HR: 11:30h
AN: NB42E-05    [Abstracts]
TI: The Effects of Agricultural Land-use on Stream Fish and Invertebrate Communities and Food-web Structure.
AU: * North, C A
EM: chnorth@hotmail.com
AF: Eastern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Lincoln Ave, Charleston, IL 61920-3099 United States
AU: Fischer, R U
EM: cfruf@eiu.edu
AF: Eastern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Lincoln Ave, Charleston, IL 61920-3099 United States
AB: Incorporating knowledge of the surrounding landscape can further the understanding of stream processes. This is particularly true in areas like the Midwest where human alteration of the landscape, such as conversion of natural cover types into cultivated row crops, is widespread. When assessing stream health, the composition and structure of biological communities themselves often are the best indicators of water quality. Previous work in Hurricane Creek (Coles and Cumberland Counties, IL) demonstrated significant differences in water chemistry and community metabolism between sites subject to differing intensities of farming in the upstream watershed. Our objective was to examine differences in fish and invertebrate communities at four sites along the stream representing varying degrees of agricultural land-use. Fish were sampled using electroseining techniques and invertebrates were collected using the 20-jab method in each of four seasons. Sites were compared using fish and invertebrate community metrics, including indices of biotic integrity (IBI, MBI). Stable isotope analyses were also performed to quantify differences in food-web structure in streams draining watersheds characterized by different degrees of agricultural land-use. This study improves understanding of how landscape alteration impacts stream biota and will facilitate more informed decisions concerning stream rehabilitation.
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly