2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/23/2019 | 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM | HIGH CONTAMINANT FLOWS BETWEEN STREAM AND RIPARIAN FOOD WEBS IN MOUNTAINTOP-MINED LANDSCAPES OF CENTRAL APPALACHIA | 151 DEF
HIGH CONTAMINANT FLOWS BETWEEN STREAM AND RIPARIAN FOOD WEBS IN MOUNTAINTOP-MINED LANDSCAPES OF CENTRAL APPALACHIA
Alkaline mine drainage (AlkMD) from mountaintop mines has been demonstrated to reduce aquatic insect diversity and production and lead to selenium (Se) bioconcentration in aquatic biota. We ask how mining contaminants propagate from the aquatic to terrestrial food web through emergent insects. We examined the mass, diversity, and Se content of adult emergent insects captured from mined and unmined streams in West Virginia. Within mined streams, we compared sites with and without settling ponds -- landscape features we predicted to increase biological Se assimilation. To quantify terrestrial response to AlkMD, we measured the density, mass, and Se content of riparian spiders (Tetragnatha spp.): substantial emergent insect predators. We find elevated spider Se concentrations along mined (median: 13.1 +/ 0.8 ug/g) compared to unmined streams (median: 4.5 +/ 3.1 ug/g), indicating aquatic-terrestrial transfer of AlkMD. The presence of settling ponds further elevated Se concentrations. Spiders along ponded streams had among the highest spider Se concentrations in the literature, reaching tissue concentrations of 26.3 +/ 0.1 ug/g, indicating that settling ponds are promoting high biological uptake. Altogether, this study emphasizes the importance of insect emergence in transferring pollutant impacts across ecosystem boundaries.
- Pollution
- Landuse
- Salinity
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Presenters/Authors
Laura Naslund
(), Duke University , laura.naslund@duke.edu;
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Jacqueline Gerson
(), Duke University, jgerson1@gmail.com;
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Emily Bernhardt
(), Duke University, emily.bernhardt@duke.edu;
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