Analysis of invertebrate stream data for Aquatic Methods
A. For the data collected from Bartow County streams in 2000:
(http://science.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/aqmethods/StreamInvertData05.xls )
Calculate the following metrics for each of the six streams (see web lecture for definitions/equations):
q Total number taxa (species if possible) (Excel shortcut: use the "count" function)
q EPT - number of Ephemeropteran (mayflies), Plecotopteran (stoneflies), and Tricopteran taxa (Excel shortcut: use the "count" function).
These taxa are in blue font on the spreadsheet.
q % contribution of dominant taxa (Excel shortcut: use the "max" function)
q % EPT
These taxa are in blue font on the spreadsheet.
q % Chironomidae
These taxa are in green font on the spreadsheet.
Turn in a table of these results (each of the 5 metrics for each of the 6 creeks).
For the five invertebrate metrics you calculated and the habitat score metric (located at the bottom of the spreadsheet; higher values for this habitat metric indicate higher habitat quality), produce a matrix of correlation coefficients using Excel's correlation analysis. To do this, select "correlation" within the "data analysis…" under the "tools" menu. (You may have to first go to “Add-ins…” under the “tools” menu and select the “Analysis ToolPak” to load this onto the “tools” menu. The input range should include all the cells on your spreadsheet that include data the five metrics and the habitat scores for each of the six creeks (the data on the spreadsheet at the bottom is arranged so that the creeks are column heads and each metric is aligned along each row).
Select “Rows” and “Labels in first column” in the pop-up menu shown above.
As discussed in class, the correlation coefficient, r, is a single number that describes the degree to which the two sets of observations vary together (covary) (i.e. the strength or closeness of a linear association), and the direction (sign) of this covariation. The r-values produced in the correlation matrix generated by the Excel correlation analysis can range from –1.0 to +1.0. A positive value indicates a positive relationship between the variables (a positive slope to points plotted against one another) and a negative value indicates a negative relationship; r-values are near 0 suggest that the two sets of observations do not covary together. The significance of this relationship (i.e., P, the probability that any co-variance is due to chance) can be calculated, but you will not be required to do this in this analysis.
q Turn in a copy of this correlation matrix table.
q Based on this correlation analysis, determine which invertebrate metric is most positively correlated with habitat condition. Determine which invertebrate metric is most negatively correlated with habitat condition. In two seperate graphs plot these metrics against habitat score.
q Assuming this habitat metric acurrately reflects the degree of perturbation in streams, which metrics in this data set are related to perturbations in the way predicted in lecture (i.e. does the metric increase or decrease with increasing perturbation?).
B. For the data collected at Stamp Creek:
(from the field data sheets on the following pages
q Based on the field data sheets, was it necessary to sample subhabitats other than riffles? Why or why not? Cite some specific examples from this data set to back up your conclusion.
q Based on the field data sheets, do you feel confident that sufficient effort was made to accurately characterize the macro-invertebrate community at this site? Why or why not? Cite some specific examples from this data set to back up your conclusion.
Date__16 March 2007__
Stream __Upper Stamp Creek, downstream riffle
Group # 1A
Habitat type:_Riffle__
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera
Turbellaria / Coleoptera / 5 / 1
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera / 3 / 1
Isopoda / Ephemeroptera / 15 / 3
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 5 / 3
Decapoda / 3 / 1 / Plecoptera / 1 / 1
Gastropoda / 5 / 1 / Diptera / 1 / 1
Bivalvia
Habitat type:__Banks/Roots/Log Jams
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / 1 / 1 / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera
Turbellaria / Coleoptera
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera
Isopoda / 1 / 1 / Ephemeroptera / 7 / 2
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 5 / 3
Decapoda / 2 / 1 / Plecoptera / 1 / 1
Gastropoda / 10 / 1 / Diptera / 2 / 2
Bivalvia
Date__16 March 2007__
Stream __Upper Stamp Creek, downstream riffle
Group # 1 B
Habitat type:_Riffle__
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera
Turbellaria / Coleoptera
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera
Isopoda / Ephemeroptera / 6 / 5
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 3 / 2
Decapoda / Plecoptera / 2 / 2
Gastropoda / Diptera / 1 / 1
Bivalvia
Habitat type:__Banks/Roots/Log Jams
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera / 1 / 1
Turbellaria / Coleoptera
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera
Isopoda / Ephemeroptera / 4 / 1
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 1 / 1
Decapoda / 1 / 1 / Plecoptera
Gastropoda / Diptera / 1 / 1
Bivalvia
Date__16 March 2007__
Stream __Upper Stamp Creek, upstream riffle _
Group # 2 A (banks/jams) and 2B (riffle)
Habitat type:_Riffle__
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera
Turbellaria / Coleoptera / 1 / 1
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera
Isopoda / 1 / 1 / Ephemeroptera / 38 / 6
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 8 / 3
Decapoda / Plecoptera / 6 / 2
Gastropoda / 13 / 1 / Diptera / 3 / 2
Bivalvia
Habitat type:__Banks/Roots/Log Jams
No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxa / No. of individuals / No of taxaPorifera / Anisoptera / Other:
Hydrozoa / Zygoptera
Platyhelminthes / Hemiptera
Turbellaria / Coleoptera / 1 / 1
Hirudinea / Lepidoptera
Oligochaeta / Megaloptera / 1 / 1
Isopoda / 3 / 1 / Ephemeroptera / 11 / 4
Amphipoda / Trichoptera / 4 / 3
Decapoda / Plecoptera / 1 / 1
Gastropoda / 9 / 1 / Diptera / 1 / 1
Bivalvia