Nutrient enrichment can affect the ecological health of a stream. For example, excessive aquatic plant growth caused by increased nutrients can reduce dissolved oxygen necessary for other aquatic life. Topics of particular interest in this study area include:
seasonal patterns among nutrients, flows, algae and plants in streams
rooted aquatic plant vs. algae growth
stream metabolism and nutrient transport processes
field sample technique improvement
Beginning in 2006, we collected and analyzed aquatic chemical, physical, and biological samples to evaluate relationships between nutrients in streams and levels of aquatic plant growth. These analyses helped us to understand the role of nutrient concentrations and eutrophication in agricultural streams nationally and how conditions in the irrigated agricultural settings in the arid west differ from those in the Midwest or Eastern regions of the country.
In addition to the publications listed below, please see
Mebane, C.A., Simon, N.S., and Maret, T.R., 2014, Linking nutrient enrichment and streamflow to macrophytes in agricultural streams: Hydrobiologia, 16p.
Evaluation of a combined macrophyte–epiphyte bioassay for assessing nutrient enrichment in the Portneuf River, Idaho, USA
Seasonal patterns in nutrients, carbon, and algal responses in wadeable streams within three geographically distinct areas of the United States, 2007-08
Influence of environmental factors on biotic responses to nutrient enrichment in agricultural streams
- Overview
Nutrient enrichment can affect the ecological health of a stream. For example, excessive aquatic plant growth caused by increased nutrients can reduce dissolved oxygen necessary for other aquatic life. Topics of particular interest in this study area include:
seasonal patterns among nutrients, flows, algae and plants in streams
rooted aquatic plant vs. algae growth
stream metabolism and nutrient transport processes
field sample technique improvement
Beginning in 2006, we collected and analyzed aquatic chemical, physical, and biological samples to evaluate relationships between nutrients in streams and levels of aquatic plant growth. These analyses helped us to understand the role of nutrient concentrations and eutrophication in agricultural streams nationally and how conditions in the irrigated agricultural settings in the arid west differ from those in the Midwest or Eastern regions of the country.
- Publications
In addition to the publications listed below, please see
Mebane, C.A., Simon, N.S., and Maret, T.R., 2014, Linking nutrient enrichment and streamflow to macrophytes in agricultural streams: Hydrobiologia, 16p.
Evaluation of a combined macrophyte–epiphyte bioassay for assessing nutrient enrichment in the Portneuf River, Idaho, USA
We describe and evaluate a laboratory bioassay that uses Lemna minor L. and attached epiphytes to characterize the status of ambient and nutrient-enriched water from the Portneuf River, Idaho. Specifically, we measured morphological (number of fronds, longest surface axis, and root length) and population-level (number of plants and dry mass) responses of L. minor and community-level (ash-free dryAuthorsAndrew M. Ray, Christopher A. Mebane, Flint Raben, Kathryn M. Irvine, Amy M. MarcarelliSeasonal patterns in nutrients, carbon, and algal responses in wadeable streams within three geographically distinct areas of the United States, 2007-08
The U.S. Geological Survey determined seasonal variability in nutrients, carbon, and algal biomass in 22 wadeable streams over a 1-year period during 2007 or 2008 within three geographically distinct areas in the United States. The three areas are the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMIS) in Minnesota, the Ozark Plateaus (ORZK) in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, and the Upper Snake River BAuthorsKathy Lee, David L. Lorenz, James C. Petersen, John B. GreeneInfluence of environmental factors on biotic responses to nutrient enrichment in agricultural streams
The influence of environmental factors on biotic responses to nutrients was examined in three diverse agricultural regions of the United States. Seventy wadeable sites were selected along an agricultural land use gradient while minimizing natural variation within each region. Nutrients, habitat, algae, macroinvertebrates, and macrophyte cover were sampled during a single summer low-flow period inAuthorsTerry R. Maret, Christopher P. Konrad, Andrew W. Tranmer