The Distribution and Relative Abundance of Aquatic Oligochaeta
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1981 The Distribution and Relative Abundance of Aquatic Oligochaeta in the Upper Cache River System, Southern Illinois, in Relation to Water Quality Mark Julian Wetzel Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Zoology at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Wetzel, Mark Julian, "The Distribution and Relative Abundance of Aquatic Oligochaeta in the Upper Cache River System, Southern Illinois, in Relation to Water Quality" (1981). Masters Theses. 3030. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3030 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OFAQUATIC OLIGOCHAETA INTHEUPPER CACHE RIVERSYSTEM, SOUTHERN II.I.INOIS, (TITLE) IN RELATION TO WATER QUALITY BY MARK JULIAN WETZEL :::: THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1981 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE /(�ff DATE THE DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF AQUATIC OLIGOCHAETA IN THE UPPER CACHE RIVER SYSTEM, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, IN RELATION TO WATER QUALITY A Thesis Presented To The Department Of Zoology Eastern Illinois University In Partial fulfillment Of The Requirements For Tile Degree Master Of Science By Mark Julian Wetzel December, 1981 ii ABSTRACT Species composition, distribution, abundance , and water quality relationships of aquatic oligochaetes occurring in the upper Cache River system, southern Illinois were investigated. Forty-two taxa of oligochaetes including 16 naidids, 22 tubificids and representatives of the families Aeolosomatidae , Branchiobdellidae , Enchytraeidae , and Lumbriculidae were collected. Four species of oligochaetes new to Illinois, Lirrmodr>iLus psarrunophiLus Loden, L. rru.br>ipenis Loden , Psammoryctides (Spencer>ius) caLiforrnianus Brinkhurst, and Haemonais waLdvogeLi Bretscher were collected during this study. Another species of Lirrmodr>iLus new to science is reported here , as yet undescribed. The thesis that aquatic oligochaetes can be used as true water quality indicator organisms is rejected . It is suggested that the relative abundance and species composition of the total invertebrate fauna be used in conjunction with monitored water quality parameters to identify trends in the physical, chemical, and biological communities. iii "All the -,.ive'Y's Y'Wt into the sea, yet the sea is not fuU; wito the place fT'Om whence the -,.ive'Y's come, thithe'Y' they 'Y'etum again." Eclesiastes 1:7 iv GRATIARUM ACTIONES Numerous people have propelled me to see this project through. First , I mus t thank Dr. M. R. Matteson, who encouraged my initial interest in aquatic invertebrates and later Hirudinea and Oligochaeta while I was enrolled in Field and Systematic Zoology at the University of Illinois. Dr. R. Weldon Larimore was kind enough to provide an opportunity to work in his laboratory at the Illinois Natural History Survey (!NHS) with fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Further encouragement to develop a taxonomic expertise, as well as assistance over the years in countless ways , came from Drs. John D. Unzicker, Allison R. and Warren U. Brigham first as co-workers and later employers. Dr. L. Stephen Whitley, first as a co-worker and later as my major professor at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) , encouraged my interest in oligochaete taxonomy. Dr. Donald J. Klemm of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati and Mr. Donald G. Huggins of the Biological Survey of Kansas provided specimens and encouragement over the last few years. I would like to express my sincere thanks to each of my associates on various !NHS projects over the last 9 years, particularly Liane and John Suloway , Lucinda Johnson-Singer , and Drs. Ro bert G. Singer, J. D. Unzicker, A. R. and W. u. Brigham, and Daryl C. Sweeney. They provided the suggestions and critique which are integral yet usually unheralded. The participants of the recent First International Conference on Aquatic Oligochaeta held in Sidney, British Columbia, in May , 1979, provided invaluable stimulus for my present and v future goals . I also wish to thank Monica Lusk and Doris Sublette, the INHS librarians, for their expertise in producing obscure wo rks and teaching me the secrets of the library system over the years. I am grateful for the editorial expertice offered by Drs. Richard Funk and L. S. Whitley of the EIU Zoology Department on the final draft of this paper. Brenda Peters kindly entered the majority of the rough draft into the word processor for use in final editing. I mu st finally thank my wife, Faith, whose firm patience and technical assistance guided me through this to the end. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE ........ ...... ........... ... ................ ............ i ABSTRACT ..... ........ ............................................ ii PROLEGOMENON .. ........... .... ......... ......... ............ iii GRATIARUM ACTIONES ..... ...... ................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................... ... ..... ............ ..... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...... ...... ................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ..... ...... ..... ............................ ix LIST OF APPENDICES ... ...... ..... ... .... .. ............ ........ x INTRODUCTION .... .... .... ...... .............. .................. .. 1 Objectives •• •..•..•.••••• ••••••...•• .•••..•• fl •••••••• •••.••••• 2 Scope •• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••• •••••• •••• 3 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE .... ................................ ...... .. 4 Introduction ............................ ....... ...... ...... .. 4 Part One: World and North American Research .. .. ... ......... 4 Part Two: Illinois Research ...... ... .. ......... .... ...... .. 7 Part Three: The Use Of Aquatic Organisms As Indicators Of Water Quality . ... .......................... 9 Part Four: Aquatic Oligochaeta As Indicators Of Water Quality •.•••.•.••• .••.••••••.•• ••••..••.•.••..•••• 20 STUDY AREA ......... ... ....... ....... ...... ................... 41 Location And Topography .... ............. ..... .... ..... 41 Geology .............. � ...................................... 43 Climatology ............................. .... .......... .... 44 Vegetation ............. ........... ........... ...... ... .... 46 Population And Land Use .......... ....... ..... ..... ... .... 48 Stream Systems ........ ... ....... ............. ..... .... 49 MATERIALS AND METH ODS .. ... ...... ...... ....... ....... ........... 58 Station Selection ................................. .......... 58 Sampling Design ........ ...... .. ............. .... .... 60 Specimen Preparation ........ .... .......... ... ........... 63 Taxonomic Interpretations .... ............ ....... ........... 65 Water Quality Monitoring 67 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...................................... 70 Annelid Systematics .................................. .. 70 Distribution and Relative Abundance ............. ........... 81 Analyses of Data .... ........ .............. ............. ... 90 vii Page CONCLUSIONS .... ................................................. 102 LITERATURE CITED ................................................ 108 APPENDICES ...................................................... 150 Resume of Mark Julian Wetzel .................................... 176 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Map of Cache River basin in southern Illinois, noting stations collected during 1976 ••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••• ••• 42 Figure 2. Dendrogram illustrating results of cluster analysis for aquatic Oligochaeta collected at stations 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 in the Cache River basin, southern Illinois , during 1976 ••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••• 94 Figure 3. Dendrogram illustrating results of cluster analysis for aq uatic Oligochaeta collected at stations l through 17 in the Cache River bas in, southern Illinois , during 1976 ••••• 96 ix LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Climatological data for eight weather stations in the Cache River basin, southern Illinois (period of record through 1978 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 Table 2. Climatological conditions in the Cache River basin, southern Illinois, during 1976 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47 Table 3. Location of stream sites sampled in the Cache River basin, southern Illinois, during 1976 •••••••••••••••••••••• 59 Table 4. Methods for physical and chemical parameters monitored in the Cache River basin, southern Illinois, between 19 December 1975 and 23 March 1977 ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 69 Table S. Checklist of aquatic Oligochaeta collected from the Cache River basin, southern Illinois, during 1976 •••••••••• 71 Table 6. Total number of oligochaetes (by taxon) collected from the Cache River basin, southern Illinois, on 27 through 29 February 1976 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 82 Table 7. Total number of oligochaetes (by taxon) collected from the Cache River basin, southern Illinois., on 29 and 30 April 1976 •• • •• • • •• • • • • •• • . •• •• • • • •• •• • • •• •• • • • • . • . 84 Table 8. Total number of oligochaetes (by taxon) collected from the Cache