2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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5/25/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Do macroinvertebrate community structure and function tell the same story? A case study in an urban watershed | Virtual Platform

Do macroinvertebrate community structure and function tell the same story? A case study in an urban watershed

Stream degradation in urban environments can reduce macroinvertebrate diversity via sedimentation and altered hydrology that inhibit ecological function and restoration. Our goal was to compare leaf decomposition rates and the index of biotic integrity (IBI) in two second order Roanoke River tributaries to assess alignment between macroinvertebrate community structure and ecological function. Macroinvertebrate samples for the IBI were taken according to state rapid bioassessment protocols (Virginia Stream Condition Index, VSCI). Hess samples were taken for taxonomic community analysis, and decomposition bags were deployed in each stream for leaf mass loss. We predicted that tributaries with historically greater indices of biotic integrity would have greater shredder abundance and faster rates of leaf mass loss. Spring 2020 VSCI scores in the two urban streams were 45 and 49, and shredder average abundances were 2 and 5, respectively. Decomposition rates for our two urban streams were 0.6% and 1% per day. Low shredder abundances and relatively fast leaf mass loss rates suggest a possible mismatch between VSCI scores and function. Agencies engaged in constructing restoration projects can use combinations of macroinvertebrate community structure and ecological function to prioritize proposed restoration projects.

Anthropogenic
Ecosystem functioning
Biological interactions

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Presenters/Authors

Hannah Wojtysiak (), Virginia Tech, hannaw21@vt.edu ;