Poster Details
BIOMONITORING: DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- RELATING LAND USE TO AQUATIC LIFE USE
The Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport is located in a densely urbanized area with one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S.A. The airport is unique in that it has the second largest land area in North America, which includes a large tract of “protected” riparian forest that is unique to the urban surroundings. Beginning in 2002 and continuing in 2005, 2008 and 2014 the DFW Airport sponsored biomonitoring surveys. The objective of these studies was to identify the major human activities, within the watershed surrounding the airport, that could potentially affect water quality. The surveys, conducted under normal flows and flows associated with supra-seasonal drought, included measurements of physicochemical parameters, habitat quality, geospatial variables, and benthic macroinvertebrate populations in the surrounding sub-watersheds. Collectively these variables, measured over several years, have allowed us to sufficiently differentiate some natural changes observed in the benthic community structure from those caused by land-use. This has enabled us to suggest improved conservation practices designed to mitigate impacts to the watershed and generate testable hypotheses for future studies.
Megann Harlow (Primary Presenter/Author), Univeristy of North Texas, megannharlow@my.unt.edu;
Bethany Hudson ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Univeristy of North Texas, bethanystuck@my.unt.edu;