Tuesday, May 27, 2008
220

Meiofauna densities among riffles, pools, and flats in a gravel bed stream

Arthur V. Brown and Adam N. Franklin. Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701

Gravel bed streams have predictable geomorphology with riffles spaced at 5-7 bankfull stream widths, and thus some predictability of percentages of the principal habitats:  riffles, pools, and flats.  Macroinvertebrates, fish, and algae are generally denser in riffles than pools.  Flats have seldom been assessed.  Meiofauna are known to be trophically important in streams as conveyors of energy and matter from bacteria, detritus, algae, and small invertebrates (protozoa, etc.) to macroinvertebrates and fish.  We performed this study to determine densities of meiofauna among riffles, pools, and flats hypothesizing that they would be most dense in riffles.  In fact, they were more dense in flats (1277/L) than in riffles (1097/L) or pools (967/L).  Rotifers were most abundant comprising 67% of permanent meiofauna and 30% of the total.  Small chironomids and mayflies together accounted for nearly 67% of temporary meiofauna and 36% of the total.  Chironomidae, Ephemeroptera, Hydrachnida, and Nematoda densities increased from pools to flats to riffles.  Copepoda, Rotifera, Cladocera, and Mollusca densities were highest in flats, with Copepoda and Rotifera more dense in pools than riffles.  Accounting for total habitat areas of riffles (1362 m2), flats (4087 m2), and pools (4436 m2), riffles had significantly fewer meiofauna per reach than other habitats.


Web Page: meiofauna, habitats, stream