Study

Assessing the effectiveness of a constructed Arctic stream using multiple biological attributes

  • Published source details Jones N.E., Scrimgeour G.J. & Tonn W.M. (2008) Assessing the effectiveness of a constructed Arctic stream using multiple biological attributes. Environmental Management, 42, 1064-1076.

Summary

Action: Excavate river/stream channel

A site comparison study in 1998–2000 of eleven Arctic streams in the Northwest Territories, Canada (Jones et al. 2008) found that a created stream supported a lower abundance of algae, bryophytes and other macrophytes than nearby natural streams, during the first three years after creation. In three of three years, the created stream supported a lower biomass of algae growing on rocks (0.3–0.6 mg/cm2) than the natural stream (2.4 mg/cm2). The created stream also had lower cover of bryophytes (created: 0%; natural: 0.2%) and other macrophytes (created: <2%; natural: 26%). Methods: In 1997, a new 3.4-km-long stream channel was excavated. The stream bypassed two lakes and streams that were destroyed to mine diamonds. Vegetation was surveyed in the created stream (14 sites) and 10 nearby natural streams (1 site/stream) each July 1998–2000. Cover of bryophytes and other macrophytes was visually estimated in 0.1-m2 quadrats (9–25 quadrats/site). Algae were scraped from approximately 49–98 cm2 of rock surface/site. Biomass was measured as ash free dry mass. Surveys included both pools and riffles; data were pooled across these habitats for analysis. This study used the same stream, and some of the same reference streams, as Scrimgeour et al. 2014.

 

 

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