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SFS Annual Meeting

Monday, May 20, 2019
11:00 - 12:30

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11:00 - 11:15: / 250 CF BOREAL STREAM BIODIVERSITY UNDER PRESENT AND FUTURE FOREST LAND USE

5/20/2019  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  250 CF

BOREAL STREAM BIODIVERSITY UNDER PRESENT AND FUTURE FOREST LAND USE Finnish forests are heavily exploited, and the rise of ‘green bioeconomy’ places increasing demands on the intensified use of forests. Clear cutting and peatland drainage increase the amount of sediments, nutrients and metals in streams, and change the quantity and quality of particulate and dissolved organic matter. The smallest headwater streams are particularly vulnerable to forestry activities. We used a predictive modeling approach (RIVPACS), based on biological and environmental data from about one hundred near-pristine streams, to predict benthic assemblages in near-natural reference conditions. We then assessed if the taxonomic completeness of benthic assemblages in streams draining forestry-impacted watersheds differs from those lacking human disturbances. The modeling exercise showed that communities in forestry-impacted streams deviated from expected, with land drainage having generally a stronger impact than forest harvest. However, the combined effect of the two was synergistic, and the overall effect was strongest in the smallest streams. Our results suggest that current forestry practices are already harmful to stream ecosystems, and strongly intensified use of forests will likely cause an abrupt loss and change of headwater stream biodiversity

Timo Muotka (Primary Presenter/Author), Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland, timo.muotka@oulu.fi;


Jukka Aroviita (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), jukka.aroviita@ymparisto.fi;


Maria Rajakallio (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Oulu, maria.rajakallio@oulu.fi;


Jussi Jyväsjärvi (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland, jussi.jyvasjarvi@oulu.fi;


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11:15 - 11:30: / 250 CF IMPROVING ESTIMATES OF RICHNESS, HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS, AND ASSEMBLAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF FRESHWATER GASTROPODS

5/20/2019  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  250 CF

IMPROVING ESTIMATES OF RICHNESS, HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS, AND ASSEMBLAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF FRESHWATER GASTROPODS Freshwater gastropods are imperiled globally and are among North America’s most vulnerable major animal groups. Habitat loss and inadequate information about species distributions and assemblages impair efforts to conserve freshwater gastropods. Conservation efforts are also exacerbated by difficulty obtaining and using distributional data, which are required to assess habitat associations. We developed a gastropod-specific sampling protocol and used it to survey 110 sites from 24 subbasins in two major river basins in Wyoming. We also examined habitat associations of individual taxa and groups of taxa that co-occurred together more frequently than expected by chance. We found snails at most sites, even in regions where macroinvertebrates had previously been sampled but snails had not been recorded. Thus, we conclude that general macroinvertebrates surveys do not accurately reflect the diversity of freshwater gastropods. In most cases, we found that taxa from the same gastropod family co-occurred more frequently with taxa from different gastropod families. This resulted in different habitat associations for taxa within families. For diverse inconspicuous taxa, like freshwater gastropods, class-specific sampling methods and analyses of habitat associations based on co-occurring taxa rather than relatedness may facilitate conservation efforts.

Charlotte Narr (Primary Presenter/Author), Colorado State University, charlotte.narr@colostate.edu;


Amy Krist (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Wyoming, krist@uwyo.edu;


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11:30 - 11:45: / 250 CF TRANSLATING MULTIMETRIC INDEX SCORES INTO TAXA-SPECIFIC BIODIVERSITY LOSSES

5/20/2019  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  250 CF

TRANSLATING MULTIMETRIC INDEX SCORES INTO TAXA-SPECIFIC BIODIVERSITY LOSSES Multimetric indices (MMIs) are fundamentally derived from taxa-specific abundances. MMIs are often 3-4 levels of aggregation removed from the raw, taxonomic data used to calculate the index. We use data from streams of Appalachian Mountains, USA, to evaluate (1) to what degree an MMI translates into taxa-specific biodiversity loss, and (2) whether sharp declines of individual taxa corresponded well with an MMI impairment threshold. We used Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) to estimate where individual taxa showed greatest increases or declines along the MMI score continuum. We found that numerous individual taxa decreased sharply when MMI scores fell below ~75-90 (scale: 0-100), which illustrated that the MMI was effectively representing individual taxa responses, but also revealed that the vast majority of taxa were essentially lost from streams prior to even reaching the impairment threshold for the region (MMI=68). We discuss the potential value of using this reciprocal approach for translating MMIs into taxa-specific responses as well as refining impairment thresholds.

Ryan S. King (Primary Presenter/Author), Baylor University, Ryan_S_King@baylor.edu;


Emily Bernhardt (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Duke University, emily.bernhardt@duke.edu;


Matthew Baker (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Maryland Baltimore County, mbaker@umbc.edu;


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11:45 - 12:00: / 250 CF USING BIOASSESSMENT TO PRIORITIZE PUGET SOUND BASINS FOR RESTORATION AND PROTECTION, IDENTIFY STRESSORS AND MONITOR RESTORATION EFFECTIVENESS

5/20/2019  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  250 CF

USING BIOASSESSMENT TO PRIORITIZE PUGET SOUND BASINS FOR RESTORATION AND PROTECTION, IDENTIFY STRESSORS AND MONITOR RESTORATION EFFECTIVENESS Increasingly managers are looking to multi-metric indices and bioassessment data to point to areas that should be protected and restored. Basins with streams that have an abundance of sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa and score “excellent” are valued for their water quality and, in the Puget Sound region in Washington, for their salmonid habitat. Sites with “fair” scores indicate reaches and basins in need of restoration, and yet managers often struggle to determine what specific restoration actions are needed. We will describe a project in the Puget Sound region that is using bioassessment scores to identify and prioritize basins for restoration and protection, and then diving deeper into the macroinvertebrate data to identify likely stressors and potential remedies. Basin-specific restoration plans highlight areas in need of flow and sediment control and identify specific taxa that managers will track to monitor restoration effectiveness. Protection plans highlight indicator taxa and metrics that may signal stress due to climate change or effects of increasing urbanization. These plans provide an example of how local managers are using bioassessment data to go beyond characterization and towards stressor identification and effectiveness monitoring.

Kate Macneale (Primary Presenter/Author), King County - Water and Land Resources, kate.macneale@kingcounty.gov;


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