HR: 1330h
AN: NB33T-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Quantifying the Impacts of Forest Harvesting on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure in Western Canada
AU: * Barkway, M P
EM: medgar@ualberta.ca
AF: Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3 Canada
AU: Spence, J R
EM: John.Spence@ualberta.ca
AF: Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5 Canada
AB: Benthic macroinvertebrates can be excellent indicators of stream condition and have been used to effectively assess stream health in disturbed watersheds. Previous works have demonstrated that community composition and density are significantly and predictably altered by disturbance. This study quantifies the impacts of forest harvesting on invertebrate community structure in headwater streams of west-central Alberta, Canada, using both parametric statistical techniques and a multimetric index. Invertebrates were sampled from six streams, three of which were harvested and three of which were undisturbed, in the summer of 2004. Preliminary analyses suggest that forest harvesting does not have a significant effect on benthic macroinvertebrate community structure, although relative densities of component groups may be altered. To date, stream monitoring programs in this region have focused primarily on physical habitat and water chemistry. However, our results demonstrate that the examination and inclusion of these biological measures may offer a new and wider perspective to stream monitoring and sustainable forestry programs.
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly