Macroinvertebrate Communities as an Indicator of Streamside Management Zone Effectiveness in Private Working Forests
Faculty Mentor
J. Checo Colon-Gaud
Location
Russell Union Ballroom
Type of Research
On-going
Session Format
Poster Presentation
College
Jack Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Department
Biology
Abstract
Timber harvesting can increase sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, affecting water quality and aquatic biota. Forestry best management practices (BMPs), including streamside management zones (SMZs), are designed to mitigate these effects by reducing sediment delivery and moderating temperature, flow, and nutrient regimes. We assessed ecological integrity at 24 intermittent stream sites with SMZ in private, working forests across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Georgia. At each site, we conducted physical habitat evaluations and characterized benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Sites represented a gradient of SMZ widths, enabling comparisons of biological and physical indicators across buffer conditions. To evaluate how well our sampled SMZ sites approximate regional reference conditions, we compared study sites to ecoregion‑specific reference streams drawn from a standardized regional database. Preliminary analyses suggested that physical habitat conditions differed between our sampled sites and the regional references, with variation evident in select habitat components rather than overall habitat scores. In the Piedmont region, initial results suggested that macroinvertebrate community composition varies across SMZ width categories, but not across adjacent pine age groups. EPT percentages were higher in wider (>69-120m) than narrower (32-69m) SMZ. Further statistical analyses will focus on stream condition among SMZ widths and quantifying the degree to which our sampled SMZ sites resemble regional reference conditions. This work provides an updated assessment of SMZ performance in non‑perennial systems and will inform forest managers about capacity and potential limitations of current BMPs to maintain ecological integrity in working forests.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 4:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Vaglienti, Haley; Kidder, Raymond P.; Barnett, Zanethia C.; Macias, Nicholas A.; Hanks, Daniel; Hawks, Brent; Larsen-Gray, Angela; and Colon-Gaud, J. Checo, "Macroinvertebrate Communities as an Indicator of Streamside Management Zone Effectiveness in Private Working Forests" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 215.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/215
Macroinvertebrate Communities as an Indicator of Streamside Management Zone Effectiveness in Private Working Forests
Russell Union Ballroom
Timber harvesting can increase sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, affecting water quality and aquatic biota. Forestry best management practices (BMPs), including streamside management zones (SMZs), are designed to mitigate these effects by reducing sediment delivery and moderating temperature, flow, and nutrient regimes. We assessed ecological integrity at 24 intermittent stream sites with SMZ in private, working forests across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Georgia. At each site, we conducted physical habitat evaluations and characterized benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Sites represented a gradient of SMZ widths, enabling comparisons of biological and physical indicators across buffer conditions. To evaluate how well our sampled SMZ sites approximate regional reference conditions, we compared study sites to ecoregion‑specific reference streams drawn from a standardized regional database. Preliminary analyses suggested that physical habitat conditions differed between our sampled sites and the regional references, with variation evident in select habitat components rather than overall habitat scores. In the Piedmont region, initial results suggested that macroinvertebrate community composition varies across SMZ width categories, but not across adjacent pine age groups. EPT percentages were higher in wider (>69-120m) than narrower (32-69m) SMZ. Further statistical analyses will focus on stream condition among SMZ widths and quantifying the degree to which our sampled SMZ sites resemble regional reference conditions. This work provides an updated assessment of SMZ performance in non‑perennial systems and will inform forest managers about capacity and potential limitations of current BMPs to maintain ecological integrity in working forests.
