Temporal Variability of Stream Macroinvertebrate Abundance and Biomass Following Pesticide Disturbance

Abstract

We determined the extent of macroinvertebrate recovery in a former pesticide-treated stream (FTS) relative to a reference stream (RS) by examining macroinvertebrate colonizing red maple (Acer rubrum L.) litter bags between 5 to 10 y following pesticide treatment. Mean abundance and biomass, varibility in abundance and biomass (using the coefficient of variation [CV]), and assemblage structure were compared both within and among years to assess recovery.The 5 y study included 3 drought years followed by 2 wet years. Mean total abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates, and that of most functional feeding groups (FFG) did not significantly differ between streams during this study nor did within-year variability of these means, indicating macroinvertebrates in FE had recovered relative to RS. Some exceptions to the above patterns (shredder abundance and mean annual gw biomass) resulted from the dynamics of a single taxon in each group (Leuctra and Paraleptophlebia, respectively). Macroinvertebrate assemblage structure in litter bag was Similar between streams throughout the study as shown by their similar ordination scores; hence, assemblage structure had also recovered. In each stream, mean annual abwdawe and biomass of total 1 and of each FFG, aside from shredder abundance, differed significately among years. However, assemblage structure, was generally similar among years. Among-year CVs were usually lower than within-year CVs because macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass fluctuated more during a year than it did from year to year, and different processes apparently contributed to the variation observed at these 2 time scales. For example juvenile development time influenced within-year CVs, indicating that life-history characteristics affected temporal yariability of matroinvertebrate abundance and biomass. Examination of both the means and their variaxes was useful for determining the extent of recovery and how macroinvertebrates responded to natural environmental variability. The detailed analysis of temporal dynamic8 at different time scales afforded by the CV supported our contention that FTS had recovered from the pesticide application relative to RS.

Citation

Hutchens, John J., Jr.; Chung, Keun; Wallace, J. Bruce. 1998. Temporal Variability of Stream Macroinvertebrate Abundance and Biomass Following Pesticide Disturbance. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc., 1998, 17(4):518-534