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Presented at the NABS Annual meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2002
in Disturbance Ecology I
THE RESPONSES OF LOTIC MEIOFAUNAL COMMUNITIES TO LEAF PACK (CPOM) ENHANCEMENT IN STREAMS OF DIFFERING AGES AND STABILITY IN GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA.
A.L. Robertson1 and A.M. Milner2. 1School of Life Sciences, University of Surrey, Roehampton, West Hill, London SW15 3SN U.K., 2School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT U.K.
Glacier Bay National Park has undergone rapid glacial recession in the last 200 years and contains a suite of streams varying in age and other characteristics. Previous research here has suggested that the establishment of the riparian zone leading, in conjunction with increased stability, to CPOM accumulations, is an important kickpoint in the development of the meiofaunal community. This project tests the hypotheses that enhancing CPOM accumulations in young streams will increase the density and diversity of the meiofaunal communities within these leaf packs and that the strength of the meiofaunal community response to CPOM enhancement will be determined by the age and stability of the stream and hence its riparian zone development. Mesh bags containing 10 g dried alder leaves were attached to the substratum in 8 streams representing a range (35 - 180 y) of ages. These were retrieved after 10 weeks, additionally samples were obtained from the stony benthos of each stream. Meiofaunal communities in the mesh bags differed significantly from those in the stony benthos. The age, stability and degree of riparian zone development strongly influenced the response of the meiofaunal community to CPOM enhancement.
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