Physical and chemical influences downstream of surface coal mines, including
selenium (Se) release, water quality shifts, and habitat alterations can affect aquatic
organisms. To evaluate these influences at the community level of organization, fish and
macroinvertebrates were studied in mine-affected and reference streams. Se can be toxic
to aquatic organisms and was measured in lotic food chains (water, biofilm,
macroinvertebrates and juvenile salmonids). Invertebrate Se was significantly related to
Se in juvenile fish muscle (westslope cutthroat, bull, rainbow and brook trout) and Se
concentrations exceeded proposed individual-level reproductive effects thresholds in
some rainbow and cutthroat trout. Community-level effects were only detected in
rainbow trout where species specific biomass was negatively related to muscle Se
concentration in stream reaches. Macroinvertebrate assemblages varied along a mineinfluence
gradient defined by Se, alkalinity, substrate embeddedness and interstitial
material size. Ephemeroptera were the most sensitive to mining effects and potential
mechanisms influencing community composition included Se and ion toxicity and habitat
degradation. This project highlights the need to study multiple organisms at different
levels of ecological organization in order to understand and manage diverse mining
impacts. / xi, 108 leaves : col. maps ; 29 cm
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:ALU.w.uleth.ca/dspace#10133/3362 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Kuchapski, Kathryn A |
| Contributors | Rasmussen, Joseph |
| Publisher | Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, c2013, Arts and Science, Department of Biological Sciences |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_CA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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