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Member Symposium

Aquatic Invertebrates in a Metacommunity Framework: Linking Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems

12: Spruce budworm feeding: Can it strengthen aquatic-terrestrial linkages?

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Presenting Author(s)

Sally Entrekin

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia

Co-Author(s)

CA

Clay Arango

Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
Kelly McIntyre (she/her/hers)

Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
DE

Deion Everhart

Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Stream-riparian interactions are often mediated by leaf litter inputs. In the Pacific Northwest, herbivorous Western Spruce Budworm (WSB) outbreaks have increased in intensity and extent along riparian areas of managed Douglas-Fir forests. We predicted high rates of WSB herbivory in riparian areas would increase microbial production and food resources of macroinvertebrates through increased amounts and lability of leaf litter inputs as frass and intensified solar radiation from canopy damage. We used stable isotopic signatures of possible macroinvertebrate food sources (frass, fine and coarse organic matter, algae, and moss) to identify contribution towards growth. We sampled macroinvertebrates from 4 streams with high budworm canopy damage and 4 streams with low budworm damage. We also identified macroinvertebrates from quantitative samples for community structure and biomass. Preliminary data shows total frass-derived macroinvertebrate biomass was greater in low WSB streams from more collectors compared to the high WSB streams. The percent of frass-derived biomass was also greater in the low WSB streams compared to the high WSB streams. The results suggest WSB activity upstream may have contributed to the unexpected contribution of frass in the low WSB stream. Either way, insect outbreak species may increase riparian-stream connectivity by altering form and quantity of the aquatic invertebrate food resources.