Contact: Shannon O’Leary (Saint Anselm College, NH), Elizabeth B. Sudduth (Georgia Gwinnett College, GA), Patricia A. Saunders (Ashland University, OH)

Project E-mail: invurts@gmail.com

Initiated: 2023

Project Status: We are recruiting new participants for Fall 2025 and beyond!

Ready to participate in the INVURTS project? This form asks for a little more information.

Description

Investigations with NEON: Variability of macroinvertebrates versus Urban and Rural Temperature dynamics in Streams (INVURTS) 

Inspired by a previous EREN project that investigated the effect of riparian forest cover on stream temperature (Simmons et al. 2015), we are investigating the interactions of temporal variability of stream temperature and climatic (biome) and land-use effects on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. To assess potential trends and interactions at this broad spatial scale, we plan to combine data from sites in the NEON network and sites at participating institutions.

See a map of our current sites and the NEON network here. 

 

Hypotheses/Objectives:

  • Hypothesis 1 (Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis): More extreme (high or low) daily/seasonal/annual temperature variability may decrease biodiversity of stream macroinvertebrates due to species’ limits, therefore, highest biodiversity is expected at sites with predictable intermediate levels of variability.
  • Hypothesis 2 (Urban Stream Syndrome): Stream macroinvertebrate biodiversities in urban streams are more similar to each other across NEON Domains than to other sites within a NEON Domain, because as urban streams become more homogenized in their physico-chemical characteristics, including temperature regime, they become more similar in their community composition.
  • Hypothesis 3 (Thermal Equilibrium Hypothesis): An optimum equilibrium between temperature & growth exists; therefore, populations of a species at suboptimal sites are expected to exhibit low population density and smaller individuals versus more optimal sites. 

Summary of Methods:

Participants need to be able to:

  • Identify one or more sample locations.
  • Install a temperature logger or have publicly available stream temperature data within 1 km of your location. We ask for one year (or more!) of continuous temperature data. We prefer temperature data collection starts ~3 months before stream sampling.
  • Capture macroinvertebrate samples and/or take environmental DNA samples at least one season per year of temperature data.”

Expanded Project Info.

Overview for Participants/Instructors

Project protocols:

  • logger installation protocol
  • habitat/site assessment protocol and data sheet
  • macroinvertebrate sampling protocol and data sheet
  • eDNA sampling and processing protocol

Curriculum: 

  • Instructor Materials and Student Handouts include:
    • Macroinvertebrate sampling
    • Organizing, archiving and submitting data to the project
    • Suggestions for using INVURTS with classes
  • We have developed teaching modules on:
    • the effect of temperature variability shaping habitat availability
    • characterizing and comparing macroinvertebrates based on functional feeding groups
    • characterizing and comparing local habitat and watershed variables
    • watershed management planning considering land use and climate change

Publications will be shared here as available.