Peatlands are an uncommon landscape feature in the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States and provide habitat for a number of plant and animal species dependent on these environments. As such, peatlands are an important contributor to local and regional biological diversity. Peatlands also have considerable scientific value (via coring) as repositories of pollen and ash deposits, providing insight into postglacial vegetation and climates. Included in this report are a description of the physical components, vegetation, vascular and nonvascular flora, and invertebrate fauna associated with peatlands on National Forests in northeastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Also included are descriptions of 58 sites representative of the diversity of peatlands present within the study area. Research needs and conservation tools to protect peatlands are discussed.
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Mining has severely impacted the biota in the Coeur d'Alene River drainage of northern Idaho. The benthic community of the South Fork and mainstem was monitored from 1968 to 1971 and from 1987 to 1991 to determine the effects of improved mine wastewater treatment and mine closures. With the decrease of heavy metal levels, the benthic community showed a gradual recovery as evidenced by large increases in taxonomic richness (0 to 18), EphemeropteraPlecoptera Trichoptera index (0 to 8), and species diversity (0 to 1.8). Although considerable recovery has occurred, the biotic integrity of impacted sites continues to lag behind reference sites, probably due to poor habitat structure and metals leaching from mine tailings.zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Water Environ. Res., 66, 84 (1994).
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