Post on 14-Mar-2020
Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages of RedRock Canyon National Conservation Area
Final Report for United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land ManagementRed Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
4765 Vegas DriveLas Vegas, Nevada 89108
Report Prepared by:Dr. Mark Vinson, Ph.D. & Ms. Mamie Jennings National Aquatic Monitoring CenterDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeUtah State UniversityLogan, Utah 84322-5210www.usu.edu/buglab
7 November 2000
i
ForewordThe work described in this report was conducted by the National Aquatic Monitoring Center,Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Mr. J. Matt Tagg identified all of the aquatic invertebrates. Mr. Dan Zamecnik and Ms. Leslie Ogden entered the data into the computer system. We thankthem for all their help and good spirit.
cover photographs: clockwise from top left, view along White Rock Loop Trail, La Madrespring, First Creek, Odonata: Libellulidae Tramea lacerata nymph- a beautiful desert dragonfly, scenery pictures by M. Jennings, Odonata by M. Vinson.
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Sampling Site Selection
Sampling locations were provided by Mr. Tim Rash. These locations were selected
primarily because there was surface water present at the time samples were collected.
Methods
Locations and physical habitat
The latitude and longitude of each site was determined using hand held global positioning
units. Elevation was determined using an altimeter or a 7.5 min topographic map. Water and air
temperatures were determined at the time of sampling using thermometers. The conductivity of
the water was determined using an Oakton TDS Testr 40 hand held meter and the pH was
determined using an Oakton pH Testr 2.
Aquatic invertebrates
Qualitative invertebrate collections were done at each sampling location. The objective of
our sampling was to collect as many different kinds of invertebrates living at a site as possible.
Samples were collected with a kicknet (457 x 229 mm) with a 500 micron mesh net and by hand
picking invertebrates from woody debris and large boulders. All major habitat types (e.g. , riffles,
pools, back waters, aquatic macrophyte beds) were sampled and all samples were composited to
form a single sample from each site.
Laboratory methods � All samples processed in the entirety, i.e., all the organisms were
removed and identified. We attempted to identify each organism to the lowest taxonomic level
possible, except for Chironomidae and Hydrobiidae. This was generally genus as most of the
specimens were imature. Once identified, all of the invertebrates were composited into a single
glass screw-top vial with a polypropylene lid and polypropylene liner. Sample labels were written
with fade proof permanent black carbon ink on waterproof paper. Information on each label
includes the sampling location, sampling date and a unique catalog number. Vials were filled with
70% ethanol. All samples were retained in our collection and will be made available to other
researchers upon request.
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Results
Aquatic invertebrate sampling locations
A total of 7 locations were sampled between 3 June 2000 and 22 July 2000 (Table 1).
Table 1. Location of aquatic invertebrate sampling sites
Station Water body name Latitude Longitude Elevation (m)
REDRK-01 Red Spring 36.144 115.420 1085
REDRK-02 Lost Creek 36.157 115.497 1100
REDRK-03 First Creek 36.079 115.471 1206
REDRK-04 Willow Spring 36.161 115.499 1418
REDRK-05 La Madre Spring 36.181 115.504 1615
REDRK-06 Pine Creek 36.123 115.488 1241
REDRK-07 Mormon Green Spring 36.057 115.434 1070
Aquatic invertebrate assemblages
A total of 32 unique aquatic invertebrates were collected at the 7 sampling locations. We
identified 246 individual invertebrates from 9 orders and 22 families (Table 1). Diversity was
highest among insects. We collected 3 Coleoptera, 3 Diptera (excluding Chironomidae), 1
Ephemeroptera, 3 Hemiptera, 5 Odonata, 0 Plecoptera, and 0 genera of Trichoptera (Table 2).
Non-insects were less diverse, but we also did not yet identify several of these taxa groups to
genus, so these results are more preliminary. We identified 1 genera of Crustacea and 1 genera of
Mollusca. Individual taxa lists for each sampling location are provided in Tables 3-9.
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Table 1. List of aquatic invertebrate taxa and 2 amphibians collected at the 7 sampling locations.
Samples were collected between 3 June 2000 and 22 July 2000.
Arthropoda
Crustacea
Amphipoda
Hyalellidae
Hyalella azteca
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dryopidae
Helichus
Gyrinidae
Gyrinus consobrinus
Haliplidae
Peltodytes
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
Probezzia
Chironomidae
Chironominae
Orthocladiinae
Tanypodinae
Simuliidae
Simulium
Tabanidae
Tipulidae
Tipula
Ephemeroptera
Baetidae
Callibaetis
Hemiptera
Corixidae
Corisella
Gerridae
Aquarius
Notonectidae
Notonecta kirbyi
Veliidae
Odonata
Aeshnidae
Aeshna
Coenagrionidae
Argia unidentified
Argia sedula
Argia vivida
Gomphidae
Progomphus borealis
Lestidae
Archilestes grandis
Libellulidae
Libellula saturata
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Basommatophora
Physidae
Physella
Mesogastropoda
Hydrobiidae
Platyhelminthes
Turbellaria
Vertebrata
Amphibia
Anura
Ranidae unidentified
Table 2. General assemblage measures for each sampling location.
Invertebrates
collected Dominant Taxa Shannon
Station Date & identified family Richness Diversity
REDRK-01 06/03/2000 40 Hyalellidae 7 1.40
REDRK-02 06/03/2000 75 Hyalellidae 11 1.72
REDRK-03 06/17/2000 22 Coenagrionidae 6 1.37
REDRK-04 06/17/2000 30 Hyalellidae 5 1.00
REDRK-05 06/24/2000 50 Hyalellidae 10 1.62
REDRK-06 07/15/2000 16 Dryopidae 10 2.06
REDRK-07 07/22/2000 13 Lestidae 7 1.78
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Table 3. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 06/03/2000 at stationREDRK-01, Red Spring near picnic area. Sample identification number is 114172. Life stage: L= Larve, P = pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented asnumber per sample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supportedbecause: I - immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U= indistinct characters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection.
multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Amphipoda Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca A 21
Class: Insecta
Coleoptera Haliplidae Peltodytes A 3
Diptera P 2
Diptera Chironomidae Chironominae L 9
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia L 1
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Basommatophora Physidae Physella A 3
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Turbellaria A 1
------
Total: 7 taxa 40
Table 4. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 06/03/2000 at stationREDRK-02, Lost Creek. Sample identification number is 114173. Life stage: L = Larve, P =pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented as number persample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supported because: I- immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U = indistinctcharacters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection.
multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Amphipoda Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca A 36
Class: Insecta
Diptera Ceratopogonidae Probezzia L 1
Diptera Chironomidae Orthocladiinae L 3
Diptera Simuliidae Simulium L 1
Diptera Tipulidae Tipula L 1
Ephemeroptera Baetidae L 1
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia vivida L 11
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia L 4
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Basommatophora Physidae Physella A 7
Mesogastropoda Hydrobiidae A 7
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Turbellaria A 3
------
Total: 11 taxa 75
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Table 5. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 06/17/2000 at stationREDRK-03, First Creek. Sample identification number is 114174. Life stage: L = Larve, P =pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented as number persample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supported because: I -immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U = indistinctcharacters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection. multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Diptera Tabanidae L 1
Hemiptera Gerridae Aquarius L 2
Hemiptera Notonectidae L 1
Odonata Aeshnidae L 1
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia L 9
Odonata Lestidae Archilestes grandis L 8
------
Total: 6 taxa 22
Table 6. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 06/17/2000 at stationREDRK-04, Willow Spring. Sample identification number is 114175. Life stage: L = Larve, P =pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented as number persample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supported because: I- immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U = indistinctcharacters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection. multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Amphipoda Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca A 20
Class: Insecta
Diptera Chironomidae Chironominae L 1
Hemiptera Veliidae L 2
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Mesogastropoda Hydrobiidae A 1
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Turbellaria A 6
------
Total: 5 taxa 30
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Table 7. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 06/24/2000 at stationREDRK-05, La Madre Spring. Sample identification number is 114176. Life stage: L = Larve, P= pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented as number persample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supported because: I- immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U = indistinctcharacters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection.
multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Amphipoda Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca A 26
Class: Insecta
Diptera Chironomidae Chironominae L 1
Ephemeroptera Baetidae L 1
Hemiptera Corixidae Corisella A 1
Hemiptera Notonectidae L 6
Odonata Aeshnidae Aeshna L 1
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia vivida L 5
Odonata Libellulidae Libellula saturata L 4
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Mesogastropoda Hydrobiidae A 1
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Turbellaria A 4
Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Amphibia
Anura Ranidae L 2
------
Total: 11 taxa 52
Table 8. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 07/15/2000 at stationREDRK-06, Pine Creek. Sample identification number is 114177. Life stage: L = Larve, P =pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented as number persample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was not supported because: I- immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G = gender, U = indistinctcharacters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection.
multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Coleoptera Dryopidae Helichus A 5
Coleoptera Gyrinidae Gyrinus consobrinus A 1
Diptera Chironomidae Orthocladiinae L 1
Ephemeroptera Baetidae Callibaetis L 1
Hemiptera Gerridae L 1
Hemiptera Gerridae Aquarius L 1
Hemiptera Notonectidae Notonecta kirbyi A 1
Hemiptera Veliidae L 1
Odonata Lestidae Archilestes grandis L 3
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Basommatophora Physidae Physella A 1
Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Amphibia
Anura Ranidae A 1
------
Total: 11 taxa 17
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Table 9. Taxonomic list and abundances of aquatic invertebrates collected 07/22/2000 at stationREDRK-07, Mormon Green Spring. Sample identification number is 114178. Life stage: L =Larve, P = pupae, A = adult, E = exuvia. NC = not calculated. Abundance data is presented asnumber per sample of unknown area. Notes - identification to genus or species was notsupported because: I - immature organisms, D - damaged organisms, M = poor slide mount, G =gender, U = indistinct characters or distribution, R = retained in our reference collection.
multiple
Life habitat
Order Family Subfamily/Genus/species Stage abundance Notes
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Diptera Chironomidae Orthocladiinae L 1
Diptera Chironomidae Tanypodinae L 1
Odonata Coenagrionidae Argia sedula L 2
Odonata Gomphidae Progomphus borealis L 1
Odonata Lestidae Archilestes grandis L 4
Odonata Libellulidae Libellula saturata L 3
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Basommatophora Physidae Physella A 1
------
Total: 7 taxa 13