Regional Differences in Soil Arthropod Communities of the Nyack Floodplain
Spivak A and Relyea S. 2003. Regional Differences in Soil Arthropod Communities of the Nyack Floodplain. 2003 REU- Flathead Lake Biological Station. Polson, MT
Interaction between river surface water flow and the underlying hyporheic region has a variable effect on fertilization and water availability within the region immediately surrounding a river system. Dynamic interactions between living vegetation, dead litter detritus, abiotic influences, and the soil arthropod community and the groundwater system may be an important factor in determining biological diversity. Pitfall traps and leaf litter samples were used to examine the influence of hyporheic mixing on the arthropod community along the Nyack Flood Plain in Montana. A significantly greater amount of leaf litter was collected from downwelling sites. The general trend from linear regression for leaf litter samples was that relative diversity increased with substantial gains in litter amount. These trends suggest amount of litter may be shaping soil arthropod communities. Pitfall trap data showed significantly greater relative diversity at sites in the upwelling sites and may provide a more holistic assessment of the arthropod community.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Spivak, Aaron; Relyea, Scott
- Date of Issue
- 2003
- Publisher
- 2003 REU- Flathead Lake Biological Station
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- Arthropods, Flathead Lake Biological Station, Floodplain, Leaf Litter, Middle Fork Flathead River, nutrient concentration, Nyack Creek, REA, soil arthropod