Abstract:

Kalma, D. 1996. The relationship between embeddedness and macroinvertebrate diversity indices on the Boquet River. Boquet River Association (Essex County Government Center, Elizabethtown, NY, 12932), 30p.
 

Six sites on the Boquet River with varying percentages of embeddedness, as determined between 1993 and 1995, were arranged as three matched pairs. One of each pair had a high percentage embeddedness, the other a low percentage embeddedness. Macroinvertebrates were sampled between May and July of 1996 using the RBP III protocol.

EPT, Biotic Potential, Species Richness, and Shannon-Weiner Diversity indices were calculated for each site.

A major flood event occurred in January of 1996, before the macroinvertebrates were collected. Later determination of percentage embeddedness at the sites in August and September 1996 showed major changes in the percentage embeddedness values and compromised the experimental design. No reliable pattern relating differences in percentage embeddedness at the individual sites to any index was seen.

However, the general indices (Species Richness and Shannon-Weiner Diversity) indicated that the macroinvertebrate community at all of the sites was moderately to severly impacted. Organic pollution indices (EPT and Biotic Potential) showed no evidence of any impact. Since no other source of pollution which might account for the results is known, it is suggested that the high levels of embeddedness might relate to the impact indicated by the general indices.
 

This study was funded by the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) under the auspices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Anyone interested in seeing the entire report should contact the LCBP at:

Lake Champlain Basin Program
P O Box 204
54 West Shore Road
Grand Isle VT 05458
1-800-468-5227