Stream macroinvertebrates and amphibians as indicators of ecosystem stress: a case study from the Coastal Plain, GA
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Author(s)
Muenz, Tara K.
Golladay, Stephen W.
Vellidis, George
Smith, Lora L.
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
Conservation buffers are one strategy
adopted by various federal and state agencies to aid in
the reduction of agricultural impacts on surface and
ground water systems. A diversified row crop and beef
cattle operation located on a tributary of the Lower
Chattahoochee River in Early County, southwest
Georgia was the selected site for this study. A suite of
indicators were chosen to evaluate the impact of
agriculture on three unfenced and two fenced stream
sites. Preliminary results provide no discernible
differences in herpetofaunal captures between sites,
except for larval salamanders captured within
bimonthly invertebrate samples, which were more
abundant at fenced sites. Percentages of EPT,
Coleoptera and Crustacea were also higher at fenced
sites, which also showed lower levels of nitrate-N,
suspended solids, and fecal coliforms. Exclusion sites,
which had been fenced out three years prior to this
study, suggest some recovery from cattle impacts.
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Date
2003-04
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Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings