The research includes experimental investigation of the effects of sediment entrainment and transport on benthic organisms and simulation of sediment disturbance and benthic community dynamics in settings that differ in hydrologic and bed material characteristics. The experimental work involves treatment of aquatic insect populations with flow and substrate disturbances of varying intensity in an artificial stream. The composition of experimental sediment beds is designed to replicate gravel-bed river surface structure. Selection of organisms is based on behavioral and physical characteristics expected to produce differential responses to substrate disturbance. The degree of sediment entrainment and transport is carefully controlled, and the resulting washout and mortality of benthic organisms is measured.
Experimental design is complete and preliminary experiments are underway.
The conceptual bases and modeling techniques for the simulation exercise are under development. Resh et al 1988. The role of disturbance in stream ecology.