2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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6/08/2017 | 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | CHANGES IN BENTHIC SUBSTRATE IN RESPONSE TO THE RESTORATION OF INSET FLOODPLAINS IN A MIDWESTERN AGRICULTURAL STREAM | 302A

CHANGES IN BENTHIC SUBSTRATE IN RESPONSE TO THE RESTORATION OF INSET FLOODPLAINS IN A MIDWESTERN AGRICULTURAL STREAM

In the agricultural Midwest, stream channelization reduces habitat complexity, altering biodiversity and ecosystem function. We quantified changes in benthic substrate following floodplain restoration (via a two-stage ditch) over 10yrs in the Shatto Ditch (Indiana). For both the two-stage and upstream reference reaches (each 600m), we sampled 20 longitudinal transects to examine variation in substrate composition. Typical of agricultural streams, sand and FBOM dominated both reaches, nevertheless substrate composition showed seasonal patterns. FBOM accumulated during seasonal baseflow conditions (summer-fall), but was flushed out during spring storms to reveal coarser underlying gravels. Thus we found an inverse relationship between FBOM and sand, with sand dominating the two-stage reach in spring, along with some modest increases in the proportion of larger substrate (>2mm). Surprisingly, we also found an increase in larger substrate over time in the upstream reference reach, indicating the potential for stream naturalization when routine dredging ceases. In future, we hope to link substrate changes with macroinvertebrate responses, because seasonal patterns in substrate may influence biota as well as substrate-specific ecosystem processes such as sediment denitrification or reach-scale metabolism.

C27 Landuse and Non-Point source Impacts
C36 Water Resource Management
C16 Restoration Ecology

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Presenters/Authors

Anna Kottkamp (), University of Notre Dame, kottkamp.anna@gmail.com;