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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
346
Net daily metabolism in agricultural drainage ditches
Michelle L. Lelli, J. David Allan, and T. Johengen. School of Natural Resources and Environment, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Over one-third of farmland in the North Central Region of the United States has been drained to create conditions ideal for crop and livestock production. In Michigan, up to 80% of stream miles are headwater streams which, in farming communities, are converted into agricultural drainage ditches. In contrast to the conventional trapezoidal shaped ditch, two-stage ditches have attracted increasing attention as a means of maintaining the ecological function of headwater streams while still satisfying the need for arable land for farming. To evaluate the degree to which these modified headwater streams function as natural stream ecosystems, we compared net daily metabolism in trapezoidal, two-stage, and natural (reference) streams. Results from diel oxygen curves were comparable to studies performed on small woodland streams with little canopy cover. In general, gross primary productivity exceeded community respiration, indicating positive net daily metabolism and a net addition of energy to the system. We hope that these results will aid in watershed management decisions in areas of intensive agriculture by providing insight into the ecological significance and biological potential of agricultural drainage ditches.
Web Page: agriculture, net daily metabolism, community respiration
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See more of The Nabs 56th Annual Meeting (25-28 May, 2008)