benthic macroinvertebrate as indicators of mine drainage impacts and recovery efforts
DESCRIPTION
Eric Null, Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (CVC), “Benthic Macroinvertebrate as Indicators of Mine Drainage Impacts and Recovery Efforts” Benthic macroinvertebrates have been used as water quality indicators for decades, but significant weight on the information that they provide has only occurred in recent years. Their communities provide a historic look at water quality due to their inability to seek refuge during times of pollution episodes. Correlating acid impacts with these “stream bugs” requires a much deeper look into the communities than some standard metrics allow.TRANSCRIPT
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 [email protected]
Questions?