Wetland-stream ecosystems of the western Kentucky coalfield: environmental disturbance and the shaping of aquatic community structure
Thesis/Dissertation
·
OSTI ID:5966842
The effects of surface mining effluents of the shaping of aquatic community structure in wetland-stream ecosystems of the western Kentucky coalfield were examined. Three variously impacted drainage systems were utilized for the investigation of cause-and-effect relationships. Clear Creek wetland-stream ecosystem had a uniformly low pH, high conductivity and high dissolved minerals load linked to the oozing of old, unreclaimed surface mine spoils. Cypress Creek wetland-stream ecosystem exhibited a slug-pulsing of mine drainage effluents tied to active surface mining limited to the headwaters region. Henderson Sloughs-Pond Creek wetland-stream ecosystem had no mining impact and was utilized as a comparison site. Macroinvertebrate taxa and diversity were considerably lowered in the systems receiving mine drainage. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H) was 0.61 for Clear Creek, 1.80 for Cypress Creek and 2.01 for Henderson Sloughs. Large numbers of chironomid larvae dominated the benthic community of Clear Creek while mayflies, caddisflies and crustaceans were the major components of the Cypress Creek community. Henderson Sloughs-Pond Creek had an even more diverse community of mayflies, caddisflies, crustaceans, molluscs and odonates. Fishes followed the same general trend, being almost absent in Clear Creek (H - 0.47), slightly depressed in Cypress Creek (H = 1.74) and generally diverse in Henderson Sloughs (H = 2.37).
- OSTI ID:
- 5966842
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
520500 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
COAL MINING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRUSTACEANS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISHES
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
KENTUCKY
MINING
MOLLUSCS
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STREAMS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WETLANDS
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
520500 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
COAL MINING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRUSTACEANS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISHES
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
KENTUCKY
MINING
MOLLUSCS
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STREAMS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WETLANDS