2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/25/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | ASSESSING STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (I.E. LEAF DECOMPOSITION) IN THE LOGAN RIVER AND AN URBAN CANAL IN LOGAN, UTAH | Virtual Platform
ASSESSING STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (I.E. LEAF DECOMPOSITION) IN THE LOGAN RIVER AND AN URBAN CANAL IN LOGAN, UTAH
Urban water systems are highly managed, especially in the semi-arid, Intermountain West. Here, humans have constructed extensive conveyance systems to support agriculture, mitigate flooding, and discharge stormwater. Despite their regional prevalence, the ecological structure and functioning of these conveyance systems remains largely unknown. To address this gap, we are comparing ecosystem structure and function (i.e. leaf decomposition) between an urban canal and a natural stream, the Logan River, in Logan, Utah. We hypothesized that leaf decomposition would be slower in the canal compared to the river because of reduced shredder abundance associated with poorer water quality. To test this hypothesis we collected water quality and freshwater invertebrate samples, and we measured leaf decomposition at twenty sites along the Logan River and the canal. Preliminary results show that the Logan River and the canal do not differ in leaf decomposition rate. We are exploring how metrics of ecosystem structure (i.e. stream temperature, nutrients, metals, freshwater invertebrates) affect leaf decomposition in both waterways. Results from this study can provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the complex effects of various environmental factors on urban waterways and their ecosystem structure and function.
- Pollution
- Nutrients
- Biodiversity
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Presenters/Authors
Ellie Smith-Eskridge
(), Utah State University, a.smitheskridge@aggiemail.usu.edu;
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Ally Smith
(), Utah State University, ally.smith@aggiemail.usu.edu;
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Tacy Petersen
(), Utah State University, tacy.petersen@aggiemail.usu.edu ;
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Michelle Baker
(), Utah State University, michelle.baker@usu.edu;
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