Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of "Bray Creek" and "Frog Alley", Two Unnamed Agricultural Drainages in the Upper Mackinaw River Drainage

Final Report issued June 30, 2005Report issued on: June 30, 2005INHS Technical Report prepared for Dr. Maria Lemke, Illinois Chapter, Nature Conservanc

Condition of streams and other aquatic resources in Kane County Forest Preserve District parcels

Kane County Forest Preserve District Grant/Contract No: 2005-5291INHS Technical Report Prepared for Kane County Forest Preserve Distric

Summer Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera of Southwestern of 15 Drainages in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

INHS Technical Report prepared for unspecified recipien

Summer Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) Species Richness and Community Structure in the Lower Illinois River Basin of Illinois

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) species richness is useful for monitoring stream health, but no published studies in Illinois quantitatively document EPT richness or assemblage structure. The objectives of this study were to characterize adult EPT richness and structure and relate these to relative water at eight stream sites (160-69,300 km3 area) in the lower Illinois River Adults were ultra-violet light trapped in June, July, and August 1997. Nutrient enrichment by nitrate and nitrite nitrogen was strongly evident, in smaller drainages, while critical loss of stable habitat was observed in water bodies. Seventy EPT species were identified from 17,889 specimens. Trichoptera were by far the most speciose (41 species), followed by Ephemeroptera (26), and Plecoptera (3). Caddisflies also dominated species richness across sites, contributing 18.0 of the average 28.9 total EPT species collected. Site EPT richness varied significantly (F =5.51, p 0.003, df 7), with smaller drainages supporting greater richness, generally. Differences were also evident for months (F = 21.7, p =0.0001, df =2), with June being lower (11.8 average) than either July (20.6) or August (18.1) values. Hilsenhoff biotic index (HBI) scores did not vary significantly across sites (F 0.7, p =0.7, df =7), but were different across months (F =5.4, p 0.02, df 2). June (4.23) and July (4.53) means were not different, but both were lower (of better quality) than August (5.33) scores. The relationship of EPT to HBI scores was not investigated statisti- cally due to problems of sample size and interdependance of monthly sam­ ples, but graphical analysis no consistent relationship. This sug- gested a decoupling of the the EPT and implied that the gain in taxonomic resolution achieved by adults outstripped the resolution of the HBI. Use of the HBI to characterize adult aquatic insect communities is discouraged. New state records and extensions for Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera are presented and loss of sensitive Plecoptera in the drainage is discussed

Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate in Streams and Springs of Forested Fen Forest Preserve, Kane County, Illinois, Final Report

Fox River Forested Fen Forest Preserve, Kane County, near Elgin, Illinois, is a new acquisition of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County and a new Illinois nature preserve. Because of its geographical proximity and plant community similarity to Trout Park Nature Preserve, Forested Fen probably has a similar aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna to that of Trout Park. Quantitative and qualitative sampling was conducted in April and May 2015 to answer this question. Several coldwater aquatic macroinvertebrates were found to inhabit the Forest Fen stream. The south and north branches of the stream differed markedly in from each other in terms of abundance, total taxa richness, and EPT (sensitive insect) richness, the north branch being the better of the two. Less than half of the historical EPT richness (most sensitive of aquatic insects) reported from Trout Park was present in Forested Fen. Forest Fen compare better to two other regional springbrook systems. Suggested management includes replanting of the area in white cedar to increase resistance to water temperature changes, and removal of the artificial pond that increases water temperature and disrupts dispersal routes.Kane County Forest Preserve DIstrictunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

A Preliminary Report on the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

A total of 117 species of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies were collected from streams and lakes in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) during 2014. Caddisflies provided the greatest number of species at 76, with mayflies contributing 35. Only six species of stoneflies were collected from SLBE. Several rare and new state record mayfly and caddisfly species were found in SLBE. EPT species richness was lower than expected for an area of this size, but limitations of stream size, narrow thermal regimes, and few heterotrophic streams are responsible rather than any anthropogenic disturbances. Additional sampling of lakes and interdunal swales is planned for June and July as is early spring sampling of flowing waters. Comparison of SLBE EPT richness to two measures of the regional species pool will take place after the 2015 sampling season.A total of 117 species of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies were collected from streams and lakes in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) during 2014. Caddisflies provided the greatest number of species at 76, with mayflies contributing 35. Only six species of stoneflies were collected from SLBE. Several rare and new state record mayfly and caddisfly species were found in SLBE. EPT species richness was lower than expected for an area of this size, but limitations of stream size, narrow thermal regimes, and few heterotrophic streams are responsible rather than any anthropogenic disturbances. Additional sampling of lakes and interdunal swales is planned for June and July as is early spring sampling of flowing waters. Comparison of SLBE EPT richness to two measures of the regional species pool will take place after the 2015 sampling season.unpublishednot peer reviewe

Resurrecting Illinois' Biological Heritage, Reintroduction of a Locally Extirpated Stonefly

The major goal of this project is to reintroduce A. frisoni to parts of eastern Illinois from where it has been extirpated since the early 1960s. A candidate stream in the region is the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, a National Scenic River. This stream is of the best water quality in the region (Sangunett 2005) and is surrounded by much public property above the Interstate 74 corridor. Much preparation is necessary to begin such a reintroduction. Tasks include the following: (1) update what is known of the historical and contemporary distribution of this species, (2) conduct a rangewide screening of the population genetic structure of the species, (3) select source populations for reintroduction from the genetic screening results, (4) reintroduce the species, and (5) conduct follow-up studies to determine if the reintroduction was successful.Wildlife Preservation Fund, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Resource Conservation/Operations Contract RC09L20Wunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

PLECOPTERA OR STONEFLIES (INSECTA) OF INDIANA: DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF SPECIES

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are indicators of water quality and have been lost in dramatic numbers from Midwest states, including Indiana. This study synthesizes over 5,000 specimen level records from museums and recent fieldwork to build a current species list, assess watershed level species richness, and calculate state level conservation assessments using NatureServe’s Conservation Rank Calculator. Results include 1,050 positive occurrence records that yielded 92 species. Among these is one recently described species, a new species not yet described, and three previously described species new to Indiana. We have also found additional locations for rare species and confirmed the presence of a few species thought to be extirpated. United States Geological Survey Hierarchical Unit Code scale 6 (HUC6) drainages with the highest species richness values were the Patoka-White (73 species), Lower Ohio-Salt (60 species), and the Wabash River (57 species). The other seven drainages produced from five to 28 species, being limited by low gradient streams due to lake plain landscapes and by stream nutrient enrichment from agriculture. Eleven species were rated as extirpated or presumed extirpated, leaving 81 extant species. Of these, 17 were rated as critically imperiled (S1), 26 imperiled (S2), 25 vulnerable (S3), while only 13 species were rated as secure (S4 & S5). Watersheds and specific streams were discussed for their ability to support individual species or rich assemblages.Indianapolis Zoo funded via Indiana Department of Natural Resourcesunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Summer Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) Species Richness and Community Structure in the Lower Illinois River Basin of Illinois

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) species richness is useful for monitoring stream health, but no published studies in Illinois quantitatively document EPT richness or assemblage structure. The objectives of this study were to characterize adult EPT richness and structure and relate these to relative water at eight stream sites (160-69,300 km3 area) in the lower Illinois River Adults were ultra-violet light trapped in June, July, and August 1997. Nutrient enrichment by nitrate and nitrite nitrogen was strongly evident, in smaller drainages, while critical loss of stable habitat was observed in water bodies. Seventy EPT species were identified from 17,889 specimens. Trichoptera were by far the most speciose (41 species), followed by Ephemeroptera (26), and Plecoptera (3). Caddisflies also dominated species richness across sites, contributing 18.0 of the average 28.9 total EPT species collected. Site EPT richness varied significantly (F =5.51, p 0.003, df 7), with smaller drainages supporting greater richness, generally. Differences were also evident for months (F = 21.7, p =0.0001, df =2), with June being lower (11.8 average) than either July (20.6) or August (18.1) values. Hilsenhoff biotic index (HBI) scores did not vary significantly across sites (F 0.7, p =0.7, df =7), but were different across months (F =5.4, p 0.02, df 2). June (4.23) and July (4.53) means were not different, but both were lower (of better quality) than August (5.33) scores. The relationship of EPT to HBI scores was not investigated statisti- cally due to problems of sample size and interdependance of monthly sam­ ples, but graphical analysis no consistent relationship. This sug- gested a decoupling of the the EPT and implied that the gain in taxonomic resolution achieved by adults outstripped the resolution of the HBI. Use of the HBI to characterize adult aquatic insect communities is discouraged. New state records and extensions for Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera are presented and loss of sensitive Plecoptera in the drainage is discussed

The caddis aren’t alright: modeling Trichoptera richness in streams of the northcentral United States reveals substantial species losses

Despite the importance of caddisflies in aquatic ecosystems, few studies have assessed the most important variables affecting their species richness throughout a large region or attempted to model such richness throughout the region. We sampled nearly 500,000 adult caddisfly specimens representing 18,288 species occurrences and 282 total species using ultraviolet light traps from nearly 800 streams of varying size and condition throughout the northcentral US, an area of about 1.3 million km2. We tested 18 candidate variables reflecting natural habitat conditions, anthropogenic disturbance, and weather differences for their ability to account for variation in the caddisfly species richness of our samples. Multiple linear regression, including significance testing and ranking by Akaike Information Criterion importance values, determined a best model including eight variables. Caddisfly species richness increased with percentage of intact natural upstream habitat, elevation, dew point, longitude, depth of soil organic matter, and distance of soil to bedrock, and decreased with the percentage of non-native plants and total runoff value. The percentage of intact upstream habitat alone accounted for >40% of the variation in caddisfly species richness. After correcting for dew point to equalize weather conditions, our 7-variable model predicted that, on average, a 50% loss of intact upstream habitat would cause a 30% decrease in caddisfly species richness relative to undisturbed conditions, a 75% loss would cause a 55% decrease, and a near total loss would cause a 75% decrease. Applying our model to the 760,047 stream segments of our study area estimated that, in the absence of disturbance, nearly 90% of stream segments were predicted to contain 31–40 caddisfly species. Based on calculated disturbance levels, however, only 15% of stream segments had maintained at least 90% of that richness, whereas 58% had lost at least half. Species extirpations were generally lowest in the northern forested portion of our study area and, except for some relatively small protected areas, higher in the southern agricultural portion. Overall, our data indicated a tremendous number of site-level extirpations over a large area owing principally to watershed-level habitat disturbance. Such losses probably occur in other aquatic insect taxa throughout much of the United States and elsewhere