|
John Gooderham sampling a typical Class 4 stream. |
Image: Joanne Clapcott. |
|
Project summary:
The aim of this PhD project, which now forms part of a larger, longer-term study, is to investigate the composition and dynamics of invertebrate communities in headwater streams. These small, often ephemeral streams are poorly studied, despite their large contribution to the overall drainage area of stream catchments. Attention will be concentrated on the dominant geologies in forestry areas: Dolerite, Granite and Parmeener group sediments.
Particular attention will be paid to links between ecology and geomorphology in these areas as it is thought that many of forestry’s impacts on headwater stream systems involve some form of geomorphological change (for example channel morphology change: erosion and or sedimentation).
Methodology: This project has two major components. The first involves a spatial survey of sites spread across the State, investigating differences in community composition between sites from various geologies and forestry treatments. A subset of these sites are from the Warra LTER and they form the main part of a more detailed temporal investigation of headwater stream fauna and the distribution of the small scale ‘habitats’ they occur in. The second part of the project will also provide baseline data for a long term monitoring project set up between the Forest Practices Authority and the Zoology Department of the University of Tasmania.
Datasets: None available.
Publications: None available.
|
