Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

08 Jun, 09 AM - 12 Sep, 04 AM

Variation in the abundance and diversity of organisms has long been recognized as a consequence of physical variation in the environment. Recently, many fields of natural science have suggested that organisms not only respond to, but also directly regulate, the physical processes that structure ecosystems in ways that have major implications for how the current loss of Earth?s biodiversity will affect our planet. An explosion of studies has tried to incorporate the influence of organisms into our understanding of biogeochemical cycles, functioning of ecosystems, and formation of habitats. Despite the growth in this topic, however, most studies still consider the influence of only one species at a time, ignoring the diverse array of species that might have unique impacts. In my research, I explicitly ask how species interactions between coexisting organisms affect the physical process of erosion. Using caddisfly larvae (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae), I study how multispecies assemblages of these animals affect sediment movement in streams. Caddisfly larvae are insects that live in the riverbed of streams, where they construct silken catchnets across pore spaces between rocks to filter food particles from the water. Previous studies have shown that nets from a single species reduce sediment motion during floods. At SNARL, I will conduct a large-scale, in situ manipulation where I investigate the effects of multiple species of caddisfly on sediment transport conditions in streams.

Visit #23850 @Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Approved

Under Project # 22982 | Research

Impacts of species diversity on sediment transport conditions in streams

graduate_student - University of California, Santa Barbara

Reservation Members(s)

Lindsey Albertson Jun 8 - Sep 12, 2011 (97 days)
Lindsey Albertson Jun 8 - Sep 12, 2011 (97 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Q1 2 Jun 8 - Sep 12, 2011
Q3 2 Jun 8 - Sep 12, 2011