The few species that did proliferate might be especially adept at utilizing the nutrient in the runoff, out-competing other species, or perhaps few species can survive a sediment loaded environment. The difference in periphyton diversity among sites clearly shows how aquatic life downstream may recuperate rapidly once a buffer is restored. Further studies could include sampling the sediment for concentrations of chemicals, testing for fecal coliform bacteria and creating a design to estimate the absolute abundance as well as the diversity of organisms. Water Quality in the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creeks. A majority of Americans are not aware of the importance of clean water.
Polluted water has many detrimental effects on the ecology of the surrounding ecosystem.
We hypothesized that water quality would decrease as each creek flowed downstream. Contrary to our hypothesis, data indicate that fecal coliform and BOD generally did not differ among upstrean vs. downstream sites. Similarly, other measures of chemical water quality attest to the generally high quality of our surface water supply. However, we caution that this experiment would be greatly improved if it were performed over an extended period of time and if more extensive sampling were undertaken - especially including sampling for metals and organic toxins. Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity in the Chester, Crum, and Ridley Creeks.