Benthic macro invertebrate diversity in the Sydenham River watershed
Project Overview
Project Overview
Benthic macroinvertebrates are widely used as a biomonitoring tool, as communities shift predictably in response to human impacts. However, several papers have highlighted the role of local context in explaining community composition. To date, few publications have examined community trends in the Sydenham river watershed, a regionally important ecosystem for freshwater species at risk.
To better understand the environmental factors that shape communities in the region, I compared data from the main-stem and tributary reaches of the East Branch Sydenham River, using exploratory multivariate statistics. Overall, I found that tributary and main-stem reaches varied in water quality and sediment, which in turn explained differences in community composition. My findings suggest that main-stem reaches show fewer signs of degradation and support diverse communities, while tributary reaches may present an opportunity for restoration.
Future research will seek to compare communities across entire watersheds (North vs. East Branch Sydenham), and further delineate the role of spatial scale.
