An investigation of the effects of the University of Michigan Biological Station's Stream Lab on secondary production within the Maple River.

Abstract

Increasing awareness of human impacts on the environment has led to extensive research in stream and river ecology. Thus far however, only impacts resulting from urban development and logging have been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of our experiment was to determine whether a currently operating stream research facility was affecting secondary production within a temperate river. To investigate these effects, tiles were used for colonization at four sites in the experiment area. Secondary production was assessed from samples taken from the tiles. Significant differences in average density, biomass, average length and mass occurred in two of the four sites: the upstream site and within the stream lab. These differences were not significant in the other two sites. The significant differences between the upstream site and the stream lab suggest that the stream lab is having an affect on one particular benthic invertebrate collected. The effect is likely to be similar to the effects of high intensity spate on organisms.