Evaluation of Chironomidae Diversity in the Little Paint Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania

Abstract

The health of a watershed can be assessed by evaluating the benthic macroinvertebrates that are present in the waterways. Benthic chironomid larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae) are often used as a biological indicator of ecological health. The chironomid larvae are particularly tolerant to contaminants, with different taxa exhibiting different levels of tolerance. Thus, evaluation of the abundance and diversity of chironomids within a watershed can be an assessment tool for the biotic health of the watershed. Although several studies of Pennsylvania watersheds have identified the presence of Chironomidae, our study aimed to further understand chironomid diversity by assessing them to the subfamily and genus level. We surveyed eight sites over Little Paint Creek and three tributaries within the Little Paint Creek watershed in southwestern Pennsylvania. By comparing the chironomid abundance and diversity to previously published EPT data for the watershed, our data suggests that water quality of tributary UNT 45234 is better than previously predicted and may be better than that of tributary UNT 45242. The limited number of less tolerant subfamilies of chironomids in the Little Paint Creek samples suggests that this stream may have reduced water quality. We established a baseline of chironomid abundance and diversity within the Little Paint Creek watershed. Our future goal for the project will be to continue to monitor the chironomids at these sites and to compare our findings to areas within the watershed which have been reported to have higher rates of contaminants due to acid mine drainage and Marcellus shale drilling, to determine their effect on aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity.