Riparian controls on light availability, primary producers, invertebrates, fish and salamanders in streams in and near the Andrews Experimental Forest, 2014-2018

The goal of this data collection effort was to determine how the age, stage, and structure of the riparian forest relates to stream primary producers and stream biota. Data were collected on stream habitat, benthic algal, biota (fish, salamanders and macroinvertebrates), and riparian forest cover across a total of 9 streams: 7 streams in the HJ Andrews basin/Lookout Creek stream network; one stream in the westward adjacent Blue River basin, and one stream in the eastward adjacent Deer Creek river basin. In each stream there were 2 study reaches – one bordered by old-growth riparian forest and the other bordered by regenerated second-growth riparian forest on at least one bank (with a stand ages that generally ranged between 30 and 60 years). In each study reach (80 – 150 m), we collected the following data: pool habitat, wetted and bankfull widths, large wood abundance and volume, riparian forest canopy cover, benthic algae accrual on tiles, stream macroinvertebrate abundances (from 6 replicate surber samplers, which were pooled and then sub-sampled, identified and measured), age 1+ cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) abundance and biomass, age 0+ (young-of-year) trout abundance and biomass, coastal giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) abundance and biomass. Fish and salamander abundances were calculated by either mark-recapture or multiple pass depletion methods.