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Invertebrate colonization of leaves and roots within sediments of intermittent coastal plain streams across hydrologic phases
Citation:
FRITZ, K. M. AND J. W. Feminella. Invertebrate colonization of leaves and roots within sediments of intermittent coastal plain streams across hydrologic phases. AQUATIC SCIENCES. Birkhaeuser Verlag AG, Basel, Switzerland, 73(4):459-469, (2011).
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
We compared benthic invertebrate assemblages colonizing three types of buried substrates (leaves, roots and plastic roots) among three intermittent Coastal Plain streams over a one year period. Invertebrate density was significantly lower in root litterbags than in plastic root litterbags, but neither differed from densities in leaf litterbags. Total invertebrate abundances, however, was significantly higher in leaf and root litterbags ciompared to abundances in plastic root litterbags. Invertebrate biomass and richness did not vary among substrates, but invertebrate density, abundance and richness all declined from the wet phase (September-December) through the dry phase (June-August). Meiofauna and aquatic dipteras were the primary colonizing invertebrates during the wet phase. Relative abundance of terrestrial taxa increased during the dry phase, but their absolute abundance remained lower than aquatic taxa during wet phase. Invertebrate composition did not differ among substrate types, but was significantly different among streams and time periods. Cumulative number of dry days, degree days, and redox depth all strongly correlated with assemblage structure as indicated by ordination scores. Our results suggest that subsurface invertebrates respond to leaves and roots as food sources, but assemblage compositon is not substrate specific. Colonization of leaves and roots within streambeds by aquatic and terrestrial taxa supports the idea that headwater intermittent streams are important interfaces for the reciprocal exchange of energy and materials between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.