Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Effects Of Switchgrass Related Land-Use Changes On Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, Latha Malar Baskaran

Doctoral Dissertations

This research examines if switchgrass-based land-management practices have the potential to influence aquatic macroinvertebrates through changes in stream flow and water quality. The number of taxa in Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera orders (EPT taxa richness/EPT-TR) is analyzed as an aquatic macroinvertebrate bioindicator in the context of regional environmental effects, and changes in stream flow and water quality. This dissertation is structured as three manuscripts that link together to address the overall research question.

The first manuscript focuses on identifying regional environmental variables that influence EPT-TR across ecoregions in Tennessee. The influences of temperature, precipitation, geology, soil, stream flow and velocity …

Linking Stream Sediment Metrics And Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Status In East Tennessee Streams, Grant Thomas Lynch

Masters Theses

Excess sediment is one of the leading causes of impairment of the rivers and streams of Tennessee and in the United States. Sediment acts as a pollutant by degrading the quality of habitat for fish and other aquatic life. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) currently assesses the quality of streams in Tennessee by conducting benthic macroinvertebrate surveys. These surveys use seven biometrics to calculate Tennessee Macroinvertebrate Index (TMI) scores. This method is well tested and reliable, but it has not been shown to directly link changes in stream sediment characteristics to macroinvertebrate status. Finding a stream sediment …