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Landscape Metrics For Biological Integrity of Streams in the Southern Rocky Mountains

Landscape Metrics For Biological Integrity of Streams in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Leland, H.V. 1 , Hawkins, C.P. 2 , Selle, A.R. 3 , Griffin, M.B. 4 , Day, W.C. 5 , and Viger, J.M. 6

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Landscape Metrics For Biological Integrity of Streams in the Southern Rocky Mountains

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  1. Landscape Metrics ForBiological Integrity of Streams in the Southern Rocky Mountains Leland, H.V.1, Hawkins, C.P.2, Selle, A.R.3, Griffin, M.B.4, Day, W.C.5, and Viger, J.M.6 1WRD, USGS, Boulder. 2Utah State University, Logan. 3 US EPA Region 8, Denver. 4GRD, USGS, Denver. 5Daston Corp, Denver. Submitted to Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

  2. GOALS • Examine the spatial variation in Community Composition and Biodiversity of Benthic-Invertebrate assemblages • Relate bug variation to Landscape Metrics and Field Measures • Determine percentage of streams biologically Impaired and causes of impairments

  3. DATA • 1994-1995 EPA REMAP (85 Random Samples, 100 total, perennial wadable streams, 2-5 order) • 1994-1998 USGS NAWQA (50 Random Samples, 67 total, perennial streams, 1-6 order) • 1992-1999 USGS NURE sediment/soil (>2000 samples in study area)

  4. Methods • Catchment delineation and landscape/catchment metric development for all samples • Reference stream vs test stream developed using field measures only (47 reference, 123 test) • PCA, MDFA and RIVPACS for cluster analysis, stepwise discriminate and predictive analysis • Models built using only reference data, then applied to test data

  5. Reference Condition • Criteria developed to separate reference and test groupings • No channel alteration and minimal bank/riparian disturbance • Reactive P (PO4-P) < 0.05 mg/L and TOC < 2.2 mg/L • Solute Cu < 2 ug/L and Zn < 20 ug/L • Zn and Cu in sediment fines did not exceed 2 Clarkes of regional means for resident lithology Defacto Criteria (not used but observed for Southern Rockies) • SO4 < 1000 ueq/L • CL < 75 ueq/L • Sand-fine sediment content < 40%

  6. Landscape Metrics(full catchment and buffered corridor) • *Catchment delineation & measures (NED and NHD) • Land Cover (NLCD) • Stream/Road miles (NHD, TIGER) • Population Density (Census) • Mine density (MILS/MAS) • *Generalized Lithology (from USGS Tweto maps) • *Mean Regional Mineral Element Abundance (Clarke values, USGS NURE)

  7. Direct Catchment Measures • Area • Slope • Aspect • Sinuosity • Max/Min Elevation

  8. Generalized Lithology and Mean Mineral Element Abundance • Scanned/digitized Tweto 1:24k geology maps • USGS (W. Day) reclassed hundreds of Tweto geologic units into 14 generalized lithology categories • Used NURE data and literature to develop/assign mean crustal abundance values to lithologic units

  9. Generalized Lithology With Reference and Test Stream sample Locations

  10. Mean Mineral Element Abundance for Zinc With O:E Test Stream Taxa Ratios

  11. General Results • Macro-invertebrate community composition is reflective of water quality in mining impacted areas • Some catchment metrics and some reach habitat metrics correlate very well with macro-invertebrate community composition • Calculations of impaired stream miles can be performed using these methods (probability sample, reference condition are necessary)

  12. Specific Results • 77% of the test streams had O:E values outside of the 10th and 90th percentiles, indicating biological impairment • Biological Impairment from environmental stressors evident from loss of Taxa and by tolerant species replacement of sensitive species (loss of diversity) • Chemical predictors alone seem to underestimate impact on community composition and bio-diversity (multiple metals and other contaminant input)

  13. RIVPAC PredictorsThe model accounted for 66% of the variation in observed native taxa-richness and permitted a statistical detection of > 15% loss-of-expected Taxa • Sample Date (surrogate for degree-days) • Latitude • Cumulative stream length of catchment • Geometric mean particle size of substrate • Lithologic Unit

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