@article {KNZ00966, title = {Harshness: characterization of intermittent stream habitat over space and time}, journal = {Marine and Freshwater Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2005}, pages = {13 -23}, abstract = {Frequently disturbed environments, such as intermittent streams, are ecologically useful for studying how disturbance characteristics (e.g. frequency, magnitude) affect community structure and succession. We developed a harshness index that quantifies ecologically pertinent spatial and temporal characteristics of prairie intermittent streams that may limit or reduce diversity and abundance to predict benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage characteristics. The index incorporates 11 variables that describe the hydrological regime (e.g. average flow, flow variability, drying and flooding) and distance to perennial surface water. We started with 27 variables, but removed 16 that did not increase the predictive value of the index. The relationships among index values and annual mean macroinvertebrate assemblage characteristics (taxonomic richness, diversity, evenness and abundance) were tested over two years using seven sites that represent a range of flow permanence (recent and historical), flood magnitude (recent and historical) and surface-water connectivity. Mean annual taxonomic richness was significantly related to the harshness index. Evenness and abundance were not related to harshness. Further analyses indicated that distance to the nearest permanent habitat was less important than annual or historical hydrological parameters, even though prior research had documented higher rates of colonisation at sites that were closer to nearest permanent habitat. Both annual factors that can alter abundance and colonisation immediately (e.g. floods, drought in each year) and historical factors (e.g. probability of drying, average length of dry period over decades) may influence assemblage characteristics. Historical factors may influence evolutionary adaptations of invertebrates and may predominate when relative disturbance rates are lower such as in years with less flooding.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1071/MF04244}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and W. K. Dodds} } @article {KNZ00890, title = {Life on the edge: the ecology of Great Plains prairie streams}, journal = {BioScience}, volume = {54}, year = {2004}, pages = {207 -281}, abstract = {Great Plains streams are highly endangered and can serve as model systems for studying disturbance ecology and related issues of resistance and resilience in temperate freshwaters. These streams exist in a precarious balance between flood and drying. In general, microbial activity recovers in days to weeks after drying or flooding, and invertebrate and fish species are quick to follow. In lower forested reaches, floods may be more intense but drying less common. Upstream reaches of prairie streams are characterized by frequent drying, little canopy cover, and limited leaf input. Life history and adaptations alter the ways in which stream organisms respond to these linear patterns. Human modification has altered these patterns, leading to large-scale loss of native grassland streams. The future for Great Plains streams is bleak, given the land-use changes and water-use patterns in the region and the large areas required to preserve intact, ecologically functional watersheds.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0205:LOTETE]2.0.CO;2}, author = {W. K. Dodds and K. B. Gido and M.R. Whiles and Fritz, K.M. and Matthews, W.J.} } @article {KNZ00896, title = {Quality and quantity of suspended particles in rivers: Continent-scale patterns in the United States}, journal = {Environmental Management}, volume = {33}, year = {2004}, pages = {355 -367}, abstract = {Suspended solids or sediments can be pollutants in rivers, but they are also an important component of lotic food webs. Suspended sediment data for rivers were obtained from a United States{\textendash}wide water quality database for 622 stations. Data for particulate nitrogen, suspended carbon, discharge, watershed area, land use, and population were also used. Stations were classified by United States Environmental Protection Agency ecoregions to assess relationships between terrestrial habitats and the quality and quantity of total suspended solids (TSS). Results indicate that nephelometric determinations of mean turbidity can be used to estimate mean suspended sediment values to within an order of magnitude (r2 = 0.89). Water quality is often considered impaired above 80 mg TSS L-1, and 35\% of the stations examined during this study had mean values exceeding this level. Forested systems had substantially lower TSS and somewhat higher carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of suspended materials. The correlation between TSS and discharge was moderately well described by an exponential relationship, with the power of the exponent indicating potential acute sediment events in rivers. Mean sediment values and power of the exponent varied significantly with ecoregion, but TSS values were also influenced by land use practices and geomorphological characteristics. Results confirm that, based on current water quality standards, excessive suspended solids impair numerous rivers in the United States.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Ecoregions, Land use, pollution, Seston, Suspended sediment, Turbidity, water quality}, doi = {10.1007/s00267-003-0089-z}, author = {W. K. Dodds and K. B. Gido and M.R. Whiles and Fritz, K.M. and Matthews, W.J.} } @article {KNZ00897, title = {Resistance and resilience of macroinvertebrate assemblages to drying and flood in a tallgrass prairie stream system}, journal = {Hydrobiologia}, volume = {597}, year = {2004}, pages = {99 -112}, abstract = {Intermittent streams are common worldwide, and the ability of invertebrates to recover from floods and drought is a key feature of communities from these highly disturbed ecosystems. The macroinvertebrate assemblages of Kings Creek in northeastern Kansas were sampled regularly from four intermittent and two perennial sites over 2 years (1995{\textendash}1996) to investigate the response and recovery to seasonal drying and floods. A ≈9mo drying period reduced taxa richness and density to 14\% and 3\% of pre-drying assemblages, respectively, in 1995{\textendash}1996, whereas a 2mo drying period reduced richness by half and density to 4\% of pre-drying assemblages in 1996. Floods at intermittent sites reduced densities and richness by 95\% and ≈50\%, respectively. A >50 y-flood reduced macroinvertebrate richness by 97\% and density by >99\% at a downstream perennial site. Resistance and resilience of total macroinvertebrate density was typically greater to floods than to drying, whereas resilience of taxa richness did not differ between disturbance types. The time required for recovery to pre-flood conditions (richness and density) was half as long (27 vs. 76 day) for intermittent sites compared to perennial sites. Colonization of intermittent sites was a function of distance from upstream refugia. Floods were a more important disturbance on assemblages in a downstream reach as compared to upstream reaches. In contrast, upstream reaches were more likely to dry. Recovery following flood and drought was dominated by colonization as opposed to tolerance, thus resilience is more important than resistance in regulating macroinvertebrate communities in these streams, and relative position in the landscape affects disturbance type, intensity, and ability of communities to recover from disturbance.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, disturbance, drying, floods, intermittent streams, macroinvertebrates, prairie streams}, url = {http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000043188.53497.9b}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and W. K. Dodds} } @article {KNZ006, title = {Macroinvertebrate assemblage structure across a tallgrass prairie stream landscape}, journal = {Archiv Fur Hydrobiologie}, volume = {154}, year = {2002}, pages = {70 -102}, abstract = {Stream macroinvertebrates were collected from four intermittent tributaries and two perennial sites within the Kings Creek basin, Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) near Manhattan, KS, USA. The objectives of this study were to assess the roles of disturbances (floods and drying) and refugia on benthic and colonization (drift and aerial) assemblage composition over two years among sites with contrasting hydrologic regimes. Benthic taxa richness and diversity at the perennial headwater site were significantly greater than richness and diversity at intermittent sites, whereas the downstream perennial site did not differ significantly from two of the intermittent sites. The larger magnitude of floods at the downstream perennial site resulted in greater losses in richness than at the upstream intermittent and perennial sites. Both classification and ordination revealed that benthic assemblage composition was more strongly correlated with time since last disturbance and season than with static hydrologic descriptors, microhabitat measures, or assemblage characteristics (richness or density). Richness of aerial colonization and drift samples collected at intermittent sites was greatest at the site with the nearest upstream perennial surface water. Because Kings Creek is a relatively pristine stream, these data may be useful as a baseline for comparison with future efforts for bioassessment of intermittent prairie streams.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, url = {http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN\&cpsidt=13665239}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and W. K. Dodds} } @article {KNZ00837, title = {Recovery of three fish species to flood and seasonal drying in a tallgrass prairie stream}, journal = {Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science}, volume = {105}, year = {2002}, pages = {209 -218}, abstract = {The recovery of three fish species following a catastrophic flood (>50 y recurrence interval) and seasonal drying were studied in Kings Creek basin at the Konza Prairie Biological Station in northeastern Kansas. Fish collected from three tallgrass prairie headwater springs were marked and recaptured to determine if headwater springs were a source of fish recolonizing intermittent sections downstream and to estimate population sizes in the headwater springs. Three fish species (Campostoma anomalum, Phoxinus erythrogaster, and Etheostoma spectabile) were collected. Catch rates and population estimates of fish nine days post-flood were approximately half of the values obtained during subsequent sampling periods. Recolonization of an intermittent section was primarily by age-0 fish that seemingly were displaced downstream by flood events. The distribution of fish within the upper subbasins of the South Branch of Kings Creek was limited to perennial spring-fed reaches. The short duration of continuous flow and regular drying in these tributaries might limit the dispersal of individuals between populations in this landscape.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1660/0022-8443(2002)105[0209:ROTFST]2.0.CO;2}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and Tripe, J.A. and Guy, C.S.} } @article {KNZ003, title = {A comparison of the trophic ecology of crayfish (Orconectes nais (Faxon) and Orconectes neglectus (Faxon)) and central stonerollers (Compostoma anomalum (Rafinesque)): omnivory in a tallgrass prairie stream}, journal = {Hydrobiologia}, volume = {462}, year = {2001}, pages = {131 -144}, abstract = {Omnivorous fish, such as the central stoneroller minnow (Campostoma anomalum(Rafinesque)), and crayfish often play important roles in the trophic dynamics of streams. The trophic role of these two omnivores has not been compared within a system even though they both consume algae, detritus and invertebrates and often co-occur in streams in the Midwestern United States. Natural abundance of 15N and 13C isotopes and a whole stream 15N-labeled ammonium chloride release were used to compare the trophic ecology of the central stoneroller minnow (Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque)) and two species of crayfish (Orconectes neglectus (Faxon) and Orconectes nais (Faxon)) in a tallgrass prairie stream. The δ15N and δ13C values of Orconectes spp. were more similar to coarse benthic organic matter (CBOM) and filamentous green algae than to invertebrates, fine benthic organic matter (FBOM), and periphyton. Values for δ15N and δ13C in C. anomalum were more similar to grazer and collector invertebrates and filamentous green algae than to FBOM and periphyton. Results from a 15N tracer release also indicated a portion of algae and/or invertebrates were a component of nitrogen assimilated in Orconectes spp. and C. anomalum diets. Gut contents of C. anomalum were also analyzed. In contrast to stable isotope data, amorphous detritus was a significant component of C. anomalum guts, followed by diatoms and filamentous green algae. A significant percentage of invertebrate material was found in C. anomalum guts sampled in the spring. Experiments were conducted in artificial streams to determine if Orconectes spp. and C. anomalum could reduce epilithic algal biomass in small streams. Algal biomass on clay tile substrata was decreased relative to controls in artificial stream channels containing O. neglectus (3.4 fold, p=0.0002), C. anomalum (2.1 fold, p=0.0012), and both species combined (3.0 fold, p=0.0003). Results indicate that Orconectes spp. are functioning more as algal and detrital processors than as predators in Kings Creek. Isotope and gut content data show that C. anomalum includes invertebrates as well as algae and detritus in its diet. Both species have the potential to affect algal biomass and are important omnivores in the stream food web.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, food webs, gut analysis, Herbivory, omnivory, Stable isotopes}, doi = {10.1023/A:1013182100150}, author = {Evans-White, M.A. and W. K. Dodds and Gray, L. and Fritz, K.M.} } @article {KNZ00686, title = {The effects of bison crossings on the macroinvertebrate community in a tallgrass prairie stream}, journal = {American Midland Naturalist}, volume = {141}, year = {1999}, pages = {253 -265}, abstract = {The distribution and diversity of macroinvertebrates in relation to bison crossings was studied for four seasons in a headwater reach of a tallgrass prairie stream. Species richness was significantly higher above crossings only during the fall. Summer samples revealed significantly higher EPT (richness within only Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) index values above crossings than at crossings. On average, over 10\% more fine sediment (<0.2 mm) occurred at the crossings than above or below crossings. Densities of two taxa (Hydropsyche spp. and Elmidae) were significantly higher above or below crossings, whereas three taxa (Bezzia/Palpomyia spp., Culicoides sp., and Naididae/Tubificidae) were significantly higher at crossings for at least one season. Overall, this study suggests that impact of bison on benthic communities of headwater streams was spatially limited. Although bison may have less impact upon stream communities than previous studies of cattle impacts have shown, differences in climate and stocking rate could be important factors.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1674/0003-0031(1999)141[0253:TEOBCO]2.0.CO;2}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and W. K. Dodds and Pontius, J.} } @article {KNZ00619, title = {Description of the larval stages of Heterosternuta diversicornis (Sharp) Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae}, journal = {Entomologica Scandinavica}, volume = {29}, year = {1998}, pages = {39 -46}, abstract = {Description of structures of all three larval instars of Heterosternuta diversicornis (Sharp) is presented. The chaetotaxy and porotaxy of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment, and urogomphi are discussed in detail. A close similarity between larvae of H. diversicornis, H. wickhami Zaitzev and H. cocheconis (Fall) is confirmed. All three species distinguish from the closely related species of the genus Neoporus Guignot by (i) a very short and constricted siphon, (ii) the primary setae FE8 and FE9 which are subequal in length to the maximum width of the metafemur (first instar), (iii) the absence of natatory setae on all tibiae and tarsi, and (iv) the contiguous position of the primary setae UR2 and UR3 on the urogomphomere 1.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1163/187631298X00186}, author = {Alarie, Y. and Fritz, K.M.} } @mastersthesis {KNZ00587, title = {The effects of natural disturbances on lotic fauna of a pristine tallgrass prairie stream}, volume = {MS Thesis}, year = {1997}, pages = {1 -158}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {M.S. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {Fritz, K.M.} } @article {KNZ00535, title = {The relationship of floods, drying, flow and light to primary production and producer biomass in a prairie stream}, journal = {Hydrobiologia}, volume = {333}, year = {1996}, pages = {151 -159}, abstract = {Factors related to autochthonous production were investigated at several sites along a prairie stream at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Primary production, algal biomass, litter input, and ability of floods to move native substrate were measured. Additional experiments were conducted to establish the influence of light and water velocity on primary production rates and recovery of biomass following dry periods. The study period encompassed two extreme (> 50 year calculated return time) floods, thus we were able to analyze the effects of scour on periphyton biomass and productivity. Biomass of sedimentary algae was reduced greatly by flooding and did not reach preflood amounts during the 2 months following the first flood. Rates of primary production associated with sediments recovered to levels above preflood rates within 2 weeks. Biomass of epilithic periphyton was not affected as severely as that of sedimentary algae. Little relationship was observed between water velocity and photosythetic rates. Production reached maximum rates at 25\% of full sun light. Epilithic chlorophyll levels recovered within eight days following a dry period, and chl a was an order of magnitude greater on rocks than sediments 51 days after re-wetting. Estimated annual rates of primary production were 2.6 times greater in the prairie than in the forest reaches of the stream. The ratio of annual autochthonous:allochthonous carbon input was 4.81 for prairie and 0.32 for the forest. Periphyton production in prairie streams is resilient with regard to flooding and drought and represents a primary carbon source for the system.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, autochthonous, Flood, light, periphyton, Primary production, water velocity}, doi = {10.1007/BF00013429}, author = {W. K. Dodds and Hutson, R.E. and Eichem, A.C. and Evans, M.E. and Gudder, D.A. and Fritz, K.M. and Gray, L.} }