You are here
Harvard Forest Research Project 2024
- Title: Headwater Stream Ecology
- Principal investigator: Betsy Colburn (colburn@fas.Harvard.edu)
- Institution: Harvard Forest
- Primary contact: Betsy Colburn (colburn@fas.Harvard.edu)
- Team members: Emery Boose
Betsy Colburn
Ann Lewis
David Orwig - Abstract:
Headwater streams drain up to 90% of the landscape and contribute substantially to nutrient dynamics and food webs in higher order streams within drainage networks. In Central Massachusetts, headwaters are primarily influenced by land-use changes, including development; invasive species that alter forest composition (e.g., hemlock woolly adelgid causing losses of hemlock in headwater riparian zones); road crossings; and, potentially, climate change. This research examines longitudinal changes in individual streams over time, as well as across-stream variations in habitat characteristics, water quality, and stream biota, in relation to the above factors. Current status of this project involves preparing collected macroinvertebrates for long-term archival storage. The work includes reviewing previously collected specimens, confirming or adjusting taxonomic identifications, editing data base, and ensuring that all sample labels are legible and durable for long-term archival storage in ethanol. Once all IDs are confirmed and entered, the data will be analyzed for possible publication.
