Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 8:30 AM
199

Aquatic Invertebrate, FPOM and DOC Responses to Clearcut Logging in Interior British Columbia Headwater Streams

Jacqueline J. Sorensen, M.Sc., Candidate, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada and Brian A. Heise, Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Box 3010 900 McGill Road, Kamloops, BC V2C 5N3, Canada.

We evaluated the effectiveness of current riparian management practices by determining if clearcut logging of headwater streams in the interior of British Columbia reduces the export of organic matter, specifically macroinvertebrates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM).  Using a BACI design, eighteen fishless streams (9 treatments, 9 controls; mean discharge range: 0.71-3.05 L s-1) in high elevation forests in the southern interior of BC were sampled for macroinvertebrate drift, FPOM and DOC.  Drift was collected by diverting the entire stream flow through a 250 µm drift net over a 24 hour period (in triplicate for a total of 72 hours), before and after logging took place.  Water samples were also collected and filtered to determine FPOM and DOC concentrations.  Preliminary results showed increases in invertebrate biomass and density in the logged streams.  Both DOC and FPOM concentrations remained relatively constant in logged streams as there was no significant difference compared to controls.  Our results indicate that clearcut logging has little impact on FPOM and DOC and can increase density and biomass of drifting macroinvertebrates.

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