Institute for the Study of the Environment, Albion College
Student research and service projects
| Rice Creek Watershed |
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GIS Hydrology/ geochemistry Invertebrate populations Microbiology Policy Issues |
Environmental Sciences curriculum
Invertebrate Biology of the Creek
| Tara Simonds, working with Dr. Gwen Pearson, studied the invertebrate biology of the creek. Collection techniques including netting benthic organisms disturbed by stirring up the sediment, sieving sediment, and sampling logs and rocks in the stream. |  |
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Tara preserved all the organisms collected, and in the laboratory classified them creating an inventory of genera. Several standard diversity indices were applied to the population data, and these all indicated degraded populations in parts of the creek with significant sand and silt deposits on its bed. The least diverse populations were in the area of the hog farm. |