SCALER attempts to address the question of whether small-scale ecological experiments can be applied to understand the behavior of entire ecological systems. Specifically, the role of comsumers to stream functional processes were examined by measurements of structure and function within stream reaches. These results feed into a broader continent wide examination within a variety of ecological systems. Rates of stream metabolism (photosynthesis and respiration) and nutrient uptake were measured, as well as the way these rates respond to animal exclusions (used to mimic loss of animal diversity in streams). Aquatic food web and biogeochemical responses in three consecutive 75m stream reaches were measured by manipulating densities of fish and amphibians (natural, depletion, and addition). Additionally, various stream characteristics were measured including streamflow, water chemistry, nutrients, metabolism, stream habitat measurements (wetted widths, depths and substrate), and canopy conditions (percent shade). The experiment was carried out every summer between 2014-2016 in streams of the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest to capture interannual variability.
Alba Argerich, Brooke E. Penaluna, Emilee Mowlds
We set out to understand whether small scale ecological experiments can be applied to understand structure and function of stream reaches by understanding the role of consumers to stream functional processes. These local results will be linked to the scale of watersheds and regions by modeling.