Impact of forest drainage on the macroinvertebrates of a small boreal headwater stream: Do buffer zones protect lotic biodiversity?

The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of highland streams in southern Brazil: composition, diversity and structure

“…In three streams in the Piedmont ecoregion of North Carolina, U.S.A., the abundance of macroinvertebrates was greater in the summer, suggesting that input from energy sources was important for the sites where autochthonous productivity was considered an important energy source in agricultural streams (LENAT & CRAWFORD 1994). Furthermore, an increase in the abundance of Diptera Simuliidae was accelerated by an increase in organic and inorganic emissions (VUORI & JOENSUU 1996). High abundance of these organisms has been followed by the increase of Oligochaeta and other Diptera in contaminated streams (LENAT & CRAWFORD 1994).…”

“…At the same time, the high rate of mineralization impoverishes the soil, which has been extensively used for cultivation of potatoes and apple trees. Stream headwater areas are susceptible to changes in the utilization of the surrounding areas and soil management in the drainage basin, as reported by researchers in North American and European countries (LENAT & CRAWFORD 1994, VUORI & JOENSUU 1996. Information is still lacking about possible changes in the chemical content of waters in southern Brazil resulting from the largescale introduction of Pinus plantations which replaced the natural vegetation, especially along the Divisa and Marco Rivers.…”

“…Other investigations have described reductions in richness of non-tolerant EPT groups (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) in agricultural streams (sensu LENAT & CRAWFORD 1994) in connection with increases of richness and abundance of other taxa (VUORI & JOENSUU 1996, SPONSELLER et al 2001. In three streams in the Piedmont ecoregion of North Carolina, U.S.A., the abundance of macroinvertebrates was greater in the summer, suggesting that input from energy sources was important for the sites where autochthonous productivity was considered an important energy source in agricultural streams (LENAT & CRAWFORD 1994).…”

“…The variations examined here provide a preliminary characterization of the aquatic macrofaunal population dynamics, taking into account that species richness is a function of local and regional processes, the relative influence of which varies over time, as shown by MOUQUET et al (2003) and VINSON & HAWKINS (2003). Studies in boreal forests in Finland clarified the important role of macroinvertebrates in processing allochthonous material, contributing to local decay, as well in the metabolic activity of streams and the transfer of energy from aquatic to terrestrial consumers (VUORI & JOENSUU 1996). Therefore, the application of biomonitoring methods focusing on benthic macroinvertebrates is strongly recommended (CHARVET et al 1998) in streams, as an important tool for the evaluation of the biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems in the region of "campos de cima da serra"in southern Brazil.…”

The Impact of Fine Sediment on Stream Macroinvertebrates in Urban and Rural Oregon Streams

“…Work in this area has been intensively studied due to its impacts on fisheries resources. The deleterious impacts on streams associated with forestry activities are typically less than those in agricultural areas, but poor forestry management on steep slopes can pot~ntially mobilize large volumes of sediment (Wood and Armitage 1997 (Lemly 1982, Vuori and Joensuu 1996, Angradi 1999. The amount of damage of sediments upon organisms will largely depend on the frequency, intensity, and magnitude of the events, and the duration of the exposure (Newcombe and MacDonald 1991).…”