of plant types was mainly related to water depth and distance to the bank among the physical conditions, while the type of bottom substrate had no significant influence. Terrestrial plants and amphibious plants (excluding Sparganium emersum) dominated in shallow water near the bank, but declined rapidly with increasing depth and distance to the bank, reflecting the importance of dispersal by ingrowth from populations on the banks to the water among these plants. Accordingly, these two plant groups constituted a higher proportion of total plant abundance in small streams than large streams. S. emersum dominated on great depth and distance to the banks, probably reflecting the lengthwise dispersal of this species from upstream to downstream parts of the stream system, the tolerance of the species to weed cutting and the adaptation to grow at low light intensities. Obligate submerged plants dominated at intermediate depths and at all distances from the bank except from 0 to 50 cm. This distribution reflects the ability of these species to disperse lengthwise in streams and live permanently submerged.The species number of all species and obligate submerged plants was lower in the smallest stream sites compared to larger downstream sites, while there was no difference for terrestrial and amphibious plants. The downstream increase of submerged species can be explained by the increase of habitat area and the dispersal of plants with the current, implying that the species pool accumulates with distance from the source. This result is at variance with a maximum richness of submerged plant species predicted for intermediate-sized streams according to the River Continuum Concept developed for large North American streams having forested shallow upstream sections and unshaded, deep downstream sections both unsuitable to submerged plant growth. The results for Danish streams imply that both the longitudinal connection through the flowing water and the transversal connection to the local species on the banks are important for plant distribution in the streams.     

Aquatic insect drift through a final-cut strip mine pit,with emphasis on drift distances

Drift samples were taken upstream and at the outlet of a final-cut strip mine pit through which a portion of the Tongue River, Wyoming, USA, was rerouted. All prominent rheophilic insect species (except cased Trichoptera) were found capable of drifting the length of the pit (> 500 m). However, drift densities leaving the pit were reduced in comparison to those entering it. Pit inhabitants such as burrowing mayflies, Chaoborus flavicans, and several species of Chironomidae were also collected at the pit outlet. Under the physical conditions created by rerouting the river through a strip mine pit, the observed maximum behavioral and background drift distances (> 500 m) were significantly greater than those reported in the past (< 100 m).     

Colonizing macroinvertebrates in the Upper Mississippi River with a comparison of basket and multiplate samplers *

SUMMARY. Colonizing aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected from two kinds of artificial substrate placed on wing dams in Pool 13 of the Upper Mississippi River in September 1978. Thirty-one taxa were collected from basket samplers containing cement spheres and twenty-one taxa from multiplate samplers constructed from tempered hardboard. Hydro-psychidae (Trichoptera), especially Cheumatopsyche sp., Potamyla flava and Hydropsyche sp., were the dominant macroinvertebrates which colonized both samplers. Basket samplers had a significantly greater macroinvertebrate density, biomass and number of taxa compared with multiplate samplers. Precision of the arithmetic mean for density, biomass and number of taxa was 19.9, 18.3 and 8.1% for basket samplers and 18.8, 18.7 and 8.5% for multiplate samplers. The number of sampling units required for a precision of 20% for macroinvertebrate density, biomass and number of taxa was 13, 11 and 2 for basket samplers and 11, 11 and 2 for multiplate samplers. Basket samplers with 7.5-cm cement spheres are recommended for use instead of multiplate samplers.     

Effects of trout on the diel periodicity of drifting in baetid mayflies

Some benthic invertebrates in streams make frequent, short journeys downstream in the water column (=drifting). In most streams there are larger numbers of invertebrates in the drift at night than during the day. We tested the hypothesis that nocturnal drifting is a response to avoid predation from fish that feed in the water column during the day. We surveyed diel patterns of drifting by nymphs of the mayfly Baetis coelestis in several streams containing (n=5) and lacking (n=7) populations of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Drifting was more nocturnal in the presence of trout (85% of daily drift occurred at night) than in their absence (50% of daily drift occurred at night). This shift in periodicity is due to reduced daytime drifting in streams with trout, because at a given nighttime drift density, the daytime drift density of B. coelestis was lower in streams occupied by trout than in troutless streams. Large size classes of B. coelestis were underrepresented in the daytime drift in trout streams compared to nighttime drift in trout streams, and to both day and night drift in troutless streams. Differences in daytime drift density between streams with and without trout were the result of differences in mayfly drift behaviour among streams because predation rates by trout were too low to significantly reduce densities of drifting B. coelestis. We tested for rapid (over 3 days) phenotypic responses to trout presence by adding trout in cages to three of the troutless streams. Nighttime drifting was unaffected by the addition of trout, but daytime drift densities were reduced by 28% below cages containing trout relative to control cages (lacking trout) placed upstream. Drift responses were measured 15 m downstream of the cages suggesting that mayflies detected trout using chemical cues. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that infrequent daytime drifting is an avoidance response to fish that feed in the water column during the day. Avoidance is more pronounced in large individuals and is, at least partially, a phenotypic response mediated by chemical cues.     

Do pools impede drift dispersal by stream insects?

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The impact of physical disturbance on stream communities: lessons from road culverts

This study examined the impact of physical disturbance from long-established road culverts on stream macroinvertebrate communities. Three streams within a 6 km section of highway on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada, were sampled. Streams had the entire upstream watershed and at least 100 m downstream of the road with natural boreal forest/barren vegetation and all had, within the sampled reaches, similar physical streambed characteristics. The fauna on stones from riffles was sampled at two upstream and three downstream sites, i.e., from 50 m above to about 100 m below the road in each stream. A total of 33 taxa were identified among the streams, with differences limited to a few rare taxa. The sample site communities did not significantly differ from each other with respect to the taxa present. Total macroinvertebrate abundance by site, for combined data of all streams, indicated the site at the exit of culvert plunge pool (site 3) had significantly elevated abundances. Analysis of individual taxa showed this was primarily due to very high numbers of Simulium spp. The other most notable changes were a decrease in numbers of Hydropsyche spp. and Elmidae below the road. The abundances of the remaining taxa were more variable among all sites. The study indicated that long-standing point source physical disturbance primarily impacted taxa abundance rather than community present/absent data, which will recolonize the disturbed zone by downstream drift. The differences in abundance are probably the result of the cleaning of substrate by abrasion, movement of substrate and reduction of detritus during each spate. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

太浦河大型底栖动物群落组成及时空分布特征

太浦河连接东太湖和黄浦江,是东太湖向下游行洪的主河道,也是黄浦江上游重要的引水水源。分别于2017年10月、12月和2018年3月、6月在太浦河沿程设置的5个站点开展了大型底栖动物季节频次的取样调研,分析了太浦河大型底栖动物群落的结构特征及其主要影响因子。调查期间共采集到大型底栖动物25种,隶属于3门6纲14科,其中以河蚬（Corbicula fluminea）为代表的双壳类和以铜锈环棱螺（Bellamya aeruginosa）为代表的腹足类处优势地位。太浦河大型底栖动物群落的密度、生物量及多样性特征在不同站点间均存在显著差异（P<0.05）;而在不同季节间均不存在显著差异（P>0.05）。聚类排序分析表明,太浦河大型底栖动物群落在空间上的差异较季节间的变化更为明显。太浦河大型底栖动物群落的物种组成特征与太浦河、东太湖的水文连通格局密切相关;而沿程不同程度人为干扰下的水体营养水平以及底质类型与生境异质性等生境条件对太浦河大型底栖动物群落的分布特征具有重要影响,其综合作用机理有待进一步研究。     

The influence of predatory fish on mayfly drift: extrapolating from experiments to nature

1. A knowledge of how individual behaviour affects populations in nature is needed to understand many ecologically important processes, such as the dispersal of larval insects in streams. The influence of chemical cues from drift‐feeding fish on the drift dispersal of mayflies has been documented in small experimental channels (i.e. < 3 m), but their influence on dispersal in natural systems (e.g. 30 m stream reaches) is unclear. 2. Using surveys in 10 Rocky Mountain streams in Western Colorado we examined whether the effects of predatory brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) on mayfly drift, that were apparent in stream‐side channels, could also be detected in natural streams. 3. In channel experiments, the drift of Baetis bicaudatus (Baetidae) was more responsive to variation in the concentration of chemical cues from brook trout than that of another mayfly, Epeorus deceptivus (Heptageniidae). The rate of brook trout predation on drifting mayflies of both species in a 2‐m long observation tank was higher during the day (60–75%) but still measurable at night (5–10%). Epeorus individuals released into the water column were more vulnerable to trout predation by both day and night than were Baetis larvae treated similarly. 4. Drift of all mayfly taxa in five fishless streams was aperiodic, whereas their drift was nocturnal in five trout streams. The propensity of mayflies to drift was decreased during the day and increased during the night in trout streams compared with fishless streams. In contrast to the channel experiments, fish biomass and density did not alter the nocturnal nature nor magnitude of mayfly drift in natural streams. 5. In combination, these results indicate that mayflies respond to subtle differences in concentration of fish cues in experimental channels. However, temporal and spatial variation in fish cues available to mayflies in natural streams may have obscured our ability to detect responses at larger scales.     

Effect of riparian land use on contributions of terrestrial invertebrates to streams

Since terrestrial invertebrates are often consumed by stream fishes, land-use practices that influence the input of terrestrial invertebrates to streams are predicted to have consequences for fish production. We studied the effect of riparian land-use regime on terrestrial invertebrate inputs by estimating the biomass, abundance and taxonomic richness of terrestrial invertebrate drift from 15 streams draining catchments with three different riparian land-use regimes and vegetation types: intensive grazing — exotic pasture grasses (4 streams), extensive grazing — native tussock grasses (6 streams), reserve — native forest (5 streams). Terrestrial invertebrate drift was sampled from replicated stream reaches enclosed by two 1 mm mesh drift nets that spanned the entire channel. The mean biomass of terrestrial invertebrates that entered tussock grassland (12 mg ash-free dry mass m^–2 d^–1) and forest streams (6 mg AFDM m^–2 d^–1) was not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, biomass estimated for tussock grassland and forest streams was significantly higher than biomass that entered pasture streams (1 mg AFDM m^–2 d^–1). Mean abundance and richness of drifting terrestrial invertebrates was not significantly different among land-use types. Winged insects contributed more biomass than wingless invertebrates to both pasture and tussock grassland streams. Winged and wingless invertebrates contributed equally to biomass entering forest streams. Land use was a useful variable explaining landscape-level patterns of terrestrial invertebrate input for New Zealand streams. Evidence from this study suggests that riparian land-use regime will have important influences on the availability of terrestrial invertebrates to stream fishes.     

Drift and settlement of stream insects in a complex hydraulic environment

1. The hydraulic and geomorphic characteristics of stream patches are often associated with distinctive assemblages or densities of stream invertebrates, and it is routinely presumed that these patterns reflect primarily species‐specific habitat requirements. An alternative hypothesis is that such patterns may be influenced by constraints on movement, such as the results of departure and settlement processes. We describe a manipulative experiment that examined how the hydraulic environments created by topographic bedforms influenced the drift behaviour and potential settlement sites for two species of mayfly (Baetis rhodani and Ecdyonurus torrentis). These species are common in the drift and often co‐occur in streams, but differ in their small‐scale distribution patterns, body shape and movement behaviour. 2. Flume experiments were carried out to determine how the hydraulic environments conditioned by a step bedform influence the behaviour of mayflies in the drift (swimming, posturing, tumbling), and the consequences of those behaviours (drift distance and time), compared to drift over a plane bed. The ramped step in the flume mimicked step bedforms that are common in coarse‐grained, high‐gradient streams. In contrast to the plane bed, a zone of recirculating flow was created downstream of the step, above which flow was faster and more turbulent. Uniform flows are used in most flume studies of drift; our approach is novel in recreating a complex hydraulic environment characteristic of stream channels. 3. Both species had some behavioural control over drift, and drift distances and times were shorter for live larvae than for dead larvae over the plane bed. The step had no impact on drift time or distance for live Baetis, but dead larvae were trapped in the flow separation eddy and drift time increased accordingly. Some Ecdyonurus also became trapped in the eddy, but live larvae drifted farther than dead larvae, and farther over the step than the plane bed. 4. Whilst in the drift, larvae altered their behaviour according to the ambient hydraulic environment, but in a species‐specific manner. Over the plane bed, Baetis had occasional swimming bursts, but primarily postured (maintained a stable body orientation), whereas Ecdyonurus spent roughly equal time posturing and swimming. In the more turbulent flows generated by the step, Baetis spent proportionately more time swimming, whereas Ecdyonurus spent more time posturing and often tumbling as body orientation became unstable. 5. In a high‐gradient stream, Baetis was more abundant close to steps than in plane bed patches with less complex flow, whereas the opposite pattern held for Ecdyonurus. Thus, the small‐scale distribution patterns of these species within streams correspond to their drift behaviours and ability to access various hydraulic patch types in our flume. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that constraints on movement and settlement may be important driver of distribution patterns within streams.     

Go with the flow: Fragment retention patterns shape the vegetative dispersal of aquatic plants in lowland streams

1. The dispersal of aquatic plant propagules is highly facilitated in streams due to flow. As many aquatic plants predominantly spread through vegetative propagules, the specific retention and thus drift distance of dispersed plant fragments largely contribute to the rapid spread along the course of a stream.
2. We determined fragment retention for four aquatic plant species (Elodea canadensis, Myriophyllum spicatum, Ceratophyllum demersum, Salvinia natans; representing four different common morpho-structural groups) in sections of small to medium-sized German streams with different levels of stream sinuosity.
3. The number of fragments showed a logistic decline over drift distance. In two small streams, 90% of drifting fragments were retained at distances (D₉₀) of only 5–9 m and 19–70 m, while higher D₉₀ values of 116–903 m and 153–2,367 m were determined for sections of a medium-sized stream. The likelihood of retention thereby decreased significantly with increasing stream size and was reduced in straightened stream sections.
4. Differences in retention were more strongly related to fragment buoyancy rather than fragment size and morphology. Increasing buoyancy significantly lowered the likelihood of fragment retention over drift distance by a factor of 3–8, whereas contrasting effects were documented for size and morphology of fragments.
5. The relevance of different obstacles was highly stream section-specific and depended on obstacle abundance, distribution, and the degree of submergence/emergence.
6. Our findings elucidate the dynamic retention patterns of plant fragments and highlight the strong interplay between extrinsic (stream) and intrinsic (fragment) properties. We conclude that straightened lowland streams of intermediate size promote the rapid dispersal of invasive aquatic plants and are particularly prone to invaders producing large amounts of small and highly buoyant plant fragments. Information on the species-specific fragment colonisation dynamics in the field is further required to improve our understanding of the vegetative dispersal capacity of invasive aquatic plants in stream ecosystems.

     

Effects of the lampricide, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) on the macroinvertebrates of Wilmot Creek

The effects of the lampricide, TFM, on the abundance of macroinvertebrates in the benthos of Wilmot Creek, a hardwater tributary to Lake Ontario, was examined over 1 year. Drifting macroinvertebrates were also collected before, during and after TFM treatment. Significant decreases in benthic abundance were exhibited by Dolophilodes sp., Tubificoidea, Cricotopus sp. and Macrotendipes sp. throughout the 350 days following treatment. Only the decrease in abundance of Dolophilodes sp. and Tubificoidea could be attributed to TFM treatment. Increases in drift abundance observed during treatment were generally an accurate indicator of TFM-sensitive macroinvertebrates. The most sentive taxa (Dolophilodes sp., Dugesia sp. and Tubificoidea) responded immediately following the introduction of TFM. Branchiobdellida, Diamesa sp., Dicranota sp., Lumbricidae and Nemouridae exhibited increases in drift abundance 8–10 h after the introduction of TFM, however, were considered less sensitive than the former taxa because a decline in their abundance in the benthos was not detected.The response of the benthic invertebrates found in this hardwater creek was similar to those observed during studies of softwater streams. Only the most severely affected taxa were not present in the benthos 350 days after treatment.     

Spatial and temporal variability of macroinvertebrates in spawning and non-spawning habitats during a salmon run in Southeast Alaska

Spawning salmon create patches of disturbance through redd digging which can reduce macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass in spawning habitat. We asked whether displaced invertebrates use non-spawning habitats as refugia in streams. Our study explored how the spatial and temporal distribution of macroinvertebrates changed during a pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) spawning run and compared macroinvertebrates in spawning (riffle) and non-spawning (refugia) habitats in an Alaskan stream. Potential refugia included: pools, stream margins and the hyporheic zone, and we also sampled invertebrate drift. We predicted that macroinvertebrates would decline in riffles and increase in drift and refugia habitats during salmon spawning. We observed a reduction in the density, biomass and taxonomic richness of macroinvertebrates in riffles during spawning. There was no change in pool and margin invertebrate communities, except insect biomass declined in pools during the spawning period. Macroinvertebrate density was greater in the hyporheic zone and macroinvertebrate density and richness increased in the drift during spawning. We observed significant invertebrate declines within spawning habitat; however in non-spawning habitat, there were less pronounced changes in invertebrate density and richness. The results observed may be due to spawning-related disturbances, insect phenology, or other variables. We propose that certain in-stream habitats could be important for the persistence of macroinvertebrates during salmon spawning in a Southeast Alaskan stream.     

Environmental factors accounting for benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure at the sample scale in streams subjected to a gradient of cattle grazing

Macroinvertebrate assemblages were related to environmental factors that were quantified at the sample scale in streams subjected to a gradient of cattle grazing. Environmental factors and macroinvertebrates were concurrently collected so assemblage structure could be directly related to environmental factors and the relative importance of stressors associated with cattle grazing in structuring assemblages could be assessed. Based on multivariate and inferential statistics, measures of physical habitat (% fines and substrate homogeneity) had the strongest relationships with macroinvertebrate assemblage structure. Detrital food variables (coarse benthic and fine benthic organic matter) were also associated with assemblage structure, but the relationships were never as strong as those with physical habitat measures, while autochthonous food variables (chlorophyll a and epilithic biomass) appeared to have no association with assemblage structure. The amount of variation explained in taxa composition and macroinvertebrate metrics is within values reported from studies that have examined macroinvertebrate metric–sediment relationships. The % Coleoptera and % crawlers had consistent relationships with % fines during this study, which suggests they may be useful metrics when sediment is a suspected stressor to macroinvertebrate assemblages in Blue Ridge streams. Findings from this study also demonstrate the importance of quantitative sampling through time when research goals are to identify relationships between macroinvertebrates and environmental factors.