HR: 1330h
AN: NB33M-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Variability in Response of Instream Habitat, and Fish and Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, to Riparian Forest Harvest in Northern Minnesota
AU: * Atuke, D M
EM: atuk0001@umn.edu
AF: University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 United States
AU: Schlesser, N J
EM: schl0514@umn.ed
AF: University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 United States
AU: Vondracek, B
EM: bvondrac@umn.edu
AF: USGS Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 United States
AU: Newman, R M
EM: rnewman@umn.edu
AF: University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 United States
AB: We are evaluating the effects of high and low levels of riparian forest harvest, along eight, northern Minnesota streams, on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages and instream habitat. The study is part of a larger project that includes water quality, vegetation and bird monitoring. Our design pairs streams with a high residual basal area (RBA) and a low RBA treatment. At each stream, control plots with no harvest and no riparian harvest were established and stream reaches were sampled downstream, within and upstream of all plots. Preharvest (2003) and postharvest (2004) data were collected from each stream and compared at the reach level. Fish were collected in one pass with a backpack electroshocker. Benthic macroinvertebrates were assessed following the US EPA family-level composited, multi-habitat rapid bioassessment protocol. Stream habitat was evaluated with a Quantitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) modified from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's habitat assessment protocol. Initial results indicate substantial variability in flow among sites, a significant variation (p<0.05) between years in QHEI and IBI scores, and differences within and between sites in macroinvertebrate species composition and abundance (species richness and %EPT). Continued monitoring will be required to assess the effects of riparian harvest.
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1845 Limnology
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly