Abiotic Control of Stream Biota:Abiotic Control of Stream Biota:Physical, Chemical, Hydrological and Physical, Chemical, Hydrological and

Spatial FactorsSpatial Factors

Abiotic Control of Stream Biota:Abiotic Control of Stream Biota:Physical, Chemical, Hydrological and Physical, Chemical, Hydrological and

Spatial FactorsSpatial Factors

Kevin KaneKevin KaneKevin KaneKevin KaneAnimal Ecology 518, Stream EcologyAnimal Ecology 518, Stream Ecology

Dr. Clay PierceDr. Clay PierceAnimal Ecology 518, Stream EcologyAnimal Ecology 518, Stream Ecology

Dr. Clay PierceDr. Clay Pierce

Topics of DiscussionTopics of Discussion

Describe physical, chemical, hydrological and spatial factors that influence the stream environment.

Illustrate these factors using the Wheeling Creek watershed project in West Virginia.

Illustrate the interdependence of these factors using GIS as a tool for rivers and watersheds in Iowa.

Background:Background:

The WheelingThe WheelingCreek WatershedCreek Watershed

Wheeling CreekWheeling CreekBackground InformationBackground Information

Wheeling Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River and drains a portion of northern West Virginia and the southwestern area of Pennsylvania.

Total drainage basin area is approximately 30,000 mi2, and consists of forested, agricultural, urban, and industrial landcover.

Wheeling Creek is typical of the upper Ohio River tributary streams.

Wheeling Creek Location MapWheeling Creek Location Map

Watershed Site MapWatershed Site Map

Streams, Sites, and Sampling Streams, Sites, and Sampling Locations in the WatershedLocations in the Watershed

Sites A-F Wheeling Creek Watershed

Topographic Map: Sites A-FTopographic Map: Sites A-F

Site F: High Altitude PhotoSite F: High Altitude Photo

Lower Wheeling Creek Site F: 2.6 km upstream of the Ohio River at Tunnel Green area, Wheeling, WV.

Site F: Topographic MapSite F: Topographic Map

Site F: Low Altitude Aerial PhotoSite F: Low Altitude Aerial Photo

Site F: Stream Level ViewSite F: Stream Level View

Site of Wheeling Creek Wall in Site of Wheeling Creek Wall in 18901890

Site of Wheeling Creek Wall in Site of Wheeling Creek Wall in 19961996

Physical & Physical & HydrologicalHydrological Factors Factors

Physical & Hydrological FactorsPhysical & Hydrological Factors

Stream Order Current / Discharge Substrate Temperature Human Factors

Stream OrderStream Order

Stream order is a measure of the relative size of streams.

Stream sizes range from the smallest, first-order, to the largest, the twelfth-order (the Amazon River).

Over 80% of the total length of Earth's rivers and streams are headwater streams (first- and second-order).

Stream OrderStream Order

Streams gradually increase their widthand depth as theygo from 1st orderto nth order.

Water discharge also increases asorder increases.

Topography and Stream OrderTopography and Stream Order

Comparison of 3rd and 4th Order Comparison of 3rd and 4th Order Stream WatershedsStream Watersheds

Comparison of 3rd and 5th Order Comparison of 3rd and 5th Order Stream WatershedsStream Watersheds

1st Order Stream1st Order Stream

2nd Order Stream2nd Order Stream

3rd Order Stream3rd Order Stream

4th Order Stream4th Order Stream

5th Order Stream5th Order Stream

6th Order 6th Order StreamStream

Hydrology and Hydrology and Stream OrderStream Order

Current / DischargeCurrent / Discharge

Water velocity and associated forces are huge factors affecting organisms of running waters food delivery every day physical forces in-stream ecological distributions behavioral adaptations

Effects of flow on aquatic organisms Flow environments

channel nearbed pools

Boundary layers friction between moving fluid and a

stationary surface organisms attaching to surfaces

Current / DischargeCurrent / Discharge

Hydrology and Body ShapeHydrology and Body Shape

SubstrateSubstrate

Bottom, sides, and projecting into streams Mineral Substrate

Current and parent material geology soils

Organic Substrates minute organic fragments fallen trees rooted plants other animals

Limestone BedLimestone Bed

SubstrateSubstrate

Substrate and BiologySubstrate and Biology

TemperatureTemperature

Natural Influences climatic zone altitude air temp season streamside vegetation water depth flow rate snow melt groundwater mixing

TemperatureTemperature

Human Activity (Thermal Pollution) coolant discharge storm water (roofs, pavement) removal of streamside vegetation lancover changes

agricultural practices construction recreation erosion (suspended solids)

Temperature / ChemicalTemperature / ChemicalInteractionInteraction

Chemical processes involved in metabolism growth reproduction behavior

Sensitivity (thermal stress and shock) of organisms to toxic wastes parasites diseases

Dissolved Oxygen Warmer temps decrease the ability of water

to hold oxygen molecules

TemperatureTemperature

Temperature and BiologyTemperature and Biology

Human FactorsHuman Factors

Landcover / Landuse Change

Sewage

Pollution

Human FactorsHuman Factors

Landcover Landcover vs.vs.Diversity Diversity

SewageSewage

PollutionPollution

Weather and BiologyWeather and Biology

Physical Data Physical Data

Chemical Factors

Water ChemistryWater Chemistry

Many factors influence the composition of river water

There is much spatial variation of stream water chemistry

The ultimate source of all the constituents of stream water originate from dissolution of the earth’s rocks

Water ChemistryWater Chemistry

Chemical FactorsChemical Factors

pH Alkalinity Conductivity Hardness Dissolved Gasses (oxygen, carbon

dioxide, and nitrogen)

Chemical SettlingChemical Settling

pHpH The concentration of hydrogen ions in

the solution (acidity and alkalinity) Every unit change in pH represents a

ten fold change in acidity

Factors in pH of Natural Water bedrock and soil type vegetation type nature and discharge of pollutants concentration of carbonates and carbon

dioxide high concent. produce alkaline water (hi pH) low concent. produce acidic waters (low pH)

pHpHNormal surface waters

range from 5.5 - 8.5

pHpH

Chemical reactions within streams can cause a weak buffer

Buffering is the ability of water to resist a change in its pH

As acidity increases, the buffering capacity is consumed

AlkalinityAlkalinityBuffering Action of StreamsBuffering Action of Streams

Water HardnessWater Hardness

Total concentration of cations calcium magnesium iron manganese

A reflection of the watershed geology and also human activity in the watershed

Important in the formation of cell material in aquatic plants and animals

ConductivityConductivity

The ability of an aqueous solution to carry an electrical current through the movement of ions

Indicator for dissolved chemicals in water

Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen

Two main sources in stream water atmosphere

waves and tumbling water mix air into water where oxygen readily dissolves until saturation occurs

photosynthesis oxygen is introduced by aquatic plants

and algae as a byproduct of photosynthesis

Dissolved oxygen decreases with rise in temperature

Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen

Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen

Essential for fish, invertebrate, plant, and aerobic bacteria respiration 5-6 ppm - normal fish growth activity 3 ppm - stressful to most aquatic

organisms <1-2 ppm will not support fish

Oxygen deficiency factor examples aquatic organism consumption sewage urban and ag runoff industrial discharge

Leaf LitterLeaf Litter

Stream ChemistStream Chemist

Chemical DataChemical Data

SpatialSpatial Factors Factors

Spatial FactorsSpatial Factors

Spatial scale and spatial distribution of physical and chemical factors influence an individual stream dramatically.

The interdependence of these factors and their analysis can predict a given stream environment.

Spatial FactorsSpatial Factors

Geology Soils Landcover Human activities

landfills industrial areas cities agricultural uses

Maps and GIS - Spatial monitoring and Analysis

Spatial FactorsSpatial Factors

Typical Landcover in WatershedTypical Landcover in Watershed

Geology and BiologyGeology and Biology

Remote Sensing DataRemote Sensing Data

Site Topographic MapSite Topographic Map

Site A: High Altitude PhotoSite A: High Altitude Photo

Lower Wheeling Creek Site A: 12.0 Kilometers upstream of the Ohio River at Elm Grove, W.V.

Site A: Topographic MapSite A: Topographic Map

Site A: Low Altitude Aerial PhotoSite A: Low Altitude Aerial Photo

Site A: Stream Level ViewSite A: Stream Level View

Scene on Big Wheeling Creek in Scene on Big Wheeling Creek in 19041904

Sampling SitesSampling Sites

Water quality sampling sites are representative of various sized streams from north to south and east to west.

This allows comparison of water quality at one site with the water quality at other sites within the watershed.

This is a “watershed approach”, which means that it is important to view water quality at any one site within the context of water quality in the overall watershed.

Streams, Sites, and Sampling Streams, Sites, and Sampling Locations in the WatershedLocations in the Watershed

Sampling LocationsSampling Locations

Physical Data From Sampling Physical Data From Sampling LocationsLocations

Chemical Data From Sampling Chemical Data From Sampling LocationsLocations

Biological Data From Sampling Biological Data From Sampling LocationsLocations

Biological Data From Sampling Biological Data From Sampling LocationsLocations

Spatial Factors and BiologySpatial Factors and Biology

Affect on Stream Biota

Volunteer Monitoring GroupVolunteer Monitoring Group

StoneflyStonefly

BiomonitoringBiomonitoring

MolluskMollusk

Biological DataBiological Data

River Continuum ConceptRiver Continuum Concept

Interdependence of Interdependence of Abiotic Factors:Abiotic Factors:

Using GIS As a Tool for Using GIS As a Tool for Streams and Watershed Streams and Watershed

Analysis in IowaAnalysis in Iowa.

Iowa’s Native LandscapeIowa’s Native Landscape

Surveying CrewSurveying Crew

Iowa’s PrairieIowa’s Prairie

Prairie StreamPrairie Stream

Plowing the PrairiePlowing the Prairie

Tiling the Prairie for AgricultureTiling the Prairie for Agriculture

Tiling the Prairie for AgricultureTiling the Prairie for Agriculture

Straightening a Prairie StreamStraightening a Prairie Stream

Abiotic Factors:Abiotic Factors:Visualization and AnalysisVisualization and Analysis

in a GISin a GIS

SummarySummary

Stream environment is very dependent on the physical and chemical factors of the watershed.

A specific stream environment is very dependent upon the spatial distribution of these factors in the watershed.

References References

Allan, J.D. 1995. Stream Ecology -- Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman and Hall, UK.

Andersen, K., et al. 1997. Historical Land Use and Surface Hydrology Alterations in Iowa Agricultural Watersheds. ISU Dept. of Animal Ecology, Ames.

Roth,N.E., J.D. Allan, and D.L. Erickson, 1996, Landscape influences on stream biotic integrity assessed at multiple spatial scales. Landscape Ecology 11: 141-156.

Myers, Robert. 1998. NASA Classroom of the Future: Exploring the Environment - Water Quality. Wheeling, WV. http://www.cotf.edu/ete/main.html

References (cont.) References (cont.)

Anderson P. F. 1997. GIS Research to Digitize Maps of Iowa 1832-1859 Vegetation from General Land Office Township Plat Maps. Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 1998. Natural Resources Geographic Information System Library. Iowa DNR, Des Moines.

Photo Credits NASA Classroom of the Future : Exploring the

Environment - Water Quality. Wheeling, WV. http://www.cotf.edu/ete/main.html

Andersen, Kathy. ISU Dept. of Animal Ecology Arbuckle, Kelly. ISU Dept. of Animal Ecology