| Stream habitat analysis was conducted on five different stream systems that originate in the Manitoba Escarpment to collect information on the existing fish communities and to explore potential relationships among the chemical, biological and physical habitat features of the streams in relation to differing levels of human disturbance among the watersheds. The study was modelled on an integrated watershed approach to stream habitat analysis that has been undertaken in several regions of the United States. Nine sites were selected to represent three levels of human disturbance at three spatial scales. The disturbance levels were assigned as "minimally", "moderately" or "highly" disturbed based on an assessment of the amount of human activity (e.g., industry, agriculture, urbanization) in each stream system. The spatial scale categories were defined by drainage area and position within the watershed as "headwater sites" (20--30 km 2), "sub-catchment sites" (60--70 km2) and "catchment sites" (200--300 km2). Sample collections of fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and stream habitat variables were gathered from each site during the open-water season for a two-year period. Water samples for nutrient and pesticide analyses were collected year-round on a biweekly basis for the same two-year period as the biological and habitat data. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
