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Water Pollution: Organic Waste and Enrichment
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Headwater stream, Rocky Mountains National Park, CO R.Grippo
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River Continuum Concept A Holistic View River Continuum Concept A Holistic View Streams are gradients or continua Downstream processes are linked to upstream events Gradients and processes produce a continuous and predictable change in the assemblages of organisms along the stream system
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Functional Feeding Groups Stream benthic macroinvertebrates Fishes Protozoa
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Functional Feeding Groups (Stream benthic macroinvertebrates) GroupMechanisms Food ShreddersChewers of wood and CPOM Living/decomposing plant tissue CollectorsFiltering/gatheringFPOM (sewage) and surface films ScrapersRasping, scrapingperiphyton PredatorsEngulfing, piercingWhole animal, animal tissue PiercersSuckingLiving hydrophytes ParasitesInvasionLiving animal and plant tissue
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Change from Upper To Lower Reaches
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Headwater stream, GSMNP Upper Reaches (headwater to 3rd order) - strong influence of riparian vegetation - reduction of autotrophic production by shading (P/R <1) - most energy input via allochthonous detritus (CPOM) - microorganisms growing on surface of CPOM provide actual E. to shredders (peanut butter on crackers, Oreo cookie) R. Grippo
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Middle Reaches (order 4 to 6) - CPOM FPOM via organic transport from upstream - CPOM FPOM via organic transport from upstream -Decrease in shading increase in primary production (P/R >1) -Less dependent on external energy sources Middle reach, Spring River, Centre Co., PA
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Delaware River, NJ/PA border
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Lower Reaches (order > 6) - still FPOM - still FPOM - water more cloudy, deep decrease in primary productivity (P/R < 1 again) - water more cloudy, deep decrease in primary productivity (P/R < 1 again) - increased importance of planktonic organisms
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Note: streams are variable, much of Vannote is wrong for western streams Headwater stream in Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming R. Grippo
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Middle reach of stream in Colorado
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Impacts on Streams 1.Physical – channel alteration, impoundment, sedimentation 2. Chemical a.Point sources – toxic waste, sewage b.Nonpoint sources – urban, agricultural runoff
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Major Water Pollutants 1. Oxygen-demanding wastes (domestic sewage, animal manure, some industrial waste) 2. Disease-causing agents (bacteria, parasites, and viruses) 3. Inorganic wastes and minerals (acids, salts and toxic metals) 4. Organic chemicals (pesticides, plastics, detergents, industrial waste, oil 5. Plant nutrients (nitrates, and phosphates from fertilizers) 6. Sediments (soils, silt, and other solids from land erosion) 7. Heat (industrial and power plant cooling)
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Anthropogenic Enrichment 1.Sewage – alters normal E. source from leaves/algae to disposable sewage (FPOM) Note: Fish hatcheries have a similar effect Note: Fish hatcheries have a similar effect 2. Logging – takes off riparian cover a. Decreases leaves entering system b. increases runoff/siltation 3. Farming – causes nonpoint source input a. input of crop nutrients excess algae b. siltation – change in embeddedness shift to organisms that live on silt 4. Other toxicants – reduce diversity by removing organisms according to sensitivity
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