Tag: Stream temperature

Closer to Understanding Enigmatic Mussel Declines

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Just by existing and eating, mussels improve water quality. They are filter feeders, which means they eat small pieces of organic matter that float past them. But mussels are dying, often in streams that otherwise seem healthy. Many streams that formerly supported diverse mussel communities now are essentially defaunated. These events are enigmatic because other…  More 

Fish Production in Southern Appalachians

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Packing on the pounds – or ounces – indicates that fish have what they need to survive and grow. “Fish production is a great way to estimate ecosystem productivity,” says U.S. Forest Service researcher Andy Dolloff. Production refers to how quickly fish gain weight and grow in size. “Production is a function of how many…  More 

Air, Water, and Wavelets

by Mim Ra Aslaoui, SRS Science Communications intern  • 
We know air temperature has increased over the last 15-20 years, and that it will continue to do so on an unprecedented scale. But we are still learning exactly how this air trend impacts water. As it turns out, air temperature is linked to changes in our streams — affecting things like flow, soil moisture,…  More 

Heat and Acid Could Squeeze Trout Out of Southern Appalachian Streams

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Delivery  • 
A newly published research study that combines effects of warming temperatures from climate change with stream acidity projects average losses of around 10 percent of stream habitat for coldwater aquatic species for seven national forests in the southern Appalachians – and up to a 20 percent loss of habitat in the Pisgah and Nantahala National…  More 

The Future of Streams: Using Air Temperature to Model Stream Warming

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Delivery  • 
Stream temperatures affect the health of aquatic animals as well as many other biological and ecological processes. However, finding out whether – or how much – streams are warming has been difficult, as long-term temperature data does not exist for many waterways. A new U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) study shows that long-term historic…  More