1. ANDREW J. KIRK, MATTHEW G. ROUCH, AND DANIEL J. MCGARVEY
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY,
RICHMOND, VA
METHODS
RESULTSPURPOSE
This study addresses the lack of reference condition
information on southern West Virginia streams and
the absence of robust biomass and population growth
data by performing seasonal sampling within
minimally impacted, headwater streams in three of the
region’s major river drainages.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this project was provided by VCU (New Faculty Start-up Grant) and
the Eppley Foundation for Scientific Research.
FLOW
West Virginia is largely dependent upon a coal-based economy and has
utilized multiple methods of harvesting coal, including mountaintop removal
mining (MTR). MTR has proliferated throughout the southern half of the
state, with detrimental effects on headwater streams. This makes it
particularly important to characterize baseline reference conditions within
pristine streams, so that ecosystem health may be monitored and assessed.
Benthic macroinvertebrates are critical components of stream ecosystems
and can be used to characterize or infer stream ecosystem health. They are
particularly important in this effort because they often account for the
majority of overall species richness within streams and their presence or
absence can convey important information about the status or health of a
given stream.
BACKGROUND
54.23
57.27
69.05
59.44
55.27
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cabin Creek Mash Fork/ Camp Creek Slaunch Fork
GLIMPSS(CF)
Very Good (≥69)
Good (≥54)
74.54
79.22
86.29
80.74 81.61
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cabin Creek Mash Fork/ Camp Creek Slaunch Fork
WVSCI
Summer
Fall
Very Good(>78)
Good(>68)
%ComparabilitytoReferenceSites
Order: Ephemeroptera
Family: Heptageniidae
Genus: Baetisca
Screw-on bucket
with 500 µm
mesh
500 µm mesh net
Hess Sampler
Slaunch Fork
Cabin Creek
Mash Fork/Camp Creek
New River drainage
Guyandotte River drainage
Tug Fork drainage
Mountaintop mining site
We collected macroinvertebrate samples in July and October 2013 using a
Hess sampler, preserved them with a 70% ethanol solution, and transported
them back to the lab.
In the lab, the macroinvertebrates were identified to genus-level (with a few
exceptions) and head-widths were measured using an ocular micrometer.
Published length-mass regressions were used to calculate biomass estimates.
We scored the sites using 3 existing indices of biotic integrity:
West Virginia Stream Condition Index =WVSCI
Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region Macroinvertebrate Biotic Integrity Index =
MAHR MBII
Genus-Level Index of Most Probable Stream Status (Chironomidae to
Family) = GLIMPSS(CF)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Mash Fork
(Summer)
Camp Creek
(Fall)
Cabin Creek
(Summer)
Cabin Creek
(Fall)
Slaunch Fork
(Fall)
mg/m2
Low Estimate
Average Estimate
High Estimate
Biomass Density
Metrics GLIMPSS (CF) MAHR MBII WVSCI
Total taxa X X
% Chironomidae X
% Dominant 2 taxa X
% Dominant 5 taxa X X
% EPT - Cheumatopsyche X
% EPT taxa X
% Non-insects X
Collector-Filterer taxa X
Clinger taxa X
Ephemeroptera taxa X X
EPT taxa X
Intolerant taxa X
Modified Hilsenhoff Biotic
Index X X X
Plecoptera taxa X X
Trichoptera taxa X
Shredder taxa X
Multi-metric Indices