Abstract
Benthic invertebrates were sampled at four stations along the Little Bear River continuum: Station 2 in the mountainous headwaters, at Station 4 in the transition area to the lowland valley, at Station 7 below Hyrum Reservoir, and at Station 11 in the low-gradient agricultural area near where the river flows into Cutler Reservoir wetland. At each station samples were collected with sweep nets in each of the habitats, with an effort made to sample each type of habitat in proportion to its abundance. Ethanol-preserved samples were counted utilizing 30X compound microscopes, with 2 or more students providing counts and taxa identifications for the invertebrates from each Station. The invertebrates identified from each station are shown in Table 1. A ratio of the combined counts of clean-water taxa (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Tricoptera) and all other taxa was calculated for each station. This ratio can provide insight on water quality, but with the level of taxonomy used in the class exercise, should be interpreted cautiously.
Recommended Citation
Baker, Jared; Broderius, Chance; Fisher, Katie; Fuller, Jason; Papas, George A.; Smith, Christian; and Weston, Marc
(2013)
"Benthic Invertebrate Composition along the Little Bear River Continuum,"
Natural Resources and Environmental Issues: Vol. 18, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/nrei/vol18/iss1/9
