Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Metal Contamination in Forested and Urban Streams
| dc.contributor.advisor | Bernhardt, Emily S | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Behrens, Jonny | |
| dc.contributor.author | Good, Elizabeth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-04-26T15:45:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-04-26T15:45:01Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-04-26 | |
| dc.department | Nicholas School of the Environment | |
| dc.description.abstract | Subsidies are the transfer of materials between habitats, including the movement of critical nutrients but also the movement of unwanted pollutants. In riparian ecosystems, aquatic insects can act as important vectors for moving subsidies into terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, stonefly larvae collected from Stone Mountain State Park, NC were fed leaves from Durham, NC forested and urban stream sites to assess impacts on growth and development. Larvae and leaves were then analyzed for metals to assess contamination loads across sites and the potential for larvae to export metals into terrestrial ecosystems. Some metals bioconcentrated (Zn, Cu, Ag) while some biodiluted (Pb, Ni, Co, Cr, As) in stoneflies, and leaves from urban streams generally showed higher metal concentrations than forested streams. These results indicate the potential for stoneflies to act as vectors for metal pollutants to terrestrial environments in different riparian ecosystems. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | ||
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.rights.uri | ||
| dc.title | Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Metal Contamination in Forested and Urban Streams | |
| dc.type | Master's project |