Macroinvertebrate Patterns in the Hinkle Creek Watershed

Dr. Judith Li and William Gerth
OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Dr. John Hayes
OSU College of Forestry

Introduction

Abundance, diversity and production of stream invertebrates respond to riparian perturbation at multiple scales. The paired watershed study at Hinkle Creek provides an opportunity to examine these measures of benthic invertebrates in streams dominated by mature coniferous forests and subsequent responses to planned harvests.

The River Continuum Concept (Vannote et al., 1980) predicts that composition and function of invertebrate assemblages will change predictably downstream with increasing discharge and changes in riparian canopy associated with greater stream width. Current conditions at Hinkle Creek create the context for examining this continuum in two sub-watersheds with relatively little harvest activity.

The first stage of research will examine how benthic invertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates falling into the stream, fish and amphibian diets change along the Hinkle Creek continuum from its headwaters to the main stem. After harvest research will compare how these measures change downstream from headwater timber activities and contrast those responses to control conditions in the uncut subbasin.

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