Pollution Is An Influential Factor On The Diversity Of The Stream

The health of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay was found based on Biological (macroinvertebrates and wildlife) and Chemicals characteristics (pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, etc.) as well as physical observations (amount of forested buffers, wetlands, etc.) Overall it was concluded that the health of the water was good to excellent. What was found was that many of the macroinvertebrates found in the water were sensitive or facultative, meaning the water quality was good enough for them to live in. Also, the level of ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, and turbidity showed that the water quality was good. Finally, while we were canoeing down the Susquehanna River, observations were made on the land

Through our research we aimed to determine if there were any differences in water quality of both the north and south forks of Strawberry Creek. As time progresses and the environment changes it is important to keep track of how certain species are being impacted by these features, and how they cope with change. We hypothesized that due to the lack of pollution, the south fork will promote a greater diversity of macroinvertebrates. This was due to the fact that there was less runoff and trash that could be introduced to the water in the south fork, than there was in the north fork. We gathered data by analyzing the different organisms living in both forks. We collected a total of fifty vials composed of five organisms from each fork, and inspected them under microscopic view. After gathering data and identifying the different kinds of organisms living in the different forks we assessed whether the organisms from the samples could live in high or low resolution water. We also took a t-test to assess the probability of these differences being due to relevant factors or by chance. Our major findings suggest that organisms in the south fork showed a higher demand to living in cleaner water indicating that our hypothesis was correct.

Scene in Fig. 1.1., the Chesapeake Bay is substantial in size; at roughly 64,000 miles, it contains roughly fifty rivers and thousands of streams and creeks. It encompasses parts of 6 states, including all of Washington, DC. The Chesapeake Bay is what is known as a watershed, an area that contributes to the drainage to a water body, stream, river, lake or ocean. Rainwater that falls within the 64,000 square miles that is the Chesapeake Bay will subsequently travel through many streams and rivers, eventually making its way into the largest estuary system in the United States.

Exercise Lab 1. How much does temperature vary in large and small aquatic environments? Lab 2. What determines the water clarity of lakes, rivers and oceans? Lab 3. Where does the phosphorus go? Lab 4. How does human activity in watersheds affect the quality of lakes and rivers? Lab 5. Are the Great Lakes being influenced by the global greenhouse effect? Lab 6. How is the flow of the Red Cedar River influenced by the weather? Lab 7. What is the relationship between flow and turbidity in the Red Cedar River? Page 2 4 6 8 12 15 18

The river plays an important role in North Carolina’s estuaries found in the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound as it dumps its nutrient-dense waters into the estuaries to feed the system. One of only three rivers to be totally contained within North Carolina’s borders, the river has been noted to have the widest mouth in the continental

On October 6th 2015, the students of Mattawan’s AP Environmental class took a trip to the local stream of the Mattawan Consolidated Schools area. The purpose of this trip was to conduct a stream study to determine the health, conditions, and pollution levels of this small body of water. A multitude of factors came into play when making a judgement on the stream’s health, and making sure to take all of these essential points was crucial to the study. A variety of thorough experiments were conducted to help make this overlying conclusion, as many students adopted many roles in the study. Students used a physical survey form, water test data sheet, and taxa recording sheet to record their findings. Teamwork was essential in making sure all of this information could be found accurately and efficiently. The combination of all of the final results allowed the class to make a judgement of the stream’s state.

Abstract: There is very little known about the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse (SMHM). In 1970, SMHM was added to the endangered list, largely due to the fact their salt water habitats 84% gone. With the mouse being just under 3 inches in length, nocturnal, loving its dense cover protection, and the close resemblance to the Western Harvest Mouse, it makes field identification very difficult. Further research is needed not only into the population numbers of SMHM, but its habitat as well. Capture-recapture will be used to assess the SMHM population, where it will be measured, weighed, a patch of hair taken for re-identification, and released back into its habitat. Subplots will also be measured for the Pickleweed population using USFS protocol. Despite conservation efforts, there is a lot more that needs to be done to evaluate SMHM and its habitat to ensure its continued survival. The objective of this research proposal is to measure the SMHM population and its habitat, in order to evaluate the probability of its continued survival. The results of this research will be forwarded to the appropriate agency for further conservation efforts of SMHM in the San Francisco Bay.

Located near Cowan, Pennsylvania, Conley Run is a tributary of Buffalo Creek that has experienced severe degradation due to agricultural activity. Specifically, the deposition of large amounts of animal wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers has resulted in significant eutrophication throughout the stream. Furthermore, bank degradation associated with the movement of livestock has caused the displacement of foreign sediments into stream habitats. These factors, among many others, have caused the lake to be considered “impaired” by PA-DEP. In response, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, the the Union County Conservation District, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Boat Commision have partnered in an effort to restore stream habitat and create a riparian buffer to protect the stream.

12,000 acres in Ash Meadows for a farming corporation has caused a decline of water, the alarming drop threatens to expose critical spawning and feeding shelves. Devils Hole is famous for its Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) these fish have been around for thousands of years (Services, 3012). The water level fluctuates with precipitation, evaporation, and barometric pressure, tide forces and pumping from near by farms, the concern for the viability of the Pupfish, this species lives in this

Deep in the heart of Wyoming’s Yellowstone ecosystem lies 584,781 acres of beautiful land characterized by various lakes and rivers, lush meadows, high plateaus, and over 450 miles of trails. The Teton Wilderness, known for its hunting and fishing, ranks as one of the best wildlife areas in the nation, home to countless birds, and various species of bears wolves and elk. The wilderness also houses a unique ecosystem of aquatic life consisting fishless ecosystems comprised of a diverse amphibian biota. This has no longer been the case for some time, however, as the lakes were stocked years ago with non-native trout in order to satisfy the recreational and commercial needs for fishing.

Our experiment was conducted in late January at Wet Beaver Creek. Wet Beaver Creek is located south of Flagstaff in the Coconino National Forest (34.663470, -111.669943). Wet beaver creek has an elevation of 1158 meters, with an average annual precipitation of 42.4434cm, and an average temperature range of 26.711111 C in July and 6.166667 C in December. The Wet Beaver creek area has a perennial and ephemeral stream, each with diverse riparian woodland, composed of Populus fremontii (Fremont Cottonwood), Fraxinus velutina (Arizona ash), Platanus wrightii (Arizona sycamore), Juniperus deppeana (Juniper), Alnus oblongifolia (Arizona Alder), and Quercus arizonica (Arizona white oak).

Our data clearly shows that the water quality is pretty good, and the ecosystem is fairly descent. The MSHA gave Sawmill Creek a 73.5 out of 100 for the habitat once we added up all the numbers from the questions we answered, giving us the conclusion that the ecosystem was fairly descent. The LabQuest gave us a pH of 6.88 and a DO of 10.85 ppm, and the chemical test kit gave us results of 7.5 for the pH, and 5 ppm for DO. Both of the pH tests gave us results around 7, which is the neutral, and is what you want. The DO is where we got 10.85 ppm for one, and 5 ppm for the other. A good result is 10 ppm, so with these results, we can conclude the that DO is somewhat decent, with both the results put together. The average velocity of our ten meter area of the creek was .29 m/s. A velocity of .29 m/s is a medium speed, making the water not to fast so creatures can not survive, but not so slow that the water just sits, creating bad filtration for the water. The turbidity of the water was also very good, with the seeing distance of over 100 centimeters using the turbidity tube. All of those tests put together make the water quality result very good. The air temperature was 24.7 degrees celsius, and the water temperature was 23.8 degrees celsius. This shows us that the stream was quite shallow, because of how close the air and water temperature was, but still enough of a difference so it was not to warm for aquatic life. With algae being the only aquatic plant we found, and finding sedges, alsike clover, milkweed, red osier dogwood, and speckled alder on the shore, we can say that these plants did not impact the water quality to an extent of affecting the water quality that much, or even at all. The macroinvertebrates in the water; crayfish, mayflies, leech’s, and 3 different egg species, did not seem to affect the water quality too much, if at

The aim of this essay is to investigate the overall health of the Credit River located in Southern Ontario, Canada through data collected for phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen and pH levels over many years. The Credit River originates around the city of Orangeville and then travels downstream for about 65 kilometers into Lake Ontario, near the Greater Toronto Area (Orphanos, 2004). It is essential to discover the health of this major river as it is one of the few which makes it way through the large urbanized zone including the city of Mississauga. There is a diverse wildlife that is supported by the water source, and it must be considered a priority to sustainably manage and investigate the concentrations of contaminants and water quality

They filter out pollutants and excess nutrients, trap runoff and sediments, provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species, encourage biodiversity, act as wildlife corridors, regulate the temperature of the water, stabilize stream banks, and reduce the risk of flooding (Cunningham). However, such benefits cannot be yielded with buffers that are too small for the size of the stream they are protecting. To maximize the potential for a healthy river, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order streams, or headwaters, must be thoroughly protected (Hawes). Thus, we have determined two minimum widths for riparian buffers in Andrews. 1st and 2nd order streams will have a minimum of 50 feet of riparian buffer because it is the legal North Carolina minimum (Kulz). A width of 100 feet was chosen for 3rd order streams and larger because this is the practice observed in Buncombe County, which is located in a similar geological landscape to Cherokee County, where Andrews is located. No development will be permitted within the minimum measurements for these riparian buffers.

The patterns of biological diversity in rivers and streams among taxa vary on a spatial and temporal scale (Ligeiro et al. 2010; McGarvey and Terra 2015). Variations in stream ecology can be contributed to water quality, habitat, and history of disturbance (Lingeiro et al. 2010). Creeks and streams feed into rivers and other larger bodies of water, which provide food, water, and other commercial and recreational services as well as a home to an array of plants and animals which rely on clean water. The health of these smaller bodies of water can act as indicators for the health of the larger watershed.