Benthic responses to groundwater–surface water exchange in 2 alluvial rivers in northwestern Montana
Pepin DM and Hauer FR. 2002. Benthic responses to groundwater–surface water exchange in 2 alluvial rivers in northwestern Montana. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 21(3):370-383
Tested the hypotheses that groundwater–surface water exchange regimes affect spatial distribution of algal biomass and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa in main-channel riffle habitats of rivers flowing through alluvial flood plains. Examined general patterns of exchange between river channel and hyporheic zone waters. No differences in mean seston concentrations between riffles on either flood plain within any season were detected. Maximum biomass was generally higher in upwelling zone riffles than in downwelling zone riffles. Species-specific responses to differential hyporheic exchange, correlated with differences in algal biomass and vertical hydraulic gradients (VHG), were observed. Study results study suggest that hyporheic exchange patterns influence physical habitat structure of main-channel riffles, and affect the distribution and abundance of algae and EPT macroinvertebrates in these habitats.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Pepin, David; Hauer, F
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- Abundance (Biodiversity), Aquatic Insects, Aquatic Studies, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, Distribution (Biodiversity), groundwater–surface water exchange, hyporheic zone, Observations, Periphyton, Presence (Biodiversity)