Monday, May 23, 2016
10:30 - 12:00

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10:30 - 10:45: / 311-312 MECHANISMS OF URBANIZATION IMPACT ON A SENSITIVE LITHOPHILIC SPAWNER, RIVER CHUB (NOCOMIS MICROPOGON)

5/23/2016  |   10:30 - 10:45   |  311-312

MECHANISMS OF URBANIZATION IMPACT ON A SENSITIVE LITHOPHILIC SPAWNER, RIVER CHUB (NOCOMIS MICROPOGON) Lithophilic spawning fish exhibit sensitivity to urbanization. Characterizing specific sources of urbanization impact on specific species is potentially useful, but rarely reported. River chub (Nocomis micropogon) construct nests that serve as nesting habitat for other local lithophilic spawners, and can be considered to be a keystone species in the fish community. Observations on river chub populations and habitat were conducted in urbanized and less urbanized streams in the Baltimore area. Suitable substrate for nesting was found to be present in both less urbanized streams, and in urbanized streams where river chub are absent. Natural nests were monitored in the vicinity of USGS flow gauges in order to determine threshold stream flow discharges which result in river chub nest disruption. Damage to river chub nests showed consistent, quantifiable relationships with observed peak flows. This allowed for the prediction of the frequency of potentially damaging flows in urban and less urbanized streams from flow monitoring data. By quantitatively connecting stream processes with biotic response, restoration and protection strategies for keystone species such as river chub can have an improved chance of success.

Stanley Kemp (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Baltimore, skemp@ubalt.edu;


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10:45 - 11:00: / 311-312 NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT FLIPS NITROGEN:PHOSPHORUS RATIOS OF DIVERSE DETRITAL RESOURCES

5/23/2016  |   10:45 - 11:00   |  311-312

NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT FLIPS NITROGEN:PHOSPHORUS RATIOS OF DIVERSE DETRITAL RESOURCES Nutrient pollution affects both quantity and quality of food resources for stream consumers, but how the nutrient content of diverse forms of detritus (fine particulate organic matter (FPOM), leaves and wood) responds to relative nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) availability is unknown. We quantified effects of N and P on N:P stoichiometry of FPOM, leaves and wood in five headwater streams subject to experimental additions of high to low N (472-96 µg/L) and corresponding low to high P (10-85 µg/L) that yielded dissolved N:P ratios of 128:1-2:1. We maintained treatments for two years, following a pretreatment year. We observed dramatic reductions in the N:P ratios of wood (~32:1 to ~8:1) and leaves (~33:1 to ~20:1) in year two of enrichment, but the opposite pattern for FPOM (~22:1 to ~30:1). The reductions in N:P of leaves and wood were related more strongly to P than N, likely driven by fungi preferentially colonizing those resources over FPOM. At moderately elevated nutrient concentrations, N:P availability in FPOM vs leaves and wood can be ‘flipped’, potentially affecting the importance of these resources to consumers.

Amy D. Rosemond (Primary Presenter/Author, Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, rosemond@uga.edu;


David W.P. Manning ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, manningd@uga.edu;


Phillip Bumpers ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, bumpersp@gmail.com;


John Kominoski ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Florida International University, jkominos@fiu.edu;
John Kominoski is an ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist who studies how effects of diverse types of disturbances interact with other long-term environmental changes to influence ecosystem structure and functions. He is the Lead PI of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program, where his lab studies how coastal biogeochemistry is changing with hydrologic presses from saltwater intrusion from sea-level rise and hydrologic pulses from restoration and storms. The Kominoski Lab also studies how urban coastal ecosystems respond to seasonal changes in hydrology, flood pulses, and sea-level rise.

Vlad Gulis ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Coastal Carolina University, vgulis@coastal.edu;


Jonathan P. Benstead ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The University of Alabama, jbenstead@ua.edu;


John Maerz ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, jcmaerz@uga.edu;


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11:00 - 11:15: / 311-312 THE EFFECTS OF RIPARIAN DEFORESTATION AND WATER CHEMISTRY ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE RATES IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL

5/23/2016  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  311-312

THE EFFECTS OF RIPARIAN DEFORESTATION AND WATER CHEMISTRY ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE RATES IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL Deforestation creates a series of cascading chemical-physical and biological effects that alter aquatic ecosystems functioning. We investigated how the reduction of riparian forested buffers affects nutrient concentrations in the water column and how these changes alter nutrient uptake in four streams of the Guapiaçu watershed in Atlantic forest, Brazil. Riparian characterization at each site was performed using a SPOT-5 satellite image and ArcGIS to quantify percentage of land cover at a watershed, riparian and reach scale. We measured background stream nutrient concentrations and estimated ambient ammonium and phosphorus uptake rates through TASCC nutrient additions in 18 different reaches flowing within a gradient of different riparian conditions from forest to pasture. Our results suggest that the location of the reach on the watershed and the N/P ratio in the water column are more important drivers of variation in nutrient uptake rates than is the percentage of riparian deforestation.

Flavia Tromboni (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Nevada, Reno, ftromboni@unr.edu;


Steven Thomas ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Alabama, sathomas16@ua.edu;


Rafael Feijó de Lima ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Montana, rafael.feijo@mso.umt.edu;


Timothy P. Moulton ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, moulton.timothy@gmail.com;


Eduardo Silva-Júnior ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, eduardobioadventure@gmail.com;


Christine Lourenço-Amorim ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, chris.lourenco.amorim@gmail.com;


Eugenia Zandona ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, eugenia.zandona@gmail.com;


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11:15 - 11:30: / 311-312 UNDERSTANDING STORM EVENT NITRATE EXPORT IN DIFFERENT LAND USES

5/23/2016  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  311-312

UNDERSTANDING STORM EVENT NITRATE EXPORT IN DIFFERENT LAND USES Excess N can have detrimental effects in coastal areas. N exports from watersheds occur during both baseflow and storm flow. Although baseflows occur during a majority of the year, storm flows may have the ability dominate in terms of N flux. The study is to identify the drivers for N transport during multiple storms, across multiple landuses. For this experiment new technology of high resolution in-situ aquatic sensors are deployed to understand the controls of N export in a watershed. Sensors at multiple sites with different landuse before, during and after storms, allows for simultaneous comparison of different catchments and storm events. Preliminary data show that overall N flux relates to storm magnitude and runoff of catchments. Furthermore, additional environmental conditions (E.g. antecedent factors), storm parameters as well as catchment characteristics give insight to N fluxes during storms across a watershed of multiple landuses. These results can inform management, providing data to help identify different controls of N export and how to manage varying watershed conditions and land use conditions during storm events.

Christopher Cook (Primary Presenter/Author), University of New Hampshire , christopher.cook@unh.edu;


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11:30 - 11:45: / 311-312 BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY IN AN AGRICULTURALLY STRESSED SYSTEM: A RECIPROCAL TRANSFER EXPERIMENT

5/23/2016  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  311-312

BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY IN AN AGRICULTURALLY STRESSED SYSTEM: A RECIPROCAL TRANSFER EXPERIMENT Agricultural landscape activity can have a significant long term effect on stream ecosystems including benthic invertebrate fauna. However, what are the immediate implications of agricultural activity on a previously unaffected community’s taxonomic, trait, and size diversity? To answer this question we deployed 48 uncovered substrate baskets in two geomorphically and hydrologically comparable stream reaches differing in exposure to agricultural land during the autumn season of 2014. Following a 3-week inoculation period, baskets were enclosed using 335 µm Nitex mesh and a portion of the baskets were subjected to reciprocal transfers while the other portions were removed for ID or left as a control. Following identification, invertebrate communities will be analyzed for richness, composition, density, traits, and body-size. Differences were seen in both pre and post transfer abundances, and we predict changes in taxonomic and trait diversity. This in situ experiment will provide valuable information related to community structure and resource use in an agriculturally impacted system. The results will also provide clues to the functional response of a benthic macroinvertebrate community to agriculture, a complex multistressor disturbance.

Edward M. Krynak (Primary Presenter/Author), Western University and Canadian Rivers Institute, ekrynak@uwo.ca;


Adam G. Yates ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Western University & Canadian Rivers Institute, adam.yates@uwo.ca;


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11:45 - 12:00: / 311-312 WATER CHEMISTRY INFLUENCES ON BENTHIC COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS LOTIC SYSTEMS.

5/23/2016  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  311-312

WATER CHEMISTRY INFLUENCES ON BENTHIC COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS LOTIC SYSTEMS. Water chemistry of rivers and streams influences benthic macroinvertebrates communities through species-specific tolerance to instream water quality. We examined the relationships between benthic communities and water chemistry variables in intermittent (n=33) and perennial streams (n=33) of southern Saskatchewan to find the best explanatory variables of community structure. CCA of intermittent stream communities captured 62.8% of species data variance and both axes were best described by total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total phosphorus. CCA of perennial river communities explained 65.7% of species data variance, with total nitrogen, total phosphorus and specific conductance best describing axis 1 and dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen best explaining axis 2. We present new species-metrics that can be used as indicators of nitrogen, organic carbon and phosphorus in intermittent streams and metrics for nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon and specific conductance in perennial streams. Water chemistry factors are important community structuring forces and these results suggest promising metrics for building site-specific water quality monitoring tools in the development of a biomonitoring tool for the Northern Great Plains.

Iain Phillips (Primary Presenter/Author), Water Security Agency of Saskatchewan, iain.phillips@wsask.ca;


Doug Chivers ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Saskatchewan, doug.chivers@usask.ca;


John-Mark Davies ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Water Security Agency of Saskatchewan, John-Mark.Davies@wsask.ca;


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