Wednesday, May 25, 2016
13:30 - 15:00

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13:30 - 13:45: / 308 BIOGEOCHEMICAL SYMPTOMS OF THE URBAN STREAM SYNDROME: HOMOGENIZATION OF WATER CHEMISTRY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING IN URBAN STREAMS

5/25/2016  |   13:30 - 13:45   |  308

BIOGEOCHEMICAL SYMPTOMS OF THE URBAN STREAM SYNDROME: HOMOGENIZATION OF WATER CHEMISTRY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING IN URBAN STREAMS Urban streams receive myriad chemical inputs from the surrounding landscape due to altered lithology (asphalt, concrete), leaky sewage infrastructure, and other human activities (road salt, fertilizer, industrial wastes, wastewater effluent, etc.), potentially leading to a unique chemical fingerprint. We used long-term solute chemistry from streams in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) LTER to ascertain if there is a chemical fingerprint common to urban sites and analyzed the variability in this fingerprint over the 18-year BES water chemistry record. Using literature values and data collected from other urban locales, we investigated whether this BES urban chemical fingerprint is found in other urban settings. Moreover, we investigated whether this fingerprint is unique to urban streams. We further explored how a homogenization of water chemistry across urban streams leads to homogenization of ecosystem functions. Additional symptoms of the Urban Stream Syndrome include physical modifications and stressors such as channelization and flashy hydrographs. Ultimately, we propose that the combined chemical and physical changes experienced by urban streams may homogenize these ecosystems with as yet unknown consequences for ecosystem functions.

Alexander Reisinger (Primary Presenter/Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, reisingera@caryinstitute.org;


Emma Rosi ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, rosie@caryinstitute.org;


Peter Groffman ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), City University of New York, Peter.Groffman@asrc.cuny.edu ;


Sylvia Lee ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lee.sylvia@epa.gov;


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


Joanna Blaszczak ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Nevada, Reno, jblaszczak@unr.edu;


Nancy Grimm ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Arizona State University, nbgrimm@asu.edu;


Sujay Kaushal ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Maryland, skaushal@umd.edu;
Dr. Sujay Kaushal is currently a Professor in the Department of Geology & Earth System Science Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, and he has been in this position since 2010. Prior to that, Dr. Kaushal was an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science from 2005-2010. His research expertise deals with: investigating causes and consequences of freshwater salinization, understanding the impacts of stormwater management and stream restoration on water quality, elucidating fate and transport of urban pollutants; and tracking sources of nonpoint pollution using geochemical approaches and tracers. Dr. Kaushal has authored over approximately 100 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, and Nature Sustainability, and he has received awards such as the UMD College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Junior Faculty Award and the IRPE Prize in limnetic ecology (https://www.int-res.com/ecology-institute/eci-prize-awarding/eci-award-ceremony-2012/). From the perspective of education and training, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cary Institute from 2003-2005. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he received his bachelors degree from Cornell University.

John Kelly ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;


Peter S. Levi ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Drake University, peter.levi@drake.edu;


Emily Stanley ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Wisconsin - Madison, ehstanley@wisc.edu;


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13:45 - 14:00: / 308 EXPORT OF CARBON, NUTRIENTS, AND WEATHERING PRODUCTS FROM A HIGHLY URBANIZED TROPICAL WATERSHED

5/25/2016  |   13:45 - 14:00   |  308

EXPORT OF CARBON, NUTRIENTS, AND WEATHERING PRODUCTS FROM A HIGHLY URBANIZED TROPICAL WATERSHED Protection of water quality is particularly important on montane tropical islands, where upland watersheds are tightly coupled to nutrient-sensitive coastal ecosystems. Urbanization is one of the most significant sources of water quality degradation in the heavily populated Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. The primary objective of this study was to quantify the effect of season, storms, and long-term trends on water quality over a 7-year period of weekly sampling. Our results show that despite modern sewage treatment infrastructure, the urban Rio Piedras basin in San Juan has levels of N and P up to 10-fold higher than those found in nearby forested watersheds. Chemistry of the Rio Piedras showed few consistent temporal trends, but was highly variable from week to week, suggesting sources that are ephemeral in nature. Management and maintenance of urban infrastructure is critically important in minimizing water quality impacts. One aspect of urban evolution, the apparent failure of sanitary sewer systems that can degrade over time, appears to be particularly important in driving environmental degradation and impairing ecosystem integrity in tropical rivers and estuaries.

William H McDowell (Primary Presenter/Author), University of New Hampshire, bill.mcdowell@unh.edu;


Alonso Ramírez ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), North Carolina State University, alonso.ramirez@ncsu.edu;


Jody Potter ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of New Hampshire, jody.potter@unh.edu;


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14:00 - 14:15: / 308 PLATINUM: AN INDICATOR FOR TRAFFIC INDUCED POLLUTION IN URBAN FRESHWATER SYSTEMS

5/25/2016  |   14:00 - 14:15   |  308

PLATINUM: AN INDICATOR FOR TRAFFIC INDUCED POLLUTION IN URBAN FRESHWATER SYSTEMS Urban rivers are usually severely biogeochemically changed by traffic related pollution. High loads of salts, toxis metals and organic pollutants, are part of these changes. In our study we analyzed whether Pt can be used as a tracer element to identify traffic related pollution in urban freshwater systems. In a first step we analyzed Pt and other traffic related metals in sediment and biota samples from a river transect comprising several point sources of road runoff. We could demonstrate how Pt correlates to other traffic related metals and to the distance of the point sources. In a second step we analyzed the sediment and biota data of different urban freshwater systems without direct road runoff discharge using Pt as an indicator to identify those with a traffic related pollution. Out of eleven sampling sites, six sites showed anthropogenically elevated metal concentrations, but only three of them also contained elevated Pt concentrations. For river managers as well as for restoration measures the presence of Pt can be a useful tool to identify possible traffic related discharges.

Nadine Ruchter (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Duisburg-Essen, Aquatic Ecology, nadine.ruchter@uni-due.de;


Bernd Sures ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Duisburg-Essen, Aquatic Ecology, bernd.sures@uni-due.de;


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14:15 - 14:30: / 308 DECIPHERING CAUSES OF BIOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IN A HEAVILY URBANIZED WATERSHED

5/25/2016  |   14:15 - 14:30   |  308

DECIPHERING CAUSES OF BIOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IN A HEAVILY URBANIZED WATERSHED The lower San Diego River (LSDR) in Southern California is affected by many stressors from urban land uses, variable precipitation regime and stream flow, and hydrological modifications. Biological condition in the LSDR is impaired and several stressors have been implicated. Using land cover and available biological, habitat, water quality, and hydrological information, we evaluated the relative impact of different stressors in the LSDR using watershed and ecoregion-based analyses. The Random Forest Model indicated that conductivity and nutrients were the most important stressors affecting EPT taxa. Propensity score analysis indicated that conductivity was the major factor affecting EPT taxa in the watershed and possibly the LSDR. Using species trait information and capture probability analyses taxa tolerance values were developed for many macroinvertebrate taxa in the ecoregion, which was used to identify causes of biological impairment. Species sensitivity distribution analyses based on laboratory data yielded certain predictions regarding effects of chloride or pyrethroids that were not supported by field information. A more comprehensive use of available field data, using different multivariate tools yielded more useful results in this case study.

Michael Paul ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Paul.Michael@epa.gov;


Clint Boschen (Primary Presenter/Author), Tetra Tech, Inc., clint.boschen@tetratech.com;


Jerome Diamond ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Tetra Tech, jerry.diamond@tetratech.com;


Ruth Kolb ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), City of San Diego Transportation & Storm Water, RKolb@sandiego.gov;


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14:30 - 14:45: / 308 LONG-TERM TRENDS REVEAL VARYING CONTROLS ON NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, AND CHLORIDE CONCENTRATIONS AMONG URBAN RIVER NETWORKS

5/25/2016  |   14:30 - 14:45   |  308

LONG-TERM TRENDS REVEAL VARYING CONTROLS ON NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, AND CHLORIDE CONCENTRATIONS AMONG URBAN RIVER NETWORKS Urban river networks often have impaired water quality due to hyper-connectivity with the landscape via pipes and sewers and high inputs of dissolved solutes from run-off and wastewater treatment facilities. We analyzed a 35-year time series of ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, and chloride from 28 sites across 4 major river networks in Milwaukee, WI. We conducted a dynamic factor analysis to determine the most prominent shared temporal trends and z-scored the results to compare among solutes, rivers, and years. To investigate the controls on these trends, we correlated the monthly averages of the solutes to temperature, discharge, and watershed characteristics. Ammonium concentrations have largely decreased across all networks since the late 1980s, whereas nitrate, phosphorus, and chloride have increased in concentration and variability. Furthermore, the controls on these patterns differed among rivers; nitrate in the Milwaukee River followed a strong seasonal pattern, but was correlated with fluctuations in discharge in the Menomonee River. The varying controls across and within these river networks demonstrates the importance of river-specific approaches to managing and improving water quality in urban watersheds.

Peter S. Levi (Primary Presenter/Author), Drake University, peter.levi@drake.edu;


Peter J. Lisi ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Wisconsin, peter.j.lisi@gmail.com;


Etienne Fluet-Chouinard ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, fluetchouina@wisc.edu;


Matthew Diebel ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, matthew.diebel@wisconsin.gov;


Peter B. McIntyre ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, pmcintyre@wisc.edu;


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14:45 - 15:00: / 308 EFFECTS OF URBAN CHEMICAL STRESSORS ON STREAM BIOFILMS

5/25/2016  |   14:45 - 15:00   |  308

EFFECTS OF URBAN CHEMICAL STRESSORS ON STREAM BIOFILMS Urban streams receiving wastewater contain contaminants including nutrients, road salt, and pharmaceuticals. These urban chemical stressors may have complex, sublethal consequences for ecosystem structure and function. Using an artificial stream experiment, we tested the effects of nutrients, road salt, and a cocktail of 8 pharmaceuticals on stream biofilms. We used environmentally relevant concentrations of contaminants detected at an urban stream in Baltimore. Nutrients enhanced gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (CR), while salt suppressed GPP and CR. However, streams that received a combination of high nutrient and salt concentrations developed highly productive and presumably salt tolerant communities. The drug cocktail added to the streams functionally suppressed the water column microbial community, except in the nutrient enriched streams. This result may suggest more tolerant microbes in these streams. Streams that did not receive nutrients or salt had a larger shift in benthic diatom community composition in response to drug additions than nutrient and salt enriched streams. Our study shows that urban streams can have high function and the effects of chemical stressors may be context dependent.

Sylvia Lee (Primary Presenter/Author), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lee.sylvia@epa.gov;


Emma Rosi ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, rosie@caryinstitute.org;


Alexander Reisinger ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, reisingera@caryinstitute.org;


John Kelly ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;


Miguel Rojas ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, mrojas103@gmail.com;


Sujay Kaushal ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Maryland, skaushal@umd.edu;
Dr. Sujay Kaushal is currently a Professor in the Department of Geology & Earth System Science Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, and he has been in this position since 2010. Prior to that, Dr. Kaushal was an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science from 2005-2010. His research expertise deals with: investigating causes and consequences of freshwater salinization, understanding the impacts of stormwater management and stream restoration on water quality, elucidating fate and transport of urban pollutants; and tracking sources of nonpoint pollution using geochemical approaches and tracers. Dr. Kaushal has authored over approximately 100 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, and Nature Sustainability, and he has received awards such as the UMD College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Junior Faculty Award and the IRPE Prize in limnetic ecology (https://www.int-res.com/ecology-institute/eci-prize-awarding/eci-award-ceremony-2012/). From the perspective of education and training, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cary Institute from 2003-2005. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he received his bachelors degree from Cornell University.

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