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Introduction to Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Introduction to Benthic Macroinvertebrates. Trout In The Classroom Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited 2009 / 2010. State Water Quality Standards. Standards are based on how we use water: 1. 2. 3.

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Introduction to Benthic Macroinvertebrates

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  1. Introduction to Benthic Macroinvertebrates Trout In The Classroom Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited 2009 / 2010

  2. State Water Quality Standards • Standards are based on how we use water: • 1. • 2. • 3. • Standards include a general requirement that all state waters are free of pollutants harmful to animal, plant, and aquatic life. This standard allows the state to consider stream habitat and aquatic insects as indicators of water quality.

  3. Aquatic Insects as Bio-Indicators of Water Quality • There are important reasons why benthic macroinvertebrates are used to assess water quality: • 1) they are found in all streams; • 2) there are many different species; • 3) they stay in the same spot in a stream; • 4) they react to different conditions in the stream over long periods of time; and • 5) they are easy to sample and identify.

  4. Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Benthic = dwelling on stream bottom • Macro = large enough to see with naked eye • Invertebrates = without a backbone • Other benthic aquatic organisms = aquatic insects that have three body parts (head, thorax, abdominal segment) and six legs When you try to identify an organism, these are some details to notice

  5. Key ID Features -Legs Six true legs plus lateral filaments Six segmented legs More than six legs prolegs

  6. Key ID Feature – Tails Tail-like projection Feather-like tails No tail or tiny tail Two tails

  7. Details to notice: gills Abdominal filamentous gills Abdominal gills Internal gills

  8. Practice ID • Body shape? • Head? Size relative to body? • Legs? Number? Length? Placement? • Details? Antennae? Eyes? Wings? Tail? Wing pads

  9. Specimen #1

  10. Specimen #2

  11. Specimen #3

  12. Specimen #4

  13. Specimen #5

  14. Specimen #6

  15. Specimen #7

  16. Specimen #8

  17. Specimen #9

  18. Specimen #10

  19. Specimen #11

  20. Specimen #12

  21. Specimen #13

  22. Specimen #14

  23. Specimen #15

  24. Benthic Macroinvertebrates can be classified according to their sensitivity to pollutants.

  25. Sensitive Mayfly larvae Stone Fly larvae Most caddisfly larvae Beetles (adults and larvae)

  26. Somewhat sensitive Dragonfly and damselfly larvae Netspinner caddisfly larvae Crayfish Gilled snails Aquatic sowbugs Scuds Clams and mussels True fly larvae Hellgrammites, Fishfly and Alderfly larvae

  27. Tolerant Lunged snails Black fly larvae Midge larvae Aquatic worms Flatworms Leeches

  28. Interpreting Benthic Data Benthic macroinvertebrates can be classified according to their sensitivity and tolerance to water pollution.

  29. Identify and Tally

  30. Individual Species Metric

  31. Tolerance Metric

  32. Compute Mulitmetric Index

  33. Rate the Stream

  34. Credits • Slides and notes used in this presentation were provided for educational purposes by: • Virginia Save Our Streams • Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation • Alice Furguson Foundation – Bridging the Watershed • Audubon Naturalist Society • And a very special thanks to Darrell Schwalm of the Shenandoah Valley TU chapter for putting this presentation together.

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