JCSET | Watershed Studies Institute Research Symposium
Quality over quantity: Identifying new macroinvertebrate community metrics for improved wetland monitoring
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Biology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Howard Whiteman, PhD; Michael B. Flinn, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Wetlands improve the quality of our nation’s streams, rivers, and lakes, and they support a diverse assemblage of plant and animal species. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on a variety of projects focused on restoring wetlands. Oftentimes, macroinvertebrate communities are used as proxies for determining restoration success because macroinvertebrates are excellent indicators of water quality and wetland function. However, collecting, identifying, and calculating invertebrate abundance or diversity metrics can be a laborious and time-consuming process. Our goal for this study was to quantify macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity on recently restored wetlands and compare them to low-quality and reference-standard wetlands. Our objective was to isolate the invertebrate community characteristics of the restored wetlands that were influencing separation or clustering with the low-quality or reference-standard wetlands. We used stovepipe cores and multi-habitat dip-nets to collect macroinvertebrates at each wetland approximately every 30 days for one year. An NMDS showed invertebrate diversity for two easement wetlands closely resembled reference-standard wetlands within a few years post-restoration. The relative abundance of certain invertebrate groups, such as predators and emergent taxa, influenced the clustering of the easement and reference wetlands. Because aquatic macroinvertebrates are excellent indicators of wetland health and function, using more efficient community assessment methods can help rapidly identify effective restoration techniques on a larger scale and provide for adaptive management in subsequent years.
Spring Scholars Week 2021 Event
Watershed Studies Institute Symposium
Quality over quantity: Identifying new macroinvertebrate community metrics for improved wetland monitoring
Wetlands improve the quality of our nation’s streams, rivers, and lakes, and they support a diverse assemblage of plant and animal species. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on a variety of projects focused on restoring wetlands. Oftentimes, macroinvertebrate communities are used as proxies for determining restoration success because macroinvertebrates are excellent indicators of water quality and wetland function. However, collecting, identifying, and calculating invertebrate abundance or diversity metrics can be a laborious and time-consuming process. Our goal for this study was to quantify macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity on recently restored wetlands and compare them to low-quality and reference-standard wetlands. Our objective was to isolate the invertebrate community characteristics of the restored wetlands that were influencing separation or clustering with the low-quality or reference-standard wetlands. We used stovepipe cores and multi-habitat dip-nets to collect macroinvertebrates at each wetland approximately every 30 days for one year. An NMDS showed invertebrate diversity for two easement wetlands closely resembled reference-standard wetlands within a few years post-restoration. The relative abundance of certain invertebrate groups, such as predators and emergent taxa, influenced the clustering of the easement and reference wetlands. Because aquatic macroinvertebrates are excellent indicators of wetland health and function, using more efficient community assessment methods can help rapidly identify effective restoration techniques on a larger scale and provide for adaptive management in subsequent years.