IV. Wildlife impacted by SMZ development
Mayfly
larvae
Many organizations at both the federal and state level have implemented biological monitoring programs using surveys of fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities to assess the impacts of various BMPs.
The EPT index is one of multiple metrics used to assess stream health. It is determined by counting the numbers of individuals in a sample that represent the sensitive insect orders: Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), and Plecoptera (stoneflies).
Click here for information from the EPA on biological assessment programs.
l and
r: Eurycea multiplicata griseogaster; middle, E. tynerensis
Some stream and riparian organisms (such as amphibians) are particularly vulnerable to changes in flow regimes, sediment load, and temperature. Increasing flow reduces important edge habitat for creatures like these gray-belly and Oklahoma salamanders. Sedimentation increases embeddedness of substrate making it difficult for stream-dwelling salamanders to find adequate interstitial spaces for refuge from fish predators.
Many types of amphibians rely on vernal pools for reproduction. Because these pools are ephemeral (and fish do generally not live in them), many forest practices have until recently disregarded their ecological importance.
Click here for references to SMZs and bird communities.