HR: 16:00h
AN: NB14G-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Restoration in Sand-slugged Streams and Drought---the Granite Creeks Project.
AU: * Lake, P S
EM: sam.lake@sci.monash.edu.au
AF: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic 3800 Australia
AU: Bond, N
EM: nicholas.bond@sci.monash.edu.au
AF: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic 3800 Australia
AU: Glaister, A
EM: alena.glaister@sci.monash.edu.au
AF: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic 3800 Australia
AU: Downes, B
EM: B.Downes@geography.unimelb.edu.au
AF: School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic 3010 Australia
AB: European settlement, with accompanying land clearance and heavy grazing, of the Strathbogie Ranges in central Victoria, Australia, resulted in the massive export of sediment to lowland streams. These streams, originally configured as "chains of ponds", were filled with "sand slugs" that generated a raised flat streambed depleted in habitat heterogeneity. The invertebrate fauna of the sand slugs is similar to that of sandbed streams elsewhere, but lacks an abundant hyporheos. The fish fauna was reduced in diversity and abundance. In 2001 habitat restoration in the sand slugs commenced after pre-restoration samples were taken.Timber structures, made from railway sleepers, were installed and subsequently created scour pools. Fish responded positively to restoration measure, but no significant effect was apparent for the invertebrates. In 2001-2004 a very severe drought occurred causing the streams to cease to flow and in the sand-slugged sections faunal abundance declined greatly due to the loss of residential habitat and the lack of refugia. Thus, the large-scale effects of severe drought thwarted the effects of localized habitat restoration, stressing the point that in restoring habitat it is also imperative to generate resilience to the prevailing disturbance regime-a regime that may be exacerbated by human activities.
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 9330 Australia
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly