Impact of hemlock decline from HWA on aquatic insects in freshwater streams
PI(s): Worthen, Meredith E
Investigators: Salom, Scott M, Brewster, Carlyle C.
Abstract: The goal of this project is to determine the extent to which the decline of riparian hemlock caused by hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) affects stream ecosystems in the southern Appalachians.
Description: Because hemlock is so often a key component of riparian areas, an attempt is being made to understand its role in shaping stream ecosystems before this conifer is longer present in the Southern Appalachians. The project, therefore, examines the role of hemlock in southern Appalachian streams, including factors related to hemlock litter breakdown and utilization by benthic macroinvertebrates, and compares abiotic and biotic variables in streams adjacent to hemlock stands at different levels of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) infestation and/or hemlock decline.
Commodities: Forests
Resources:
Disciplines: Ecology, Environmental Quality, Forest Systems
Audiences: Environmental Groups, Government Agencies, Researchers
