2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | HOW HAVE STREAM ALGAL COMMUNITIES CHANGED THIRTEEN YEARS FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF A FOUNDATION RIPARIAN TREE SPECIES IN A HEADWATER APPALACHIAN WATERSHED? | Virtual Platform
HOW HAVE STREAM ALGAL COMMUNITIES CHANGED THIRTEEN YEARS FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF A FOUNDATION RIPARIAN TREE SPECIES IN A HEADWATER APPALACHIAN WATERSHED?
Given the increase of tree species loss due to non-native pests, and the interconnectedness of terrestrial and stream ecosystems, there is a need for a greater understanding of the effects of riparian tree species loss on the structural characteristics of stream ecosystems. Our objectives were to assess potential changes in stream canopy cover, algal standing crop, and algal community composition in eight southern Appalachian headwater stream reaches thirteen years following the massive die-off of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) during both summer (September) and winter (January). Based on the expectation of increased canopy openness and light availability following hemlock death, we predicted to find higher algal standing crop and changes in algal community composition. However, post-hemlock die-off in 2018/2019, we found little change in canopy cover and significantly lower algal standing crops, likely due to increased basal area of the understory shrub, Rhododendron maximum. Algal community composition were dominated by acidophilic diatom taxa (e.g., Eunotia spp.) across all pre- and post-die off dates. Our study highlights the relative stability of algal communities in rhododendron-dominated southern Appalachian streams, and the importance of long-term studies following the invasion of a non-native pest.
- Biological effects
- Ecosystem Dynamics
- Biodiversity
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Presenters/Authors
Kelsey Solomon
(), Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, kjsolomon89@gmail.com;
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Rebecca Bixby
(), University of New Mexico, bbixby@unm.edu;
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Seth Wenger
(), Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, swenger@uga.edu;
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C. Rhett Jackson
(), University of Georgia, rjacks@uga.edu;
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Catherine Pringle
(), University of Georgia, cpringle@uga.edu;
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