Macroinvertebrates

Today went much quicker than yesterday's field work, probably because the protocol was simpler. I've been setting up my equipment on the one fallen tree that's leaning over my stream. It's very sturdy and it's helpful to have all my stuff in one place that is visible rather than in all the undergrowth. I did see some really big bits of Knotweed, which is invasive. The rest of the plants were native though! Including a lot of jewelweed. I found 10 macroinvertebrates total, which is not a lot, but it is more than I was expecting given that my stream is quite small and very sandy, with fewer bigger cobbles for critters to live around. There are lots of habitat areas for small mammals in the Riparian Zone, including the above mentioned fallen tree.

Today's measurements were 8.2 degrees Celsius for average water temperature, 188 uS/cm for conductivity, and 6.7 for pH. The weather was sunny and warm, though less so than the previous day. The Save Our Streams score was a 5, which is considered an "unacceptable ecological condition." I believe this happened because my stream is so sandy.