TEMPLATE DESIGN © 2008 www.PosterPresentations.com The Response of Stonefly and Mayfly Populations to Total Phosphorus Levels Research Conducted by: Elise Huntley and Lexie Huntley Introduction Methods Regression Chart GIS Map Conclusion Acknowledgments Trend line showing the inverse relation between the Percentage of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera (E+P) versus Total Phosphorus (ug/L) concentration Results As participants in the Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project, our methods were as follows: •Sampled total phosphorus in streams across Vermont twice a month (Figure 1). •Sent the samples to be tested at University of Vermont (UVM). •During the sampling period, macroinvertebrates were collected from four different riffles in each stream. •Selected the different specimens using a random sampling method. •Identified the macroinvertebrates using the Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the Upper Midwest, a Stereoscope, and the assistance of the Biology Department at St. Michael’s College. •Designated total phosphorus as our independent variable; Percentage populations of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera macroinvertebrates were designated as our dependent variable. •Retrieved data from eight (8) other stream sites. (Figure 1). •Averaged the percentage of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera versus the total phosphorus average of each stream. •Compared the quantities of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera to the total phosphorus (ug/L) in each stream site using the correlation coefficient and the R 2 value. •Tested our hypothesis by using a regression chart and trophic bar graph (Figures 2 and 3). We decided to test whether increasing amounts of Total Phosphorus present in Vermont streams will have an inverse effect on the populations of Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) and Stonefly (Plecoptera) Macroinvertebrates. We chose Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera because they are plentiful in Vermont streams, easy to collect, and, due to their need for dissolved oxygen, they respond quickly to excessive total phosphorus levels. Studies by the State of Vermont and others show that total phosphorus is directly related to the levels of oxygen in the water. 1 Phosphorus is a necessary nutrient for all life forms. When phosphorus increases, plant growth immediately responds both in vitality and in the quantity of plants themselves. The plants then compete with other aquatic life to use the available oxygen in the water. Thus, the greater the phosphorus levels, the lower the oxygen levels that are available for macroinvertebrates to breathe. Additionally, plants at the water’s surface prevent the wind from agitating the water. The amount of oxygen absorbed into the water is then further decreased. The result is that too much phosphorus makes it difficult for Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera macroinvertebrates to survive. We hypothesized that since Vermont has urban areas, agricultural areas and national forests, we would find streams with a wide range of total phosphorus concentrations (see Figure 3). This makes it possible to test our hypothesis that oxygen sensitive macroinvertebrates will respond inversely to phosphorus concentrations. We would like to thank: Christine Colella, Claire Huntley, Jason Saltman and Richard Huntley for helping with the fieldwork, collecting the macroinvertebrates, writing the report, the graphs, the posters and so much more. The Grinold and the Child families for allowing us access to the stream sites, Professor Declan McCabe and his students for helping us ID the macroinvertebrates, Lexie Haselton for the GIS Map and the data, and everyone at UVM, St. Michael’s College and Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project for all they do to make the streams project a success. Our results strongly supported our hypothesis. We performed a correlation test to discover if there was a relationship between our data sets of macroinvertebrates and total phosphorus. A correlation test indicates whether there is a relationship between data sets. The closer the correlation coefficient is to either positive one or negative one, the stronger the relationship is between data sets. Our correlation coefficient was -0.87397. The negative sign means that one of our data sets decreased as the other data set increased. Our tests showed a strong inverse relationship between our data sets showing that our selected macroinvertebrates decreased as total phosphorus increased. We then tested our data using regression analysis to see if one data set was dependent on the other data set. Our regression analysis value was 0.76383 which is, statistically, extremely close to one. Thus, our analysis shows a strong inverse dependant relationship between Phosphorus and the presence of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera in Vermont streams. Through these tests, we verified our observations that an increase in Total Phosphorus does decrease the total populations of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera macroinvertebrates. Trophic Chart In conclusion, our study shows, through statistical analysis, that the total populations of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera are strongly dependant on changes in Total Phosphorus. Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera macroinvertebrates only moderately react to total phosphorus in 0-14 u/L which is a healthy range of nutrients for plant and aquatic life. Once the presence of Phosphorus increases beyond the 14 u/L, plant growth explodes and consumes too much of available dissolved oxygen. The result is that Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera macroinvertebrates correspondingly decrease due to lack of oxygen. Our study indicates that the presence of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera in aquatic environments is a reliable indicator of the health of Vermont Streams. Future experiments might include the relationship between macroinvertebrates and chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, turbidity or water temperatures to better understand whether the presence Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera in streams is a reliable indicator of clean water from different perspectives. Ephemeroptera And Plecoptera References Phosphorus Oxygen Oligotrophic : Having a deficiency of plant nutrients that is usually accompanied by an abundance of dissolved oxygen. 5 Mesotrophic : Reservoirs and lakes which contain moderate quantities of nutrients and are moderately productive in terms of aquatic animal and plant life. 6 Eutrophic : Characterized by an abundant accumulation of nutrients that support a dense growth of algae and other organisms, the decay of which depletes the shallow waters of oxygen in summer. 7 Mayfly nymph – Siphlonurus typicus Notice the gills and the long body. These Mayflies are important to streams because they are sensitive to oxygen. Mayflies are one of the most important food sources for fish. Mayflies move like dolphins and are very strong swimmers. 2 Stonefly nymph – Malirekus iroquois Notice the two tails and the armored body. Stoneflies move like turtles and many stalk their prey. Stoneflies are one of the most sensitive macroinvertebrates to human disturbance. 4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Streams categorized into trophic levels comparing populations of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera and Total Phosphorus from 2008 Data Total Phosphorus (ug/L) Average population of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera/100 Oligotrophic 0-7 ug/L Mesotrophic 7-14 ug/L Eutrophic >14 ug/L Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Macroinvertebrates Additional Information References Continued 1 Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, Water Quality Division (United States) [VTANR/VTDEC]. A Survey of Nation’s Lakes - EPA’s National Lake Assessment and Survey of Vermont Lakes. Waterbury (VT): VTANR, VT DEC, Water Quality Division; 2009 Available from: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/lakes/docs/lp_VT_LakeSurvey_07-08.pdf 2 Richards C. Take Me Fishing [homepage on the Internet]. Alexandria (VA): Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation; 2008. [cited 2010 Apr. 7]. Available from: http://www.takemefishing.org/fishing/fly-fishing/fishing- flies-lures/what-fish-eat . (stonefly and mayfly info) 3 VanDyk J. BugGuide.Net [homepage on the Internet]. (IA): Creative Commons; 2009 Apr. 15. [cited 2010 Apr. 7]. Available from: http://bugguide.net/node/view/266381 . (Mayfly image); http://bugguide.net/node/view/263123 (Stonefly image) 4 Fore L S. Statistical Design [homepage on the Internet]. Seattle (WA): 1998. [cited 2010 Apr. 7]. Available from: http://www.seanet.com/~leska/Online/Guide.html . (stonefly and mayfly info) 5 Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary . 2010. Merriam-Webster Online. 7 April 2010. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligotrophic 6 Websters-Online-Dictionary . 2010. Webster's Online Dictionary: The Rosetta Edition. 7 April 2010. http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org 7 Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) , Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. http://www.dictionary.com Carlson, R.E. and J. Simpson. 1996. A Coordinator’s Guide to Volunteer Lake Monitoring Methods. North American Lake Management Society. 96 pp. Available from: http://dipin.kent.edu/trophic_state.htm Ramey V. Plant Management in Florida Waters [homepage on the Internet]. University of Florida (FL): Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of Florida, and the Invasive Plant Management Section of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 2003. [cited 2010 Mar.]. Available from: http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/trophstate.html . Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project 109 Carrigan Drive, 120 Marsh Life Science, Burlington, VT 05405 Phone: 802-656-5467 www.uvm.edu/~streams/ Mayfly nymph – Siphlonurus typicus 3 Stonefly nymph – Malirekus iroquois 3 y = -0.0201x + 0.677 R² = 0.7638 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Percentage of E+P Total P (u/L) Phosphorus vs. Percentage of E+P