A Comparison of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Between Perennial and Intermittent Headwater Streams of the Mattole River in Northern California, USA

Download or read book A Comparison of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Between Perennial and Intermittent Headwater Streams of the Mattole River in Northern California, USA written by Mason S. London and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intermittent streams are common throughout the world and comprise 60% or more of total river lengths in the conterminous United States. Despite their prevalence, intermittent streams are understudied, particularly first-order headwater streams, which are vital for maintaining the function, health and biotic diversity of river networks. In June 2016, I sampled five intermittent and five perennial headwater streams in the Mattole River watershed in northwestern coastal California, USA, to compare benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) assemblages between intermittent and perennial streams. BMI samples were collected using a 500μm mesh D-net at eight randomly located riffles along a 150-m reach, and then composited, on each of the 10 streams. Chemical (e.g. pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and flow) and physical (e.g. bed substrate composition, bank-full width, and slope) data were measured at each stream reach. BMI samples were identified using Standard Taxonomic Effort (STE). Major difference in assemblages among stream type were not detected except for a few individual taxa, families, and orders. Observed differences likely resulting from taxonomic differences in life history timing. The proportion of shredders was detectably lower in intermittent streams. Further studies with a temporal factor are needed to validate these findings.