Ecotoxicological Impacts of Acid Mine Drainage in Streams of Increasing Order in the Powell River Watershed, Virginia

Soucek, David J.; Cherry, Donald S.; Currie, Rebecca J.; Latimer, Henry; Zipper, Carl E.

doi:10.21000/jasmr00010083

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

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“…Of the 64 studies, about 52% (33) were eligible for the meta-analysis (see Fanelli and Cashman 2022 for a complete list). Twenty-one multi-stressor studies were considered ineligible because they did not explicitly relate biological response metrics to stressor data; these studies were often longitudinal studies which described biological and stressor patterns as a function of distance from the point source (e.g., Soucek et al 2000;Echols et al 2009;Fig. 3).…”

Section: Literature Review Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Key Stressors Driving Biological Impairment in Freshwater Streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA

Fanelli

Cashman

Porter

2022

Environmental Management

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Biological communities in freshwater streams are often impaired by multiple stressors (e.g., flow or water quality) originating from anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, agriculture, or energy extraction. Restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA seek to improve biological conditions in 10% of freshwater tributaries and to protect the biological integrity of existing healthy watersheds. To achieve these goals, resource managers need to better understand which stressors are most likely driving biological impairment. Our study addressed this knowledge gap through two approaches: 1) reviewing and synthesizing published multi-stressor studies, and 2) examining 303(d) listed impairments linked to biological impairment as identified by jurisdiction regulatory agencies (the states within the watershed and the District of Columbia). Results identified geomorphology (i.e., physical habitat), salinity, and toxic contaminants as important for explaining variability in benthic community metrics in the literature review. Geomorphology (i.e., physical habitat and sediment), salinity, and nutrients were the most reported stressors in the jurisdictional impairment analysis. Salinity is likely a major stressor in urban and mining settings, whereas geomorphology was commonly reported in agricultural settings. Toxic contaminants, such as pesticides, were rarely measured; more research is needed to quantify the extent of their effects in the region. Flow alteration was also highlighted as an important urban stressor in the literature review but was rarely measured in the literature or reported by jurisdictions as a cause of impairment. These results can be used to prioritize stressor monitoring by managers, and to improve stressor identification methods for identifying causes of biological impairment.

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Section: Literature Review Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%