2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/26/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | SHREDDER COLONIZATION OF AUTUMNAL SHED LEAVES IN A MINING CONTAMINATED RIVER | Virtual Platform
SHREDDER COLONIZATION OF AUTUMNAL SHED LEAVES IN A MINING CONTAMINATED RIVER
Historical lead mining led to persistent metal contamination in Big River watershed (southeastern MO). Research of the effects of mining in Big River focused primarily on geomorphological changes and impacts on fish and mussels, but rarely included vegetation and macroinvertebrates. We found that sycamore trees growing on a gravel bar downstream of mining contamination had higher metal concentrations than trees upstream. Lead concentrations were higher in bark, stem, and leaves. Fallen leaves are a major source of carbon for aquatic macroinvertebrates, which become terrestrial as winged adults. These leaves can be a source of metals to the river ecosystem. We placed leaf packs (7mm mesh) containing contaminated and non-contaminated sycamore leaves in Big River over a 14-week period. We placed a randomized combination of leaf packs in riffles upstream and downstream of mining-contamination. Every two weeks, leaf packs were processed and analyzed to measure leaf mass loss and macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance. We investigated how metal content of leaf litter and stream reaches affect shredder abundance and how this subsequently affects leaf decomposition. Preliminary results showed a lower number of total shredders colonizing leaf packs downstream compared to upstream.
- Food webs
- Organic matter
- Pollution
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Presenters/Authors
Leslie Hatch
(), Missouri State University , Leslie614@live.missouristate.edu;
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Indigo Tran
(), Missouri State University , trangtran.indigo@gmail.com;
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La Toya Kissoon-Charles
(), Missouri State University , LKissoon@Missouristate.edu;
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Debra Finn
(), Missouri State University, dfinn@missouristate.edu;
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