The Trichoptera of Raven Fork North Carolina--A Stream Subject to Low pH Events
Armitage BJ and Tennessen KJ. 1983. The Trichoptera of Raven Fork North Carolina--A Stream Subject to Low pH Events. Pages 21-26. In Armitage BJ and Tennessen KJ (ed): Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Trichoptera. Clemson, SC. 11-16 July, 1983
ABSTRACT: The Raven Fork watershed (ca. 2833 ha) includes portions of the Cherokee Indian Reservation and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina, USA. During 1981-1982 the watershed was the site of a diverse ecological investigation of which this study was an extension. Examination of trout gut contents and larval and light trap collections from Raven Fork has revealed to date 50 species of Trichoptera. One new species of Ceraclea (Leptoceridae) was found. Raven Fork is a softwater stream, slightly acid (pH 6.0) and low in base cations and alkalinity during baseflow conditions. Following storm events, however, acidity and aluminum concentrations increase to levels which the literature and experiments suggest are toxic to certain life stages of trout. Based on the observed diversity and densities, the trichopteran fauna of Raven Fork is apparently not severely affected by the short-term fluctuations of these water parameters.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Armitage, B; Tennessen, Kenneth
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- acid deposition, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, aquatic invertebrates, Ceraclea, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-01637, Insects, Leptoceridae, new species, pH, Raven Fork, SER, Southeast Region, Trichoptera, trout