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The Bokes Creek Watershed. Jamie Polzin, Catherine Eitel, and Archana Narain. Hypothesis #1. Increase in siltation decreases IBI levels. My Graphs. IBI, ICI, and Substrate in Relation to Siltation. Conclusion to my hypothesis.
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The Bokes Creek Watershed Jamie Polzin, Catherine Eitel, and Archana Narain
Hypothesis #1 • Increasein siltation decreases IBI levels.
Conclusion to my hypothesis My findings have supported my hypothesis. If silitation levels in the stream increase, IBI levels will decrease. I have shown that silitation is a major factor in decreasing IBI.
Hypothesis #2 My hypothesis is that the farming in Scioto Bokes is increasing the nutrient enrichment in the stream.
Vocabulary to Know • Eutrophication-Extra nutrients added to the stream, causing the overgrowth of plants. • Surface Runoff-Rainfall that drains into a water system • Tillage-Cultivation of land or soil
Graphs, Charts, and Data Nutrient Enrichment is the worst cause of impairment
Land Use In Riparian Zone Commercial/Industrial/Transportation Deciduous Forest Wetlands Evergreen Forest High Intensity Residential Low Intensity Residential Mixed Forest Open Water Pasture Quarries/Strip Mines/Gravel Pits Row Crops Transitional Urban Areas Woody Wetlands
Conclusion to my hypothesis I have concluded that agriculture is a major cause of excess nutrient enrichment in Scioto Bokes. I have supported this by showing that there is more nutrient enrichment in areas with more agriculture, and in areas where there is less nutrient enrichment, there is less agriculture.
Hypothesis #3 My Hypothesis is that an increase in agriculture leads to a decrease in QHEI (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index).
QHEI • Vegetation - to block the runoff and sediment. • Cover - to keep the temperature cool and more oxygen flowing • Substrate - to give the insects a home and help keep them safe. It also gives fish a safe place to lay eggs.
QHEI vs. Agriculture • Relationship of QHEI and percent of agricultural land. • As percent of agricultural increases, QHEI value lowers. • As agriculture approaches the stream, value drops and river can be contaminated.
Agriculture • Most land is agricultural • Not many forests or wetlands • Therefore, not many rivers are clean.
Conclusion for my hypothesis I have supported my hypothesis. When more and more land is being used for agriculture, the QHEI is reduced. This causes a decrease in the quality of the stream and threatens the animals that live in it.
Conclusion Overall, we conclude that the reduction of biodiversity in the Bokes Creek Watershed is due to the agricultural practices along the banks. Excess fertilizer, animal waste, and silitation particles enter the water through runoff. QHEI is impaired by the livestock and farming too close to the water.
Recommendations • Riparian land should be restored and not used for farming. • Livestock should not have access to the Riparian Zone. • By practicing better farming methods, chemical, biological, and habitat qualities of the stream would improve.