Macroinvertebrate Communities and Benthic Organic Matter in Sand Habitats of 15 Northern Michigan Streams

HR: 08:30h
AN: NB31A-01 [Abstracts]
TI: Macroinvertebrate Communities and Benthic Organic Matter in Sand Habitats of 15 Northern Michigan Streams
AU: * Yamamuro, A M
EM: yamamuro@science.oregonstate.edu
AF: University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369 United States
AU: Miesbauer, J M
AF: University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369 United States
AU: Lamberti, G A
EM: Lamberti.1@nd.edu
AF: University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369 United States
AB: Relationships between benthic organic matter (BOM) and macroinvertebrates have been well studied in streams with coarse substrates, but such relationships have been little studied in sand habitats, despite the abundance of sand in many streams. These relationships were investigated in sand habitats of 15 streams in three watersheds of the Ottawa National Forest, Michigan. Sand habitats in the 15 streams varied widely in mean total BOM quantity (112 to 1814 g AFDM·m^-2) and size composition [very fine BOM (VFBOM, 0.45-250 μm), 0-58%; fine BOM (FBOM, 250 μm-1 mm), 11-27%; coarse BOM (CBOM, >1 mm), 27-81%] but differences were still detected among watersheds (VFBOM, ANOVA, F_2,11 = 8.69, p = 0.005; CBOM, F_2,11 = 11.15, p = 0.002). Sand-dwelling invertebrates were dominated by gathering-collectors, primarily Chironomidae (relative abundance = 73.6±15.4%; mean±SE; n = 15). Invertebrate biomass and mean body size differed among watersheds (biomass, F_2,12 = 3.89, p = 0.050; body size, F_2,12 = 6.12, p = 0.015). However, at this broad spatial scale, BOM quantity and quality had little effect on invertebrate community metrics in sand habitats. BOM content of sand habitats likely represents one factor, among many components of this dynamic habitat, which shapes overall macroinvertebrate communities.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly