Interactive effects of multiple stressors and restoration priorities in a mined Appalachian watershed |
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Authors: | Jr" target="_blank">George T MerovichJr J Todd Petty |
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Institution: | (1) Division of Forestry & Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA |
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Abstract: | We surveyed benthic macroinvertebrate communities, water chemistry, and thermal regime in the Cheat River, WV, USA in an attempt
to quantify the interactive effects of multiple stressors on ecological condition and identify priorities for restoration
in this mined Appalachian watershed. We used a novel approach, which combined use of the West Virginia Stream Condition Index
(WVSCI) to quantify ecological losses and community similarity analysis to assign specific levels of ecological loss to AMD,
thermal effluent, and their interaction. Finally, we developed an ecological currency to quantify the relative benefits of
a restoration program that focused either on AMD remediation or heat reduction and to identify spatially explicit restoration
priorities. Variation in ecological condition was strongly correlated to variation in water quality when AMD and heat stress
occurred in isolation. Acute inputs of AMD or heat caused predictable reductions in condition followed by rapid recovery downstream.
However, benthic communities failed to recover from combined inputs of heat and AMD even when these stressors occurred at
relatively low levels. Over the course of an entire year, AMD alone was over two times more responsible than heat alone for
ecological loss. Consequently, AMD is the dominant factor limiting ecological condition and should be the primary target for
restoration. Nevertheless, an AMD × heat interaction also was responsible for extensive ecological loss in lower reaches of
the river. Consequently, full restoration of the lower Cheat River mainstem will require an approach that integrates AMD remediation
with effective management of thermal effluent. Our results provide some of the first field evidence of the interactive effects
of multiple stressors on biological communities in a mined watershed. This approach may be valuable for quantifying impacts
from multiple interacting stressors and for prioritizing restoration efforts in other mined watersheds.
Handling editor: S. M. Adams |
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Keywords: | Acid mine drainage IBI Multiple interacting stressors River restoration Similarity analysis Thermal pollution |
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