HR: 10:30h
AN: NB52A-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Do Headwater Streams Recover From Longwall Mining Impacts in Northern West Virginia, USA?
AU: * Stout, B M
EM: bens@wju.edu
AF: Wheeling Jesuit University, Department of Biology 316 Washington Ave., Wheeling, WV 26003 United States
AB: This study measured longwall mining impacts on headwater streams and addressed the question: do streams recover? Two years of field research compared 8 longwall mined streams with 3 unmined and 3 room-and-pillar mined streams. Analysis of Variance was used to compare average physical, chemical, and biological dimensions and to determine if spatial recovery occurred along the course of headwater stream gradients. Regression analysis was used to assess temporal recovery. Significant physical and chemical differences in average longwall mined versus reference streams included 31% less stream width, 0.8^{oC lower temperature, 100 umhos greater conductivity, 11% lower dissolved oxygen, and 64 ppm greater alkalinity. Physical and chemical attributes of longwall mined streams did not recover to reference conditions either spatially or temporally. Macroinvertebrate communities in longwall mined streams had 44% lower abundance, 47% lower diversity, and 51% fewer semivoltine taxa compared to reference streams. No water was present at 18% of samples from longwall mined streams, and an additional 17% of samples failed to support a minimum viable community. Regional omnipresence for 57 of 60 taxa decreased in longwall mined streams, whereas 3 taxa increased. Diversity, longevity, and ubiquity of benthic communities failed to exhibit convincing evidence of spatial or temporal recovery.}
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly