Monday, June 4, 2007 - 1:00 PM
15

Macroinvertebrate communities in four Ouachita Mountain headwater streams: diversity, density, biomass, and production

Robert K. Heth, Biology, Missouri Southern State University, 3950 E. Newman Road, Joplin, MO 64801 and Arthur V. Brown, Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, SCEN 705, Fayetteville, AR 72701.

This paper presents the first comprehensive description of the diversity, life histories, abundances, biomass, and production of aquatic invertebrates in headwater streams of the Interior Highlands.  Four headwater reaches differing in drying patterns were sampled in two adjacent basins in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas.  Benthos samples, supplemented with adult collections, were taken on 18 dates from May 1998-June 1999.  Over 118 thousand benthic invertebrates, representing 292 taxa were sorted, measured, and identified.  Twenty-five percent were generally distributed with a significant number restricted to the most permanent stream.  Densities were higher in the most permanent stream, LGPC, (3881/m2) than in the three drier Winona Basin streams (SFAC 1481, BC 1993, NFAC 1824), as was average biomass (LGPC 1.06 gdw/m2, SFAC 0.49, BC 0.58, NFAC 0.41), and production (LGPC 6.18 gdw/m2-yr, SFAC 2.16, BC 1.44, NFAC 1.90).   Crustaceans, especially isopods, dominated production, (LGPC 64%, SFAC 68%, BC 81%, NFAC 88%).  Insect production ranged from 30% in LGPC to 9.7% in NFAC.  Molluscs (3.4%) were only of importance in LGPC.  Total invertebrate production in LGPC was similar to many other shaded eastern headwater streams, but production in the drier Winona Basin was very reduced in comparison to most published studies. 

See more of Production Ecology
See more of Contributed Sessions

See more of The NABS 55th Annual Meeting