EVPP 110 Lab Freshwater Streams 1 2 Diversity

EVPP 110 Lab Freshwater Streams 1 -2 Diversity of Life 12 Week of October 29 th 2018 Version 1 2. 12/2/2020 8: 55: 42 PM

Freshwater Streams – Activity 1 – Field Data Collection from Stream

�Freshwater �Relatively pure, holding few dissolved salts. �Usually < 1% salt. �Stream �A body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks.

�Importance of streams: �Support diverse assemblage of fish and wildlife. �Essential to residents who use them as: �A source of drinking water. �A place for recreational activities. �Nutrient cycling.

Threats to streams �Dams. �Water withdrawals. �Pollution, resulting from: Industry, towns and roads Crops � Nutrient influx. Agricultural runoff. � Urban runoff. � � Industry. �Invasive/exotic species. �Direct habitat degradation by: � Agriculture. � Urbanization. �Acid rain. �Overharvesting of plants and animals. �Climate change, which alters: Temperature. � Flow. � Salinity. � Septic tank Livestock farming Human effluent disposal

Stream Health Indicators �Chemical/physical characteristics: �Water temperature. �Nitrates. �Phosphates. �Dissolved O 2. �p. H. �Alkalinity. �Conductivity. �Turbidity. �Presence of pollutants. �Presence of organisms: �Desired / undesired.

Organism collection �Kick net sampling: �Place net on stream bottom at a riffle. �Net opening should face upstream. �Net body should point downstream. Flow direction �Water should flow through the net. �Stand on the upstream side of the net to kick. �Kick (disturbing rocks and surface) for one minute in area as wide as the net and from the net back to a distance of about one meter.

�Take materials to Mason Pond stream. �Organisms will be observed back in the lab in this class period. �Gather data on physical and chemical properties of stream water. �We only have one stream, so don’t fill out tables 1. 3 and 1. 4, nor the “stream 2” column in Table 1. 5. Photo © Amy Rose, GMU Fourth Estate.

Sample Source Table # �Table 1. 1. Chemical and physical properties of water 1 Stream name: 2 3 Mean: Water Nitrate Phosphate Dissolved Alkalinity Conductivity Turbidity Temp. (units O 2 (units p. H (units ____) (units ( C) _____) _____)

�Table 1. 2. Results of pollutant tests Pollutant Table # Sample Source _______ (units ____) Stream name: 1 2 3 Mean: _______ (units ____) _______ (units ____)

© GMU Fourth Estate, 2014. �You do not need to add alcohol to jars with organisms since you will look at the organisms today. �Be sure to label jars with section # and group #.

Freshwater Streams – Activity 2 – Identifying Organisms

Table 2. 2. Abundance codes based on ranges of organisms to calculate water quality score. (Source: Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency – Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality) Code: Indication: # Organisms: R Rare 1 -9 C Common 10 -99 D Dominant => 100

Table 2. 3. Number of individuals, tolerance group, and abundance code for each type of organism Stream Name: Organism Type Tolerance Group I II III ? (Species) Total: Abundance # individuals Code Determine the abundance code using Table 2. 2 (p. 591).

Table 2. 4. Summary of the number of abundance code letter appearing in each tolerance group Stream Name: Abundance Code R C D I Tolerance Group II III Since you are sampling only ONE stream, OMIT Tables 2. 5 and 2. 6.

Table 2. 9. Group index values, water quality score and water quality Group Index Value Stream I II III Water Quality Score Water Quality Calculate group index values: I = (R x 5) + (C x 5. 6) + (D x 5. 3) II = (R x 3. 2) + (C x 3. 4) + (D x 3. 0) III = (R x 1. 2) + (C x 1. 1) + (D x 1. 0) Calculate water quality score (WQS) by adding the total of the three index values. Record water quality based on WQS: > 40 = Good 20 -40 = Fair < 20 = Poor

Table 2. 10. Water quality Water Quality Stream � Lab Table 1 2 3 �Since you are sampling only one stream, you will complete only two rows in Table 2. 10 (one for the reference stream and one for the stream you sampled).

Diversity of Life – Activity 12 – Trees https: //eeltown. org/common-trees-of-northern-virginia/

Trees provide valuable ecosystem services: �Reduce stormwater runoff. �Help control erosion. �Removes pollutants from air �NO 2, SO 2, O 3, CO, particulate matter. �Absorbs atmospheric carbon. �Aids in energy conservation. �Provide food and shelter for other organisms. Photo © Student Government (2016)

Importance of Tree Diversity �Diversity varies by forest type. �Affects diversity of other organisms in ecosystem. �Dictates type of ecosystem services a particular type of forest can perform.

�Circle versus tree trunk �Cross-section of tree trunk is roughly “circular” in shape. � Circumference (C) �distance around perimeter of circle �C = D (or, C = 2 r) � Diameter (D) �Distance from edge to edge of circle, passing through center. �D = C / (or, D = 2 r) � Radius (r) �distance from center of circle to edge of circle �r = ½ D � Area (A) �A = r 2

�Determining the diameter of a tree trunk while it is still standing/uncut: �Can’t be done directly, so… �Measure circumference and do the math, e. g. : �Circumference = 150 cm �C / = D � 150 cm/ = D � 47. 75 cm = D �D = 47. 75 cm

�Go to your quadrat. �Use diameter tape to measure (in cm) the DBH (diameter at breast height) of each tree with DBH ≥ 10 cm. �“breast height” = 4. 5 ft ~ 1. 37 m 1. 37 m DBH

Table 12. 1. Tree species, DBH (cm, m) and basal area (m 2) for each tree with DBH >= 10 cm by individual tree for trees in group quadrats Tree # 1 2 3 4 5 Tree Species White oak Red maple Black gum White oak DBH (cm) 145 45 23 89 DBH (m) 1. 45 0. 23 0. 89 Basal Area (m 2) ((½(1. 45))2 =1. 65 m 2 0. 159 0. 042 0. 622 Total = 2. 473 �Record data for each tree in �Run calculations at the lab: your quadrat: �DBH in m (=DBH in cm / 100). �Species. �Basal area (aka area), using �DBH in cm. the formula A = (½ D)2

Table 12. 2. Total number of trees (abundance), population density (#/m 2), total basal area (m 2), and % basal area by tree species for group quadrat Tree Species Abundance Population (#) Density #/m 2 Total Basal Area (m 2 ) White oak 2 2/98 = 0. 02 2. 272 Red maple Black gum 1 1 0. 01 0. 159 0. 042 % Basal Area (2. 272/2. 473) x 100 = 91. 87 6. 43 1. 70 �Abundance of each species = # individuals of each species. �Population density of each species = abundance / area of quadrat. � Quadrat = 7 m x 14 m = 98 m 2 �Total basal area per species = sum of all basal areas of one tree species. �Percent of the total basal area represented by each species = (total basal area for a species / total basal area in quadrat) x 100.

Table 12. 3. Dominant tree species, number of trees of dominant species, total number of all trees, % dominant tree and % total basal area for dominant species by group Table Dominant # trees of dominant # trees (all % dominant % basal area of # tree species) species dominant species Ex. White oak 2 3 (2/3) x 100 = 66. 67 91. 87 1 2 3 �Determine the dominant (most abundant) tree in your quadrat and record the results for all groups.

What’s Due Weekly Data Sheet pages Weekly Write-Up pages Activity 1 573, 581 173 -174 Activity 2 593, 601 605 -606 Activity 12 203, 207 211 -213 Power. Point available at: https: //eeltown. org/evpp-110