Multi-scale mechanistic indicators of Midwestern USA stream macroinvertebrates

John J. Hutchens; Jeffrey A. Schuldt; Carl Richards; Lucinda B Johnson; George E Host; Dan H. Breneman

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.01.001

Multi-scale mechanistic indicators of Midwestern USA stream macroinvertebrates

John J. Hutchens, Jeffrey A. Schuldt, Carl Richards, Lucinda B Johnson, George E Host, Dan H. Breneman

Natural Resources Research Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

We developed ecological indicators of stream macroinvertebrates in two regions of the Midwestern USA dominated by row-crop agriculture. Indicators were identified in a hierarchical fashion. Reach-scale variables related to macroinvertebrate attributes were first identified, and then catchment-scale variables related to those reach-scale variables were identified. Reach-scale indicators common to both regions were % fine sediments, number of habitats, and width:depth ratio. SD of elevation and % commercial land use were selected as catchment-scale indicators in both regions. Our analyses revealed a multi-scale mechanistic relationship between macroinvertebrate attributes associated with degraded conditions (i.e., fewer taxa of Plecoptera and Trichoptera, and a higher proportion of chironomids, burrowers, and depositional taxa) and % fine sediments in stream reaches, which, in turn, was negatively related to catchment characteristics (i.e., SD of elevation) in one region. Understanding how natural variables such as topography influence channel shape and within-channel structure can help guide management options and expectations for different regions. We suggest that developing multi-scale indicators in a mechanistic fashion will be more effective than developing indicators at only one spatial scale for protecting and restoring stream structure and function.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1138-1150
Number of pages	13
Journal	Ecological Indicators
Volume	9
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.01.001
State	Published - Nov 2009

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Roger Haro, Ahn Ly, Heather Malstrom, and Mark Prankus assisted in the collection of field data. Tom Hollenhorst and Connie Host prepared spatial databases and conducted GIS analyses. Jackie Pechin and John Ameel conducted many of the laboratory analyses. Jesse Schomberg calculated Manning's n. Although the research described in this article was funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program through grant number CR822043-01-0 and R825870-01-0 to Richards, Johnson, and Host, it has not been subjected to the Agency's required peer and policy review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred. This is publication no. 491 of the Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth.

Copyright:
Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Agriculture
Hierarchical
Macroinvertebrate attributes
Midwestern USA
Streams

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title = "Multi-scale mechanistic indicators of Midwestern USA stream macroinvertebrates",

abstract = "We developed ecological indicators of stream macroinvertebrates in two regions of the Midwestern USA dominated by row-crop agriculture. Indicators were identified in a hierarchical fashion. Reach-scale variables related to macroinvertebrate attributes were first identified, and then catchment-scale variables related to those reach-scale variables were identified. Reach-scale indicators common to both regions were % fine sediments, number of habitats, and width:depth ratio. SD of elevation and % commercial land use were selected as catchment-scale indicators in both regions. Our analyses revealed a multi-scale mechanistic relationship between macroinvertebrate attributes associated with degraded conditions (i.e., fewer taxa of Plecoptera and Trichoptera, and a higher proportion of chironomids, burrowers, and depositional taxa) and % fine sediments in stream reaches, which, in turn, was negatively related to catchment characteristics (i.e., SD of elevation) in one region. Understanding how natural variables such as topography influence channel shape and within-channel structure can help guide management options and expectations for different regions. We suggest that developing multi-scale indicators in a mechanistic fashion will be more effective than developing indicators at only one spatial scale for protecting and restoring stream structure and function.",

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Multi-scale mechanistic indicators of Midwestern USA stream macroinvertebrates

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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