Charles C. Morris

Biological Response Signature of Oil Brine Threats, Sediment Contaminants, and Crayfish Assemblages in an Indiana Watershed, USA

The Patoka River watershed contains a divergent landscape of oil and gas exploration, intensive agriculture, and surface mining mixed with National Forest, Wildlife Refuges, and a large recreational reservoir. We evaluated species diversity among different land uses, including, commercial, forested, residential, and agriculture, and determined relationships among disturbance scale, habitat requirements, contaminants, and patterns in species distributions. Primary burrowing species, Cambarus polychromatus, Cambarus cf diogenes (Lacunicambarus A), and Fallicambarus fodiens, were tolerant of higher concentrations of contaminants than aquatic tertiary burrowing species. Cambarus polychromatus was among the last species of crayfish at the most disturbed sites, while it was absent from pasture and agricultural landscapes that allowed cattle access along banks. Four species of Orconectes were found in the reference and agricultural landscapes within the watershed, including O. immunis, O. indianensis, O. inermis inermis, and O. propinquus. Orconectes indianensis distribution was determined by the presence of rock habitat and absence of contaminants. No Orconectes species were found in acid mine leachate-affected streams with high levels of molybdenum. Cambarus laevis was found in the highest-quality reference areas, which were associated with karst habitats and no contaminants. Burrowing crayfish species were associated with the oil derricks in the lower and middle watershed, which contained increased concentrations of strontium, phosphorus, and various organic parameters associated with oil brine PAHs.

Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) erythrodactylus, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) of the Cambarus diogenes complex from Alabama and Mississippi, U.S.A.

Abstract A new species of crayfish, Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) erythrodactylus, is separated from the Cambarus (L.) diogenes complex. The new species is morphologically similar to C. (L.) diogenes but differs from it in the presence of three or four spines along the cervical groove, greatest depth anterior mid-horizontal beneath the antennal scale, the presence of two rows of tubercles along the distal medial palm, with an additional two or three partial or full rows of tubercles on the palm, subpalm of the chela with one to four (mode = three) tubercles, and a gonopod extending greater than 90° and bent cephalodistally 20° at the shoulder. The species occurs in the Pea, Choctawhatchee, Sepulga, and Conecuh River systems of southeastern Alabama, in the Black Warrior and Tombigbee River systems in western Alabama and eastern Mississippi, in the Alabama River in central Alabama, and Bear Creek drainage of the Tennessee River, and Yazoo River drainages and occurring throughout the central and eastern portions of Mississippi.

Associated Use Attainment Response between Multiple Aquatic Assemblage Indicators for Evaluating Catchment, Habitat, Water Quality, and Contaminants

Use attainability analysis (UAA) at a watershed scale typically relies on the assumption that indicator organisms are responding similarly to the same environmental stressor. Factors explaining variance in fish, crayfish, and macroinvertebrate assemblage structure and function were investigated with emphasis on catchment and reach scale land use, habitat, contaminants, and water quality variables. Habitat quality scores ranged from 25 to 85 (average ). The substrate score, instream cover, riffle-run score, and channel score were primary factors contributing to declining habitat quality. Factor analysis found that four factors explained 69% of the contributed variance in fish assemblage, two factors accounted for 56% of variance in macroinvertebrate assemblages, and two factors explained 49% of the variance in crayfish assemblages. Overall drivers of assemblage structure were associated with broad scale issues of wastewater treatment, groundwater, and land use. Our results show that fish, macroinvertebrate, and crayfish assemblages respond to similar broad scale stimulus; however, the specific constituents responsible for the stress may vary with the magnitude of the cumulative stress, which may be expressed by each organismal group differently. Our data suggest that varying organismal groups can respond independently and stress reflected in one assemblage may not necessarily be observed in another since each organismal group is measuring different aspects of the environment.

Patterns in Stream Fish Assemblage Structure and Function Associated With a PCB Gradient

Stream fish assemblage structure and function were examined for significant response along a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) gradient from two PCB-contaminated streams (Clear Creek and Richland Creek watershed) at three locations and a control stream (Little Indian Creek), Indiana, USA. Fish were sampled in the summer months of 1995 and from 1999 to 2002. 51 fish assemblage attributes—including structure (i.e., fish composition) and function (i.e., trophic, reproductive, condition guilds), biomass, and index of biotic integrity (IBI) metric scores—were evaluated for significance according to an increasing PCB gradient. Eight biomass attributes of fish assemblages decreased with increasing PCB concentration: number of species biomass, number of sunfish biomass, percent sunfish biomass, number of sucker biomass, percent sucker biomass, biomass of sensitive species, percent sensitive species biomass, and percent carnivore biomass. Three biomass attributes increased with PCB concentration: percent minnow biomass, percent pioneer species biomass, and percent tolerant species biomass. Seven species composition and relative abundance characters decreased with increasing PCB concentration: number of species; number of darter, madtom, and sculpin; number of darter; number of sunfish; number of sucker; number of sensitive species; and percent individuals as carnivores. Percent individuals as pioneer species increased with increasing PCB concentration. Two IBI metrics, percent individuals as headwater species and number of minnow species, increased as PCB concentrations increased, whereas number of sucker species and percent individuals as pioneer species decreased with increasing PCB concentration class. We observed a direct response between decreased relative abundance and biomass of carnivores and increased relative abundance minnows as the PCB gradient increased. Total IBI score did not detect subtle changes to the fish community that were observed along a PCB gradient, whereas diagnostic analysis of the individual metrics did.

Nutrient Indicator Models for Determining Biologically Relevant Levels: A Case Study Based on the Corn Belt and Northern Great Plain Nutrient Ecoregion

The complex interactions between forms of Nitrogen and Phosphorus require development of regional nutrient threshold models. Our objectives included the development of a biotic model capable of distinguishing contributions of various nutrients in streams fish assemblages. A second objective was to establish an approach for designating defensible nutrient biotic index (NBI) score thresholds and corresponding nutrient concentrations, above which fish assemblages show alterations. Nutrient and fish assemblage data collected from 1274 reaches between 1996 and 2007 from the Corn Belt and Northern Great Plain Nutrient Ecoregion were reviewed for outliers, sorted into three drainage class groups, and arranged into 15 ranges or “bins” using the Jenks optimization method to calculate nutrient specific fish species tolerance scores. These scores where then used to generate Nutrient Biotic Indexes (NBI) for identifying fish assemblage response mechanisms. We observed a single break point for unionized ammonia, with an NBIUnionized Ammonia score shift occurring at a mean concentration of 0.03 mg/L. Three break points were observed for Nitrogen, Nitrate + Nitrite, demonstrating significant NBINitrate+Nitrite score shifts at mean concentrations of 1.09, 3.15 and 6.87 mg/L respectively. The observed relationship produced a convex curve suggesting an enrichment signature. Two break points were observed for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) at mean concentrations of 0.68 and 1.27 mg/L respectively. One significant break point was observed for TN at a mean concentration of 3.30 mg/L. One significant break point was observed for TP at a mean concentration of TP 0.32 mg/L. One significant break point was observed for Chlorophyll a (periphyton) at a mean concentration of TP 134.14 mg/m2. Two significant break points were observed for Chlorophyll a (phytoplankton), which occurred at concentrations of 10.98 and 49.13 μg/L, respectively. Proposed mean protection values are 3.0 μg/L for Unionized Ammonia, 130 μg/L for Nitrogen, Nitrate + Nitrite, 40 μg/L for TKN, 70 μg/L for TP, and 2.33 μg/L for Chlorophyll a (phytoplankton). Criteria established at or below these benchmarks should protect for both biological integrity of fish assemblages, as well as limit nutrient loadings causing dead zones.

Characterization of Coastal Drift-Cell Sediment Processes Effecting the Restoration of the Southern Lake Michigan Shoreline

Hard structures along the southern shore of Lake Michigan restrict natural longshore sediment transport, destabilizing the shoreline, and dissecting the coast into localized shoreline reaches. A geometric design was used to sample (n = 590 nodes) at nine shoreline reaches near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to characterize existing sediment in the offshore and onshore zones. Cluster Analysis grouped shoreline sites into two clusters. Factor Analysis showed that 35 % of the sand fractionation’s cumulative variance across all sites was explained by an increased loading on medium sand (0.250 mm) with a corresponding decrease loading on small pebbles (4.750 mm), and an additional 30 % of the cumulative variance was explained by a negative loading on very fine sand (0.075 mm). Individual clusters showed that 43 % of the cumulative variance within cluster one could be explained by increased loadings on fine and medium sand (0.149–0.250 mm) with a corresponding negative loading on small pebbles (4.75 mm). An additional 22 % of the cumulative variance was explained by the positive loading on coarse sand (0.850 mm). Cluster two was explained by a single factor (62 % cumulative variance) highlighting an increased loading on small pebbles and coarse sand, and decreased loadings on medium to very fine sand. Principal component analysis showed that sediment characterization of the swash zone provided the best explanation of between site variance.

Biological Diversity, Ecological Health and Condition of Aquatic Assemblages at National Wildlife Refuges in Southern Indiana, USA

Abstract The National Wildlife Refuge system is a vital resource for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and biological integrity in the United States. Surveys were conducted to determine the spatial and temporal patterns of fish, macroinvertebrate, and crayfish populations in two watersheds that encompass three refuges in southern Indiana. The Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge had the highest number of aquatic species with 355 macroinvertebrate taxa, six crayfish species, and 82 fish species, while the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge had 163 macroinvertebrate taxa, seven crayfish species, and 37 fish species. The Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge had the lowest diversity of macroinvertebrates with 96 taxa and six crayfish species, while possessing the second highest fish species richness with 51 species. Habitat quality was highest in the Muscatatuck River drainage with increased amounts of forested habitats compared to the Patoka River drainage. Biological integrity of the three refuges ranked the Patoka NWR as the lowest biological integrity (mean IBI reach scores = 35 IBI points), while Big Oaks had the highest biological integrity (mean IBI reach score = 41 IBI points). The Muscatatuck NWR had a mean IBI reach score of 31 during June, which seasonally increased to a mean of 40 IBI points during summer. Watershed IBI scores and habitat condition were highest in the Big Oaks NWR.

Nutrient Indicator Models for Determining Biologically Relevant Levels

The complex interactions between forms of Nitrogen and Phosphorus require development of regional nutrient threshold models. Our objectives included the development of a biotic model capable of distinguishing contributions of various nutrients in streams fish assemblages. A second objective was to establish an approach for designating defensible nutrient biotic index (NBI) score thresholds and corresponding nutrient concentrations, above which fish assemblages show alterations. Nutrient and fish assemblage data collected from 1274 reaches between 1996 and 2007 from the Corn Belt and Northern Great Plain Nutrient Ecoregion were reviewed for outliers, sorted into three drainage class groups, and arranged into 15 ranges or ‘‘bins’’ using the Jenks optimization method to calculate nutrient specific fish species tolerance scores. These scores where then used to generate Nutrient Biotic Indexes (NBI) for identifying fish assemblage response mechanisms. We observed a single break point for unionized ammonia, with an NBIUnionized Ammonia score shift occurring at a mean concentration of 0.03 mg/L. Three break points were observed for Nitrogen, Nitrate ? Nitrite, demonstrating significant NBINitrate+Nitrite score shifts at mean concentrations of 1.09, 3.15 and 6.87 mg/L respectively. The observed relationship produced a convex curve suggesting an enrichment signature. Two break points were observed for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) at mean concentrations of 0.68 and 1.27 mg/L respectively. One significant break point was observed for TN at a mean concentration of 3.30 mg/L. One significant break point was observed for TP at a mean concentration of TP 0.32 mg/L. One significant break point was observed for Chlorophyll a (periphyton) at a mean concentration of TP 134.14 mg/m. Two significant break points were observed for Chlorophyll a (phytoplankton), which occurred at concentrations of 10.98 and 49.13 lg/L, respectively. Proposed mean protection values are 3.0 lg/L for Unionized Ammonia, 130 lg/L for Nitrogen, Nitrate ? Nitrite, 40 lg/L for TKN, 70 lg/L for TP, and 2.33 lg/L for Chlorophyll a (phytoplankton). Criteria established at or below these benchmarks should protect for both biological integrity of fish assemblages, as well as limit nutrient loadings causing dead zones. C. C. Morris and T. P. Simon, Nutrient Indicator Models for Determining Biologically Relevant Levels, SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science, DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-4129-4_1, The Author(s) 2012 1