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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356592
Research Project: Agricultural Water Management in Poorly Drained Midwestern Agroecosystems

Location: Soil Drainage Research

Title: What is the relative influence of bed sediment chemistry on aquatic macroinvertebrate metrics?

Author
item SHUMAN, TYLER - Purdue University
item GILLESPIE, ROBERT - Purdue University
item Smiley, Peter - Rocky

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/18/2018
Publication Date: 3/24/2018
Citation: Shuman, T.C., Gillespie, R.B., Smiley, P.C. 2018. What is the relative influence of bed sediment chemistry on aquatic macroinvertebrate metrics? Abstract book of the 2018 Indiana Academy of Sciences. pg 38.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Channelized headwater streams in the Midwest are prone to erosion and often receive runoff with herbicides and excess nutrients. These degraded headwater streams possess communities of macroinvertebrates that are exposed to these stressors. We hypothesized that macroinvertebrate assemblages would be less diverse at sites with low variability in grain size distribution of bed sediments than those at sites with high particle-size diversity. We analyzed grain size distribution of channelized watershed headwater streams within Cedar Creek, Indiana and a reference site in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Composite sediment samples were collected at each site and particle-size distribution and percent organic matter were analyzed. Physiochemical data consisting of temperature, pH, and conductivity and dissolved oxygen were recorded. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were sampled using Hester-Dendy plates and leaf packs. Preliminary results show that channelized headwater streams within Cedar Creek, have benthic sediments consisting mostly of silt and sand, whereas, those at the reference site, East Branch St. Joe (EBSJ), included silt, sand and cobble. Preliminary results from the macroinvertebrate sampling show that species richness is lower in the channelized headwater streams (mean= 7 families) than in the reference stream (mean= 15 families). Because sediment chemistry (e.g. agriculture chemical contamination) may influence macroinvertebrate assemblages, we will analyze sediment concentrations of selected pesticides and nutrients to determine their potential impact and relationship with particle-size distribution on macroinvertebrates of channelized headwater streams.