USGS Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 1015136

The status of the macroinvertebrate community in the St. Croix River, Minnesota and Wisconsin: An examination of ecological health using techniques of multivariate analysis

T.P. Boyle·M.S. Strand
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

A statistical procedure that integrates physical, chemical and biological data is used to operationally define and analyze ecological health. Benthic macroinvertebrates collected from May through September from eight locations along the St. Croix River in Minnesota and Wisconsin were analyzed by canonical correspondence analyses. A sequential multivariate analysis procedure was developed that included: 1) determining which environmental variables explained the most variation in the taxonomic data, individually and collectively, 2) running canonical correspondence analyses on the taxonomic data along with environmental variables chosen from a stepwise forward selection procedure, 3) performing a cluster analysis of the taxonomic data in sampling times to determine artificial biological seasons, and 4) analyzing the seasonal data (three time intervals) separately, as in steps 1 and 2. Changes in community structure were significantly associated with changes in environmental factors (physical and chemical) that varied in time and space. The variables found to be significant were largely those expected to be associated with the variations in the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate community in an unimpacted river. A slight influence of nitrogen could be detected in agricultural areas.

Explore related subjects

Aquatic Ecosystem Health & ManagementArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

T.P. Boyle, M.S. Strand. 2001. The status of the macroinvertebrate community in the St. Croix River, Minnesota and Wisconsin: An examination of ecological health using techniques of multivariate analysis. https://doi.org/10.1080/146349801753509203

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Abundance and movement patterns of fish accessing a reconnected Lake Erie coastal wetland: Insights from high-resolution sonar data

Coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes are complex ecosystems that provide essential biological services, including providing habitat for a suite of fish species. As restoration efforts for these coastal wetlands increase, there is a need to characterize how well restored areas support the life histories of wetland, riverine, and lake fishes. Most traditional survey methods (e.g. 24hr trap netting, visual surveys) are implemented over periods of time that make it difficult to describe short-term fluxes in fish activity, especially in waters with difficult access or high turbidity. To address this gap, we used acoustic sonar technology to evaluate fish movement in a recently reconnected coastal wetland on the southern shore of western Lake Erie. Data collected over four years (2011-2014) indicated that the 10 ha wetland was continuously utilized by millions of fish, with discernible fluctuations in usage patterns observed on both daily and annual scales. These insights add to our understanding of how fish assemblages respond to restored coastal wetland habitats and can inform management decisions that may impact fish access (e.g. conduct management activities that may be disruptive to fish populations during periods of reduced utilization). Additional study of short-term fish movements using high-resolution sonar and other technologies will reveal patterns that may enhance the effectiveness of restoration and management efforts in Great Lakes coastal wetlands.

Lake Erie↗
USGS2024

Taylor-made: The meaning of mentorship in fisheries

Thirteen years ago, as a senior in college, I barely knew what research was. Although I spent my senior year conducting fieldwork and writing 50 pages about Brown Trout Salmo trutta population dynamics in southeast Minnesota streams, the essence of research eluded me. It was not until graduate school that things clicked. A decade ago, I was several months away from completing my M.S. thesis on the effects of a large flood on aquatic resources in the Missouri River. Research was a newfound passion. My M.S. project changed my perspective, opening my eyes to the delights and difficulties of science. I attended the 2014 American Fisheries Society (AFS) meeting determined to talk to as many potential Ph.D. advisors as possible.

Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management↗