HR: 1330h
AN: NB33L-02    [Abstracts]
TI: The Influence of Land use on Headwater Stream Primary Production in two Contrasting Biomes
AU: * Clavers, R E
EM: rclavers@nd.edu
AF: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Bernot, M J
EM: kemp.5@nd.edu
AF: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Tank, J L
EM: tank.1@nd.edu
AF: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Taylor, L C
EM: ltaylor4@nd.edu
AF: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Hamilton, S K
EM: hamilton@kbs.msu.edu
AF: Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060 United States
AU: Hall, R O
EM: bhall@uwyo.edu
AF: Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 United States
AB: We examined how land use affects stream primary production in 6 semi-arid, sagebrush steppe, spring-fed streams in northwestern Wyoming, and in 6 temperate deciduous forest streams in southwest Michigan. We studied 2 streams dominated by each of 3 major land-use types: agriculture, urban, and native vegetation. Whole-stream gross primary production (GPP) was estimated from the diel change in water-column oxygen corrected for reaeration and groundwater inputs. We estimated benthic primary producer biomass using chlorophyll a measured in epilithon, episammon, and in biofilm colonizing fine benthic organic matter. We quantified riparian characteristics to examine the effect of land-use on both whole-stream GPP and benthic primary producer biomass. GPP varied both within and between biomes with the highest rates observed in Wyoming agricultural streams. Benthic primary producer biomass also varied among substrata types, within and between biomes, with epilithon having the highest chlorophyll a concentrations. GPP was not significantly correlated with benthic primary producer biomass when all streams were combined, but the relationship between GPP and benthic primary producer biomass was related to surrounding watershed land-use. Our results reflect the impact of riparian land-use change on both whole-stream and substratum-specific metrics of primary production.
DE: 1615 Biogeochemical processes (4805)
DE: 1655 Water cycles (1836)
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly