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Communication at the NABS Annual meeting, Keystone, 2000
(212) THE EFFECTS OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING ON STREAM HABITAT AND INVERTEBRATE FAUNA IN THE SALMON RIVER BASIN: ARE PERCEPTIONS REALITY?.
J.L. Kershner1,2, R.C. Henderson1, E. Archer1, and C.J. Abbruzzese1. 1Fish Ecology Unit, USDA Forest Service, Fisheries and Wildlife Dept., Utah State University, Logan, UT. 84322-5210, 2Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT. 84322
Over one hundred watersheds were monitored during the last two years in the Salmon River basin to examine the effects of livestock grazing on aquatic and riparian habitats and benthic invertebrate communities. We sampled riparian habitat and vegetation, stream habitat characteristics, and invertebrate communities at the downstream most response reach in granitic and volcanic watersheds. Sample sites included reference watersheds and watersheds grazed by sheep and cattle. We saw few differences between reference watesheds and sheep-grazed watersheds. Most significant changes occurred in cattle-grazed watersheds. Changes in riparian habitat included reduced bank stability and greenline vegetation. Stream habitat effects included increased fine sediment and increased pool frequency. We saw few changes in invertebrate community metrics that have been used in other non-point studies with the exception of CTQd. The multivariate RIVPACS analysis showed significant differences between cattle-grazed sites and reference sites. Watersheds with granitic geology exhibited fewer differences between reference and grazed sites than those in volcanic geologies. We speculate that changes in grazing management as a result of consultation under the Endangered Species Act may be resulting in recovery of streams in granitic watersheds.
Presented at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, May 31, 2000 in Water Quality and Land Use II
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