benthic macroinvertebrate as indicators of mine drainage impacts and recovery efforts
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Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Acid Mine Drainage Impacts and Recovery Efforts
Conemaugh Valley Conservancy - Kiski –Conemaugh Stream Team Eric Null, Aquatic Biologist
AMR ConferenceAugust 2013
Macroinvertebrates as Pollution Indicators
• Provide a Historic Record
• Can Only Move Downstream (Catastrophic Drift)
• Very Noticeable Community Changes
Pollution
• Types of Pollution – Acidic– Organic– Chemical (synthetic, industrial)– Metal Compounds (salts)– Thermal
• Most Common – Acidic– Organic
Acid vs. Organic Macroinvertebrate Reactions
• Acid– Decrease in
Biomass**(what was biomass)
– Decrease in Diversity – Increase in Shredder
Taxa – Increase in Tolerant Taxa
• Organic – Increase in Biomass– Decrease in Diversity – Decrease in EPT Taxa **
(always exceptions)– Increase in Collector and
Predator Taxa
Acidic Pollution Indicators
• Genus Level ID Necessary With Many Taxa
• EPT Can Increase • Decrease in Diversity
Indicator Taxa High Acidity and Toxic Metals
• Blood Midges • Semi Aquatic Beetle
Larvae
Indicator Taxa Medium –Low Acidity Low Toxic Metals
• Stone Flies – Acroneuria– Amphinemura– Sweltsa– Taeniopteryx
• Mayflies– Baetis– Caenis– Leptophlebia– Paraleptophlebia– Stenacron– Maccaffertium
• Caddis Flies
– Cheumatopsyche– Hydropsyche– Chimarra– Diplectronia– Lype– Neureclipsis– Polycentropus– Rhyacophila
Macroinvertebrate Indicators Continued
• Megaloptera– Sialis– Corydalus
• Beetles– Stenelmis
• Diptera– Simulidae– Tipula– Chironomidae
• Crayfish– Cambarus
• Dragonflies– Boyeria
Sources of Acidic Pollution
• Mining • Precipitation (Acid
Deposition)• Geologic
Macroinvertebrate Effects from Mining Acidity
• Chronic – Depending on Severity
(Metals) =Almost Total Loss of Community
– Most Limiting Factor is Aluminum
– Many Macros can Tolerate pH Below 4.5
• Episodic (pulse)– Low Diversity – Low Biomass– Complete Community
but Mostly Tolerant Individuals (Plecoptera, Trichoptera)
– Low Total Number of Individuals
Streams With Chronic Mine Drainage
EPT Total Individuals Total Taxa0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
71
14
4
33
3 3
Examples of Chronic Acid Mine Drainage
Stream A Stream B
Streams With Episodic Mine Drainage
EPT Total Individuals Total Taxa Percent Dominant Taxa 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
22
270
15
6236
14 628
Episodic Acidification
Stream A Stream B
Acid Precipitation Effects on Macroinvertebrate Communities
• High Metals/Low pH (below 4.8)– Low Individuals – Low Diversity – Chironomidae, Semi
Aquatic Beetles, Sialis
• Low Metals/pH (4.0-5.8 Most Common)– Increase in Shredder
Stonefly Taxa – Tolerant Cadisflies
Hydropsyche, Cheumatopsyche
– Possible Baetis– Low Diversity – Ok Biomass Depending
on Season
Streams with Acid Deposition High Metal vs. Low Metal
EPT Total Individuals Total Taxa Percent Dominant Taxa 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
1539
7
7772
376
1548
High vs. Low Metal Acid Deposition
High Metal Low Metal
Acid Geology Effects on Macroinvertebrates
• Naturally Occuring Acidity due to Geologic Strata or Bogs
• Usually Lower Toxic Metal Concentrations
• Prolific Shredder Stonefly Taxa • High Biomass Depending on
the Season • pH Usually above 4.2 • Crayfish• Black flies • Can have Baetis • Low Diversity
The Tale of Limestone Testing on Acidic Geology Streams
• Spruce Run • Limestone Rock Packs to Test Armoring • Stoneflies (Amphinemura)• Blackflies • Many Macroinvertebrates Colonized the Rock
Packs
Curve Ball: Very Infertile Streams
• Very Infertile Streams Exhibit Diversities and Biomasses of Acidified Streams
• They are Pristine • Taxa Composition is Different • At Family Level they Look Identical to Acidified
Taxa • At Genus Level they are Acid Intolerant or
Facultative Taxa
Examples of Infertile Streams
EPT
Total Individuals
Total Taxa
Percent Dominant Taxa
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
62
20
8
45
45
38
14
48
Infertile Streams
Stream BStream A
After Proper Treatment
• Macroinvertebrate Communities Will Shift on the Genus Level First
• Family Level Shifts Occur Much Later • Biomass May Decrease for a While • Diversity May Decrease
Acidified Stream Recovery
EPT Total Individuals Total Taxa Percent Dominant Taxa 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100 93
61
11
50
81
27
1322
Impacted Stream vs. Recovering Stream
ImpactedRecovering
All Acidic Conditions Discussed
• Impair Brook Trout • Brook Trout will Often Recolonize Before
Macroinvertebrates• If the Type of Acidic Condition is Misdiagnosed
Treatment will Not Work
Acidified Streams Summary
• Are Often Outliers When Run Through IBIs• If Further Investigation is not Deep Enough
Acidity can be Blamed on Infertility • Mix Organics with Acid and it is a Whole New
Ball Game• Thorough Assessment Requires Thinking
Outside the Box
Macroinvertebrate Data Interpretation and Collection Trainings
• Available at No Cost Through the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team and C-SAW
• Contact Melissa Reckner 814-444-2669 mreckner@kcstreamteam.org
Questions?
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