The status and seasonal dynamics of fish and benthic invertebrate populations in relation to organic and inorganic material inputs and surface mining impacts in three Virginia headwater streams

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dc.contributor.authorMatter, William Johnen
dc.contributor.departmentFisheries and Wildlife Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:10:11Zen
dc.date.adate2010-03-31en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:10:11Zen
dc.date.issued1978en
dc.date.rdate2010-03-31en
dc.date.sdate2010-03-31en
dc.description.abstractStudy of two streams impacted by surface-mining and a similar unimpacted reference stream demonstrated that alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, and sulfate were elevated in the former despite reclamation treatment of the watersheds three to five years earlier. The mined-watershed streams carried a heavy benthic sediment burden, due primarily to the continued erosion from the mined areas and from abandoned haul roads. Inorganic sediment in the mining-impacted streams covered the natural rubble substrate, smoothing the bottom, filling in pools, and impacting the processing of allochthonous organic material, the principal energy source. Fine-particle organic material was trapped in the sediment, but density of larger particles was reduced, possibly due to increased transport over the smoothed substrate. Benthic invertebrate and fish density, biomass, and diversity were consistently lower in the mining-impacted streams. The pattern of fish and benthic invertebrate recovery following a major flood was slow but unique in all streams. The benthic and fish communities of headwater streams are naturally subject to decimation by flooding, but sediment-mediated habitat and food degradation may further limit invertebrate and fish populations in disturbed systems. This study demonstrates that sedimentation can be a severe and long-term after-effect of surface mining, even in the absence of acid drainage. Terrestrial reclamation did not result in lotic reclamation and recovery. The inclusion of water quality criteria in the administration of mined-land reclamation would promote terrestrial management practices conducive to aquatic systems recovery.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentxi, 160 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-03312010-020031en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03312010-020031/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/37530en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V856_1978.M275.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 40293953en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1978.M275en
dc.titleThe status and seasonal dynamics of fish and benthic invertebrate populations in relation to organic and inorganic material inputs and surface mining impacts in three Virginia headwater streamsen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineFisheries and Wildlife Sciencesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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