Presentation Outline

1. Macroinvertebrates and Bioassessment: Using Biological Indicators to Measure Stream HealthCaitlin Chaffee URI Cooperative Extension

2. Presentation Outline • Measuring Human Impacts • Biological Monitoring • Macroinvertebrates as Indicators • Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity • Macroinvertebrate Sampling Methods • Common Macroinvertebrates

4. Measuring Human Impacts Changes in land use affect watershed resources: • Changes in hydrology • Changes in water quality • Changes in stream morphology • Changes in stream ecology

5. Measuring Human Impacts Increased development = Increased Impervious Surface

6. Effects of Development on site Hydrology 40% evapotranspiration 38% evapotranspiration 10% runoff 20% runoff 25% shallow infiltration 21% shallow infiltration 25% deep infiltration 21% deep infiltration 10 – 20% Impervious Surface Natural Ground Cover *Percentages are estimates

7. Effects of Development on site Hydrology 35% evapotranspiration 30% evapotranspiration 55% runoff 30% runoff 20% shallow infiltration 10% shallow infiltration 5% deep infiltration 15% deep infiltration 35–50% Impervious Surface 75—100% Impervious Surface *Percentages are estimates

8. Hydrologic Response: Developed vs. Undeveloped Conditions DEVELOPED Higher overall and peak volumeShorter time to peak flow Runoff Volume (Q) UNDEVELOPED Smaller volume, lower peakLonger time to peak flow Time WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? More runoff in a shorter amount of time

9. The Results • Flooding • Stream bank erosion • Stream channel widening and deepening • Lower base flows • Sedimentation • More pollutant inputs

10. Flooding

11. Stream Bank Erosion

12. Channel Widening and Deepening

13. Lower Base Flows

14. Sedimentation

15. Increased Pollutant Inputs

16. Changes to Water Quality • Temperature • pH • Dissolved Oxygen • BOD • Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) • Turbidity • Pathogens • Heavy metals • Petroleum based compounds

17. Measuring Human Impacts biological indicator:groups or types of biological resources that can be used to assess environmental condition. biological monitoring: the study of organisms and their responses to environmental condition biological assessment: an evaluation of the biological condition of a water body using biological monitoring data and other direct measurements of resident biota in surface waters

18. Biological Integrity “the ability to support and maintain a balanced, integrated, and adaptive community of organisms having a species composition, diversity and functional organization comparable to those of natural habitats within a region" † †(Karr,1981)

19. Wood River

20. Benthic Macroinvertebrates (bottom-dwelling)(animals w/o backbones visible to naked eye) Hydropsyche sp. (Caddisfly larva) Heptageniidae sp. (Mayfly larva) Perlodidae sp. (Stonefly larva) • Great candidates for biological monitoring…

21. Macroinvertebrates as Indicators • Limited migration patterns–good indicators of localized conditions and site-specific impacts • Integrate effects of human impacts • Easy to sample and identify • Broad range of habitat requirements and sensitivities to pollution

22. Human Impacts on Macroinvertebrate Communities • Changes to water chemistry / water quality parameters • Changes to habitat type

23. Characterizing Macroinvertebrates • Feeding habits (“functional feeding groups”) • Tolerance to Pollution

25. Functional Feeding Groups: The River Continuum(Vannote et al., 1980) • HEADWATERS: • Shredders abundant • Coarse POM CPOM STREAM ORDER FPOM • MID-REACHES: • Grazers abundant • Higher 1° production FPOM • LARGE RIVERS: • Collectors abundant • Fine-Ultra fine POM Relative Channel Width

26. The Tolerance Index0 - 10 0 10 most pollution sensitive e.g. Stoneflies most pollution tolerant e.g. Midges & Leeches contain hemoglobin, tolerate lower DO, prefer soft substrate, less sensitive to toxins require high DO, clear water, rocky cobble substrate

27. Stonefly Water Penny Beetle Mayfly Dobsonfly Alderfly Mussel Snipe Fly Riffle Beetle Macroinvertebrates as Indicators Pollution Sensitive (“Clean Water”) Benthos

28. Macroinvertebrates as Indicators Somewhat Pollution Tolerant Benthos Blackfly Caddisfly Isopod Cranefly Damselfly Dragonfly Crayfish Amphipod

29. Macroinvertebrates as Indicators Pollution Tolerant (“Polluted Water”) Benthos Pouch Snail Midgefly Worm Leech

30. e.g. Taxa richness, relative abundance of certain taxa, feeding groups e.g. Pollution, habitat degradation, flow alteration HumanImpact Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity(B-IBI) • Index based on macroinvertebrate samples that integrates several metrics to produce an overall“health score” for a given water body Result: dose-response curves to human impact Generalized Plot of B-IBI Scores vs. Human Impact IBI Score

31. EPA’s Suggestions for IBI Use† • Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment • Watershed Protection • TMDL Process • NPDES Permitting • Ecological Risk Assessment • Development of Water Quality Criteria and Standards These are suggestions…Can IBI’s be successfully implemented in these programs? † Barbour et al., 1999

32. Macroinvertebrate Sampling: The Basics • Identify the goal – How will the data be used? • Regulatory purposes • Detect trends • Screening purposes • Educational programs • The goal should guide your sample design and dictate your methods

33. Macroinvertebrate Sampling: The Basics • Site selection (including reference site) • Site assessment • Organism collection and preservation • Standardize habitat type • Standardize sampling method • Dip net or sampler • Identification • Sample size • Fixed-count subsamples vs. “whole samples” • Calculation • Select metrics • Calculate IBI score • Compare to reference score

34. Example Method: Rapid Bioassessment Protocol • Sampled three 1m2 sections of stream reach (riffle habitat) with dip net • Subsample size: 100 organisms • Preserved and identified organisms in each subsample • Calculated RBP scores for each subsample

35. RBP Metrics # Taxa # Ephemera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa % Ephemera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa Family Biotic Index – based on tolerance values % Dominant taxon (diversity measure) Ratio of scrapers to filterers % Shredders Community Loss Index – comparison to reference site Maximum Score = 48 Score is then expressed as a percentage of reference site score.

36. Common Macroinvertebrates Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) Isonychiidae Ephemerellidae Heptageniidae Baetidae (Adult)

37. Common Macroinvertebrates Stoneflies (Plecoptera) Peltoperlidae Perlidae Perlodidae (Adult)

38. Common Macroinvertebrates Caddisflies (Trichoptera) Brachycentridae Phryganeidae Hydropsychidae Philopotamidae Case (Adult)

39. Common Macroinvertebrates Damselflies and Dragonflies (Odonata) True Bugs (Hemiptera) Dobsonflies, Alderflies and Fishflies (Megaloptera) Beetles (Coleoptera)

40. Field Day: Streamside Biosurvey • Simple method for macroinvertebrate collection and analysis • Includes macroinvertebrate collection and habitat characterization procedures • Practice identifying macroinvertebrates with keys

41. THANKS! BENTHOS ARE COOL Acknowledgements • USDA CSREES New England Water Quality Program • Dr. Art Gold • Dr. Patrick Logan • Maria Aliberti • Sara daSilva