Aquatic Invertebrates

Essay text:

Aquatic Invertebrates Used to Classify Stream Health Ecosystem All things contained in an environment Water (input and output) Climate Daylight Plant life Clear Cutting Clear Cutting seriously effects all aspects of an ecosystem Maine is, per capita, the most heavily logged state in the continental U.S. Why Clear Cutting is Used Simple Creates a uniform forest to harvest in 40 years or so Easy to replant Cheap to Maintain (pesticides) Clear Cutting Impacts on Streams Clear Cutting seriously effects stream ecosystems The effects of clear cutting can be felt on stream ecosystems for up to 60 years The First Five Years After a Clear Cut This time period is actually beneficial in most aspects of stream animal (vertebrate and invertebrate) health The increase in CWD creates resources for life Nutrients good for aquatic species increase Nitrogen levels increase 40 times Potassium levels increase 11 times After Five Years The negative effects of clear cutting begin to be felt Increase in fast growing vegetation catches nutrients Increased solar radiation leads to increased water temperatures With no protection, water temperatures drop drastically at night After Five Years (continued) Packed soil and new vegetation lead to increased water input Leading to higher peak flows and washing out CWD and boulders (habitats) The stream widens and becomes shallower Overall homogenization of the stream occurs Second Growth After 30-40 years, second growth forests develop The stream ecosystem stabilizes Stream Invertebrates Stream invertebrates have adapted to the harsh stream environment Mayflies are flattened from top to bottom, allowing them to swim fast in low current areas Blackflies produce a substance to attach themselves to rocks when the current is strong Many aquatic insects have tarsal claws used to attach themselves to rocks to avoid the current Identifying Stream Quality with Stream Invertebrates These adaptations have led to species that easily survive in polluted streams and those that don't Streams can be classified by the types of insects in them There are 3 different categories of aquatic invertebrates when referring to stream health Invertebrate Body Parts Healthy Stream Invertebrates Invertebrates that live in a healthy stream are classified as Group One Taxa Healthy streams contain high biodiversity Some examples are...