Life Sciences Commons^™

Aquatic Insect Community Structure And Secondary Production In Southcentral Alaska Streams With Contrasting Thermal And Hydrologic Regimes, Samantha D. Hertel

Master's Theses

Streams along the Copper River Delta, southcentral Alaska, exhibit contrasting thermal and hydrologic variability associated with being primarily groundwater-fed (GWF) or surface water-fed (SWF). Groundwater-fed streams are predictable both thermally and hydrologically year round, whereas SWF streams are unpredictable and exhibit more variable thermal and hydrologic regimes. These differences may strongly influence aquatic insect community structure and secondary production. Four streams, two GWF and two SWF, were sampled twice monthly from late April 2013 through August 2013 and once seasonally in fall (September) and early winter (November). Aquatic insect community structure differed markedly in both hydrologic types. Taxa richness was …