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Influence of different forest practices on stream macroinvertebrate communities in small headwater streams in the interior of British Columbia
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Richardson, John Sir Gjerløv, Charlotte |
| Copyright Year | 2003 |
| Abstract | Stream invertebrate community responses to logging were tested in headwater streams in the Merritt and Cariboo Forest Districts. The study consisted of two components, each manipulated independently to test for effects on stream communities; magnitude of spring freshets and UV radiation. Work from a previous study involving a third variable, light intensity, was also completed. Streams from logged and unlogged catchments were sampled before and after snowmelt in the spring of 2001. Spring freshets in logged catchments are thought to be more severe, and stream community responses might reflect this. Streams in logged catchments had more snow on their banks before the melt and temperatures were more variable. Invertebrate abundances generally decreased after the freshet, and the largest response was seen in an uncut stream. Species richness was higher before the melt in the uncut streams. The number of species decreased in the unlogged streams following the freshet, but increased in the cut streams. Communities in the cut streams may be composed of those species capable of withstanding increased disturbances. With forest harvesting a number of variables affecting stream communities are altered, and to isolate the effects of light we artificially raised or lowered light intensity in forested and clearcut stream segments. We saw only a slight increase in one stream in periphyton in the lit treatments with a corresponding increase in grazing invertebrates, and no clear responses in the shaded treatments. Results suggest invertebrate communities respond differently to spring freshets in logged and unlogged watersheds. Invertebrate responses to increased and decreased shade are not simply opposite, and there may be a direct behavioural response involved. The results from these and the UV study can be incorporated into refining existing guidelines to aid better management and conservation of aquatic resources. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/FIA/2003/R02-06a.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
