Macroinvertebrates

1. Macroinvertebrates Little Creatures that tell us If our natural waterways are healthy

2. Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Benthic means: living at the bottom of a body of water (stream, river, pond) • Macro-large • Invertebrate- animal without backbone • Macroinvertebrate- large water dwelling invertebrate able to be seen without a microscope

3. What are Macroinvertebrates? • Organisms that have no backbone • Visible without a microscope • Found in Fresh Water Streams • Eats leaves & algae in stream • Source of Energy for larger animals

4. What are Macroinvertebrates? • Snails • Crayfish • Worms • Fly larva • Mayfly, caddisfly, stone fly larva • Clams • Water beetles

5. Indicator Species • Indicator Species means… • They tell scientists when there is a problem in nature- specifically the stream environment • The problem being pollution

6. Why are Macroinvertebrates Important? • Source of Energy for larger animals • Brook Trout or other fish eats them… • Then fish are eaten by birds, raccoons, humans • Helps with the Food Web

7. Where do Macroinvertebrates live? • Bottom of a Stream • Attached to rocks • Attached to plants • In fast moving water, need oxygen

8. Why are Macroinvertebrates Important? • They are good indicators of the stream’s overall health • These animals are different sizes, shapes, and have different adaptations that make it easy for scientists to learn if a stream is healthy

9. Why do they need clean water? • To survive the macroinvertebrates that show that the water is clean need… • Lots of oxygen to survive • Poor oxygen, they die and provide no food for the Trout, kingfishers, Salmon, etc. • Those macroinvertebrates that need poor dirty water to survive- • tell scientists that the water is polluted

10. Macroinvertebrates

11. What do Macroinvertebrates tell Scientists about a Stream? • Some macroinvertebrates are only found in Healthy untouched waters- not polluted- these tell scientists that the water is pure and good • Others are found in moderate or OK waters- these may have some pollutants- they tell the scientists that the water is starting to get worse • Also other macroinvertebrates only survive in poor water, this tells scientists that the water quality is poor and needs help

12. Which Macroinvertebrates tell that there is good quality water? • Different kinds of stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies tell a scientist the stream is healthy. • Scientists look for a variety of the above

13. Stonefly Larva

14. Which macroinvertebrates do you find in a Moderately clean Stream? • The number of different macroinvertebrates becomes lessas pollution rises • There will be fewer stoneflies, many fewer mayflies, and only some types of caddisflies • Soft-bodied worms and fly larva also increase • Beetles are probably still in the stream; mollusks are not.

15. What macroinvertebrates are in poor quality streams? • Stoneflies are not present at all • A few mayflies and caddisflies- may be there • Most found are soft-bodied animals: fly larvae, leeches and planaria (round worm, tape worm). • Amphipod- fast moving shrimp looking creature

16. Macroinvertebrate Identification Key GROUP 1 DO NOT TOLERATE POLLUTION

17. Macroinvertebrate Identification Key GROUP 2 TOLERATE SOME POLLUTION

18. Macroinvertebrate Identification Key GROUP 3 TOLERATE POLLUTION

19. 0 of 21 Macroinvertebrate means… • Small creature that you need a microscope to see • Small creature that you can see without a microscope • Small creature that lives on land

20. 0 of 21 Benthic means… • Living at the bottom of a stream • Living on land, near a stream • Living by floating in a stream

21. 0 of 21 Macroinvertebrates tell if a stream is healthy or not. • True • False • Unsure

22. 0 of 21 A sample of a Macroinvertebrate is… • Small bird • Mayfly larva • Butterfly larva • Turtle

23. 0 of 21 Macroinvertebrates that tell if water is clean need only a little bit of oxygen • True • False

24. 0 of 21 Macroinvertebrates that survive in low oxygen water tell scientists • The water is polluted • The water is clean • That it is water

25. 0 of 21 Large amounts of caddisfly larva, mayfly larva, and stone fly larva are found in… • Polluted water • Moderately clean water • Healthy, good quality water

26. 0 of 21 Smaller amounts of caddisfly, mayfly and stone fly larva, along with some worms are in this type of water • Polluted water • Moderately clean water • Healthy, good quality water

27. 0 of 21 Stoneflies are not present at all, more leeches, and fly larvae are found in this stream • Polluted water • Moderately clean water • Healthy, good quality water