Benthic Macro-Invertebrate Biodiversity in Ephemeral and Permanent Pools in Upper Leon Creek, San Antonio, TX

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dc.contributor.advisorHutchinson, Jeffrey
dc.contributor.authorToder, Alexander
dc.contributor.committeeMemberLaub, Brian
dc.contributor.committeeMemberValdez Barillas, Rodolfo
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-08T15:59:57Z
dc.date.available2024-03-08T15:59:57Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractLeon Creek is an ephemeral waterway in San Antonio, Texas with a high amount of aquatic and terrestrial diversity. Lentic systems are not as well studied as lotic systems, although they are just as important biologically and contribute to ecosystem services. Ephemeral waterways are increasing globally due to water extraction and climate change. Understanding their roles and impacts to biodiversity are crucial to proper management. This study comparesenvironmental variables and benthic invertebrate composition between permanent and ephemeral pools within Leon Creek and how environmental variables affect invertebrate taxa. Surveys occurred in seven ephemeral and three permanent pools once a month from June 2019 to March 2020. Significant differences in some environmental parameters existed between ephemeral and permanent sites during some months. Differences did not exist in taxa diversity parameters overall but each month differences existed during August, September, and October. These differences were driven primarily by precipitation events and the drying of sites over time. Many taxa were grouped within their environmental tolerances and were found in both pool classifications dependent on environmental conditions. Permanent pools acted as a refugia in times of environmental extremes allowing for recolonization of ephemeral pools after precipitation events. Permanent and ephemeral pools are crucial features to assist in diminishing habitat fragmentation and to maintain diversity on the landscape.
dc.description.departmentEnvironmental Science
dc.format.extent65 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn9798557049801
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/5940
dc.languageen
dc.subjectEphemeral pools
dc.subjectEphemeral Waterway
dc.subjectLeon Creek
dc.subjectSan Antonio
dc.subjectTX
dc.subjectTexas
dc.subject.classificationEnvironmental science
dc.subject.classificationLimnology
dc.titleBenthic Macro-Invertebrate Biodiversity in Ephemeral and Permanent Pools in Upper Leon Creek, San Antonio, TX
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentEnvironmental Science
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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