Use of Biomonitoring to test Water Quality.

Use of Biomonitoring to test Water Quality. Michael Conley Undergraduate Student Tennessee Tech University Cookeville, TN

Introduction and Background • Problem – does agriculture = a decline in water quality. • Winter and Duthie(2000) used diatoms to monitor river quality • Heino, Louhi, and Muotka (2004) – showed that under similar conditions macroinvertebrates could be used in stream monitoring

Objective and Hypothesis Statement • Objective – to prove the effects of agriculture on stream invertebrates • Hypothesis statement – Agriculture has a negative affect on stream water quality • Null hypothesis – there is no affect on water quality

Methods and Materials • Use the method described by IWLA for macroinvertebrate count • Variations – create artificial habitat with bricks • Materials needed – bricks, a fine mesh net, containers, tools to handle and separate individuals, etc.

Results • Fewer of the sensitive organisms • Fewer organisms total • Low invertebrate count on the second collection day at both sites.

Results (cont.)

Discussion • Significant evidence that agricultural run off can be associated with decline in water quality. • If looking at sensitive organisms only • Actually is a decline in all organisms

Discussion (cont.) • Actually is a decline in all organisms • Davis et al. 2003 as well as Nuemann and Dudgeon 2002 actually found and increase in the number of tolerant taxa. • This not found in my study

Conclusion • Agricultural run off does have a relation to the decline in water quality

Questions ?

Use of Biomonitoring to test Water Quality.