Impact and recovery of freshwater algae and bacteria to mine stress in Iron Creek, Idaho
Conference
·
OSTI ID:460480
- Johnson State Coll., VT (United States)
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Benthic algal population abundances and the metabolic diversity of the benthic and suspended (seston) microbial heterotrophic communities were used to assess the impact and trends in recovery downstream from a point source flowing from an abandoned mine. Benthic algae and microbes were sampled by brushing a confined area on naturally-colonized rocks in Iron Creek, Idaho, and whole-water samples were collected for seston. Algae were counted microscopically. Microbial community metabolic diversity was determined by simultaneously measuring short-term heterotrophic utilization of 94 different carbon sources. Benthic algal populations shifted from a community dominated by diatoms and filamentous blue-green algae in the two upstream references sites to a community dominated by the unicellular blue-green alga Entophysalis rivals (Chamaesiphon) on rocks below the point source. Community composition of benthic algae in the furthest downstream sites increased in similarity to reference sites, but complete recovery was not observed. Microbial community metabolic diversity of the seston and benthic communities along the stream transect followed a similar pattern; the seston metabolic diversity nearly recovered and the benthic metabolic diversity did not recover when compared to the reference sites. The results suggest that benthic algae and microbial metabolic diversity are useful as structural and functional measures of environmental stress and recovery.
- OSTI ID:
- 460480
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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