2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/24/2018 | 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM | ISOLATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDUSE AT CATCHMENT AND RIPARIAN CORRIDOR SCALES REVEALS THRESHOLDS TO SUPPORT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS | 330 A
ISOLATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDUSE AT CATCHMENT AND RIPARIAN CORRIDOR SCALES REVEALS THRESHOLDS TO SUPPORT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
Riparian forests play a key role in mitigating effects of human land use, such as agriculture, on stream communities. However, watershed managers lack information regarding the extent of riparian forest cover required to conserve and restore ecological communities in populated landscapes. Our study used a unique design to isolate the independent effects of agricultural land use at the catchment and riparian corridor scales and identify land cover thresholds for stream benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities. BMIs collected from 68 streams were assigned to one or more of three treatments where communities were exposed to a gradient of agricultural cover at one scale and a controlled amount of agricultural cover at the second. Analyses showed BMI community response was dependent upon treatment. Likewise, threshold analysis of 13 BMI metrics describing community richness, composition and function revealed that: 1) an intact riparian corridor can protect stream communities when agricultural cover in the catchment is upwards of 85%; and 2) moderate amounts of riparian forest (60% cover) can protect BMI communities. We concluded that ecological benefits of riparian corridor and protection and restoration are likely to exceed those from conservation activities in upland areas.
- Landuse
- Invertebrate
- Landscape
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Presenters/Authors
Adam G. Yates
(), Western University & Canadian Rivers Institute, adam.yates@uwo.ca;
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Jeremy P. Grimstead
(), Western University and Canadian Rivers Institute, jgrimste@uwo.ca;
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Edward M. Krynak
(), Western University and Canadian Rivers Institute, ekrynak@uwo.ca;
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