Influences of geology and land use on macroinvertebrate communities across the Motueka River catchment, New Zealand

Abstract

The influences of geology and land use on macroinvertebrate communities were investigated in the Motueka River catchment, New Zealand. Comparisons of functional feeding groups, multivariate community composition and biotic indices (MCI, QMCI, %EPT) were made between native forest stream reaches that differed in subcatchment geology (ultramafic, hard sedimentary, granite, gravel, karst) and between stream reaches surrounded by different land uses (native forest, exotic forest and pasture) within two of these geologies (granite, gravel). Differences in invertebrate community density and taxon richness were greater across the three land uses in the same geology than among the five geologies. Macroinvertebrate communities in streams flowing through native forest had greater numbers of shredders, and higher MCI scores than pastoral streams. Exotic forest macroinvertebrate communities were similar to the native forest communities in granite geology, but distinct from both native and pastoral communities in sites with underlying gravel geology. The results demonstrate that there is potential for underlying geology to influence the magnitude of land use impacts on invertebrate communities. The geologies within a catchment should be accounted for when considering the consequences of land development on river and stream communities.

Water quality in New Zealand’s planted forests: a review

“…Most of the MCI and QMCI scores for streams in mature planted forests gave a ranking of 'clean water' or, 'mild pollution' (Boothroyd and Stark 2000) (Table 2). A QMCI score indicative of 'probable moderate pollution' was recording in mature planted forest streams in the Moutere Gravels of the Nelson region (Shearer and Young 2011). This result was possibly influenced by an intermittent flow regime.…”

“…A preliminary study by Fish (1968) found very low levels of Cu (often below detection (Collier and Bowman 2003;Cooper et al 1987;Fahey and Stansfield 2006;Friberg et al 1997;Harding and Winterbourn 1995;Macaskill et al 1997;Matheson et al 2011;Parkyn et al 2006;Thompson et al 2009;Thompson and Townsend 2004b;Townsend et al 1997;Young et al 2005). The wider range of NO 3 -N/ NO x -N concentrations compared with TN is influenced by studies that measured that measured concentrations of NO 3 -N at the high end of the range and either did not measure TN or measured TN at a lower sampling intensity than NO 3 -N. Death et al 2003;Friberg and Winterbourn 1997;Harding and Winterbourn 1995;Parkyn et al 2006;Quinn et al 1997;Quinn et al 2004;Shearer and Young 2011;Stark and Maxted 2007;Townsend et al 1997. 2 EPT: Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera.…”

“…Ephemeroptera taxa, in particular, dominated many of these invertebrate communities (Baillie et al 2005;Collier and Halliday 2000;Death et al 2003;Harding and Winterbourn 1995;Quinn et al 1997;Shearer and Young 2011), although Diptera (mainly Chironomidae) dominated invertebrate communities in several South Island streams (Friberg et al 1997;Shearer and Young 2011). Lower invertebrate densities and %EPT were usually associated with suboptimal sandy, mobile substrates or high levels of fine sediment (Baillie et al 2005, Collier andHalliday 2000).…”

“…Only streams in indigenous forest catchments consistently had MCI or QMCI scores above the level indicative of 'clean water'. In some studies, the differences in %EPT taxa, EPT density, MCI and QMCI between pasture and forested streams were significant (Parkyn et al 2006;Quinn et al 1997;Shearer and Young 2011).…”

Development and preliminary application of a method to assess river ecological status in the Hai River Basin, north China

“…The geological environment determines the basic geochemical composition of substrate, and erosion and sedimentation processes in rivers (Andrews and Antweiler, 2012;Dudgeon, 2012). Potentially, geology influences the magnitude that land use impacts on invertebrate communities (Shearer and Young, 2011). Geomorphology has a profound impact on physical variables of channel and flow type (Wei and Sun, 2009).…”