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Abstract

Three adjacent streams, Cartwright Creek, Lambert Creek, and Sandy Bay Rivulet in the
Hobart municipality have their upper catchments relatively unimpacted, but the lower
reaches have been affected to various degrees by urban development. An investigation of
their macroinvertebrate communities was undertaken to assess their potential usefulness in
recognising the impact of development on these three streams. This investigation may
provide baseline data and define indicator species which may be useful in the development
of biological criteria for water quality assessment.
Macroinvertebrate data collection was undertaken from March to November 1998. In total
59 species and 19 107 macroinvertebrate individuals from 9 sites were collected (three sites
at each stream). Multivariate analysis including clustering (Two-way Indicator Species
Analysis TWINSPAN) and ordination (semi-strong Hybrid Multidimentional Scaling
HMDS) was used to recognise assemblages of species typical of each stream, site and
season.
Significant differences in species composition and diversity were found between the Sandy
Bay Rivulet sites where site 1 was different from sites 2 and 3, and between the Cartwright
Creek sites. No variation between the Lambert Creek sites was found. Results indicate a
strong correlation between impacted sites lower in the catchment and the diversity of
species as well as number of individuals.
Pollution sensitive invertebrates (especially Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera) were found
only at unimpacted sites in the higher reaches of the catchment, and were absent in all
lower sites. No Ephemeroptera or Plecoptera were found in Lambert Creek. Two pollution
tolerant species, the introduced snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum and the
native crustacean Austrogammarus sp, were abundant in all lower sites.
Results from this investigation therefore indicate that development has had some
detrimental impact on macroinvertebrates at the three streams investigated.

Item Type:	Thesis - Unspecified
Authors/Creators:	Pathoumthong, Bounnam
Keywords:	Aquatic invertebrates, Invertebrate populations, Invertebrates
Copyright Holders:	The Author
Copyright Information:	Copyright 1999 the author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s).
Additional Information:	Thesis (M.Env.Mgt.)--University of Tasmania, 1999. Includes bibliographical references
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