2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/22/2018 | 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM | SHORT-TERM STREAM RESPONSES TO HURRICANE HARVEY ALONG AN ARIDITY GRADIENT | 410 B

SHORT-TERM STREAM RESPONSES TO HURRICANE HARVEY ALONG AN ARIDITY GRADIENT

Global change models predict that the frequency and intensity of weather driven disturbances will increase. At the same time, long-term average precipitation and temperature regimes are also shifting. We can use a space for time approach along natural climate gradients to enhance our understanding of how these simultaneous changes will affect the structure and function of stream ecosystems. Here we report on community and ecosystem responses of streams to Hurricane Harvey along a natural mean precipitation gradient. Ecosystem metabolism, water chemistry and nutrients, invertebrate and fish community composition and abundance were measured before and after the storm in streams receiving average annual precipitation ranging from 55 cm/yr to 110 cm/yr. Across the gradient, we observed a pattern of disturbance followed by rapid recovery, with metabolism returning to normal levels within weeks and communities recovering within several months. Long-term precipitation regime had the largest effect on mobilization of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon immediately after the storm, with the highest increases in concentration in the more arid streams.

Ecosystem
Metabolism
Fish

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Presenters/Authors

Christopher Patrick (), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), cpatrick@vims.edu;