Effects of forestry activities (clearfelling) on stream macroinvertebrate fauna in south-western Australia

Abstract

The effects of forestry activities on macroinvertebrate community structure were examined in the headwaters of Carey Brook in the south-west of Australia. The fauna at four sites on an upland stream that ran through a logging coupe were compared, before and after clearfelling, with the fauna at four nearby undisturbed sites. Mean species richness and mean total abundance declined at the treatment sites relative to the control sites after the commencement of clearfelling activities. The composition of the macroinvertebrate fauna in the disturbed stream changed in comparison with that in the undisturbed sites after logging started but returned to the pre-logging composition after winter and spring rains had stopped. The observed changes in the macroinvertebrate fauna occurred during the periods of high loads of suspended inorganic solids at the treatment sites. The possible reasons for the observed results are discussed.

Biological consequences of clear-cut logging around streams—Moderating effects of management

“…Consistent with previous studies from around the world (Growns and Davis, 1994;Stone and Wallace, 1998;Death et al, 2003;Giller and O'Halloran, 2004) we observed post-harvest increases in the amount of fine sediment, organic matter and algal growth in all our streams. In consequence, species utilising these resources were favoured -namely collector-gatherers (mainly chironomids and oligochaetes), shredders and grazers.…”

Effects of fine sediment inputs from a logging road on stream insect communities:a large-scale experimental approach in a Canadian headwater stream

“…Reported effects of fine sediments on stream habitat and benthos from logging ͑Campbell and Doeg 1989; Webster et al 1992;Binkley and Brown 1993;Keenan and Kimmins 1993͒ may have been confounded by other catchment disturbances such as canopy modification or changes in nutrient flux ͑Murphy et al 1981;Growns and Davis 1994͒. While some studies have demonstrated adverse effects on benthos under conditions of heavy sediment loading, others have detected little or no response to more moderate fine sediment increases ͑Culp et al 1985;Fairchild et al 1987͒.…”

The effect of fine sedimentation on tropical stream macroinvertebrate assemblages: a comparison using flow-through artificial stream channels and recirculating mesocosms

“…However, streams are vulnerable to increased sedimentation brought about by altered land uses in the surrounding catchments, with detrimental effects on benthic stream communities (Nuttall & Bielby, 1973;Sorensen et al, 1977;Ryan, 1991;Newcombe & MacDonald, 1991;Wood & Armitage, 1997). Greatly increased sediment transport and deposition are frequently a consequence of anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture (Lenat, 1984;Rier & King, 1996), civil engineering projects (Barton, 1977;Lenat et al, 1981;Cline et al, 1982;Wellman et al, 2000), and extractive industries such as forestry (Campbell & Doeg, 1989;Davies & Nelson, 1993;Growns & Davis, 1994;Trayler & Davis, 1998, Kreutzwieser et al, 2005 and mining (Wagener & LaPerriere, 1985;Quinn et al, 1992). Given the pervasiveness of these activities there is a need for an understanding of impacts on stream communities, especially for the benthic organisms, which live amongst stream sediments and are used as indicators in ecosystem health studies.…”