Streams in the lower North Island-- regional patterns in benthic invertebrate communities and the influence of landuse : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Ecology at Massey University

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorTaylor, Andrew Kenneth
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-04T04:17:53Z
dc.date.available2015-09-04T04:17:53Z
dc.date.issued1999
dc.description.abstractTen streams from five different ecoregions (Mount Taranaki, Volcanic Plateau, Central Mountains, Eastern Lowlands and the Manawatu Plains) were sampled for benthic invertebrates in May 1995. Invertebrate communities were examined to determine if ecoregions or landuse were better indicators of community structure. Six bimonthly samples were also taken between March 1995 and January 1996 from two sites on an urban stream (Mangaone stream) to examine the effects of urbanisation in comparison to streams in the Manawatu Plains. The impact of a nearby refuse facility on the Mangaone stream was also examined. Streams invertebrate communities in the modified Eastern Lowlands and Manawatu Plains were composed of mainly Diptera and Molluscan species. They also showed significantly lower MCI, QMCI and EPT scores than the Central Mountains, Mount Taranaki and Volcanic Plateau streams. Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera dominated invertebrate communities in the Central Mountain, Mount Taranaki and Volcanic Plateau. Within these two groupings of modified versus unmodified ecoregions individual ecoregions could not be clearly separated. Broad landuse categories were identified as the best discriminator of the benthic invertebrate communities rather than the 5 ecoregions. A greater range of environmental conditions in benthic invertebrate communities of the South Island could explain why ecoregions are more closely linked with lotic community structure in these systems. Urbanisation of the Mangaone stream had significantly altered the stream invertebrate communities from those in the Manawatu Plains. Streams in the Manawatu Plains were dominated by Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Oxyethira albiceps in contrast to the Mangaone stream sites that were dominated by oligochaetes and chironomids. Differences in invertebrate abundance between the two Mangaone stream sites were attributed to smaller and less stable substrate particles at the downstream site.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/7037
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectNorth Island, New Zealanden_US
dc.subjectStream ecologyen_US
dc.subjectFreshwater invertebratesen_US
dc.subjectNew Zealand streamsen_US
dc.subjectMangaone stream, Manawatuen_US
dc.titleStreams in the lower North Island-- regional patterns in benthic invertebrate communities and the influence of landuse : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Ecology at Massey Universityen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorTaylor, Andrew Kennethen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEcologyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.Sc.)en_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
01_front.pdf
Size:
263.47 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Thumbnail Image
Name:
01_whole.pdf
Size:
8.34 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
804 B
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Theses and Dissertations