Table Of Content
EFFECTS OF SUSPENDED SOLIDS ON
MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES
DOWNSTREAM OF THE JABILUKA MINE
in partial fulfillment
the Degree of Bachelor of Science with Honors
Environmental and Chemical Sciences.
Faculty of Seience, information Technology and Edueation
Northern ‘Territory University
November 2000
Certificate of Authorship of Thesis
T deelaps that “his tess's is ray own wotk aud has not been submitied in amy for for
another degree oF diatom at any uuivessity ex other insiiute of tziery education.
Ieformation derived ftom she pudlishee 3:6 unpublished wuck uf vibes hes beat
acknoviedged in ete xt and a Est tf references gives,
nature of Authur
Dace
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
‘This project lus heen ccmalered with the yoreraus assistance wl'a number of peuple snd
‘wonlé particulary Ice tg thamk them:
My supervisors. Chris Clunghrey (eri) and Michael Tonglas (NFU) for sheic
fencomngement, guidance and piers ussistarce chrough exery pase of the project. Tx
Kako National Park:
an uaforgecable sluce. Tam also gretefal mv the Center for Trenial Wettands
Man:
hrs Humghrey los giving ue the opportunity «
selulanshin,
James Doyden assisted with overy Favel oP he project, tram data analysis to fel werk,
'o document preparation. David Morten prividsé meshedieul instruction on bug
iden
ication, eeod-Lemmuved company in the lab, und many hours performing the waeer
ire. Matt Webb assisted
surly or wtb the ficld work. und sensisly, eatcucd the GPS points for 7 Creek. Tomy
sheraistry scalysis, along wilh Sarsa Kusten and Dene Mel
More pravides randy nesiscauce with cumputer quevies, and Ben Busliss ecoked the
best sti-fitys im Jabira.
Kiet) MeGuiness from NTU provided inderevnding of, aad patien. ussiseanoe witb. the
statistical undysis of the dara. Michel Woleh from N11! helped vith sampling sorting
sual idetilicainn, and did not mist any nematodes, Peter Dastize and Cyrus kawards
loelped ove Wit buy identification, and. bert Burerkam thom EWES assisced with the
Well work sith nnending enthusitem, and provided many iosighefal arggestions on dats
analysis
Aout fivally, my family, far al their support
ABSERACT
Construction of ths Zabitnka mine in Jaly 199% ereated the polearal Zor clevated ‘evels
‘of suspe ied seulment ta wash inw Sef Creek via several evbuarive, over ke 1998199
wet season. To sesese disnudance on the beuchit mucrsimvsricbret= fimua ix Switl
Creek, dowasiream of the mine, s modified MBACIP design was implemented, Baized
sites were sextet in Swill Cmek (cpstseam of mine anflaence ane! downstresra with
jive iuiuetee), and in three contro] streeras: Catfish, Nosth Magela, unl 7d
stb placement of upsteeamdowaslream sites al! approximately 1 kau upast. An
wwldiliceal downstream site was clea sampled iu Swill Crock to detect any grastint
sffec's if present, Sampling was undertaken every 3 weeks over the wet seuson,
‘commencing ia lene Decenber until cary May, whe ecersiunal Quis commenced,
sang’ng sluzons in Seif Creek ladicated elevated turbidity at
“Turbidity recorded alt
he downstream ste eclative (0 tke upsteamn ste for the ist 6 wesks of ssunpling
aximun lnvols ewectdad weve relatively low and shortlived fn coutrest us
jects were osserved. The rnadiied MBACIP design allowed for
comparisons w be made between siesms fascd on mativariate Gasimilerty, and
However,
earlier sulies wher
univarists ditfewonce (uchness sd alwadance) dal,
‘Results bared wi aunoalies in Swi, Creek a relation 29 the conral steams for any of
the measures of site difference. ANOVA between cveeks for dissimilarity and ditfersnes
data cevealed oo significant :nleractions Getween the creeks at any al Ihe sampling
‘evects (upe-t from those amubutable ta I:gher miervinvertebrats abundance at Cash
Creek), Macroicvertebrate community stuchue wer dhe wel sensoe produced arch
Spe trajectories for 21 creeks, indicating sinvlar seasoual pattenns of tuna succession,
Therefore, results all support 2 conclusion of no observable effects un the
cnacrsinveriehrats eommmities dosvustream of the fala projeceatea,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter J: Introduction
1.4 Disturhance Iu streams.
L2 Eitects of suspended sediments on aquatic evosystems
12.1 Retationshins serven suspenied seamen cod rerbidity
1.2.2 Summary. of aia findings of the sruces
1.2.3 dedwrue effects ftom suspended sediment on aguarie biota
1.3 Biomouitoriug as an impact detection tool
15 Ar ideuilned monitoring agua
1.32 Bihere pre-ioypace dasa are nox avaitable
13.2.3 Stricr hypotnesis testing procedures
‘Muleivariate ordinecinn,
N23 Convelaes nf ination space
13.24 Disterbance grauert analysis
‘able seasomal environment
rate community sruceye
1.4 Detecting au impact within 2 va
£4} Seasoned wands in maxxoin
1.5 Background on Jubilate
1.6 General Aims of the seuily
Chapter 2: Materials and Methods
2.1 Study Area
4.1 Climate in general
212 Deseripuioa of atu
2.13 Description of mauin saapting tes
2.14 Locsin anu brief deverfosion of mua sampsing sree
23 Sampling fequeney
26 Trtawrery sampling sites
Field procedures
2.2 Ghatea of sampling habia
23.2 Sampling seehrugues
2.3 Number of septieates ¢
224 Phgiconchemical yertahis
25 Amserommuru unl hace! nares
2.3 Luboratory procedures
ea
SE Suboscrgaling of tox »
2.3 2 Sud-sampling chnignae 30
2 ification 31
23.4 Quali coma! 32
varie MBACP dssiai
ANOVA Sor MBACIP chat
3.4.2.1 Prone for combing upstream mad cownstrearu replicas
4.2.2 Tine ror'es af paired tpstreats md eJowns-ream dissin artes
24D Mihivartate ordinations
wy voles
Chapter 3: Results 36
3.4 Eaviranmental Data 36
Ef Tewilty 6
112 General weer a
243 Matats 44
4.2 Quality Control and Integrity of biological data 44
2 Number af replicate samples per site 4s
323 Quay contro! anu arrurance cf taxonomic identifications anct
sorting effeiceey
3.2.2.1 Tentilieations a
3.2.2.2 Sorting ellisiency a
3.3 Biologieal Data a
3.4 Time series of aire discimilarty vatwes a
3.32 Seativica! analyses ef the alata ANOVA 49
33.2.1 Bry-Curts dissiwiavity 0
5.3.2.2 Tova? taxa shumderue liMerence hetweou all upsuam
and downeeeem sites
3 Taxa righoess cifteroncy henseee all upszcam and dowstream sizes
3.3.24 Unienrinte anaiysie of selectee suxa abundance
33.4.1 Abundance sfference of Chivonomidae
53212 abundance ufferonce of Leptophtehidee
EE 23 dhunadance difference of Simaiiidae
4.5.3 Tranade un absutlance of Simailag over the vet seasons
Peeary
‘over fre wet season
2.3.4.1 Sensone] teres sn taxa sustession
2S 3ah3 Tana significant conclared wih the orcinativa spare
33.423 Bavironmental sd nabirat varisbies
33.453 Seusoual ends ig tase suucession-warrpling evenss sepanatec
Sucamury of sepurite urdinations
wane arlinacnne shervite seascnal patteray of all streams
rlagleal reese over ty wer seasg” 0
3.3.5.1 Seavenal shenges in the uasjor macroinveriebrate tox E
‘3.2 Texa richness 5
21553 atl smavoinverierate amdunce %
3.) $4 Camelatve specie el %
4.2 Onion of he mime ite tars and the set seaming event ®
Chapter 4: 84
as
e vassera wibuary STE) 88
4.1.14 Phyaico-chemiical mgormation on the mine-ste
North and Coumai a7
4.1.2 abawdance of Simuliicuc over the wet soaspe, 38
4.2 Statistical analysis of paired-site dissimilarity and differenes
data for the four streams ver time 89
he pelsionship henvacr vireatccharyy and privedtste vissintiarity 91
42.2 Canservation ioues und tse choloe of data anciyeis 52
4.2.3 Summary of mine inflonee 92
Fld Powsniias eases foe nos letting an bmp 2
4.3 Seasiual trends in farmal succession for Swift Creek and the coutrol streams 94
5.1 Temeored trends for ull sizes be
4.3.2 Moin determinants of urdimation space oS
11.3 Fanvua recianisation uni sasceestion over he wee season 7
44 Limitations c9 the study ton
44.1 The Busters ribusary 100
44.2 Level of tuzcoamt.rewoketion 100
5 Recommendations fur future moaitoring 108
421 Manttoring of the miesieeeibutarios tol
Lamplang sites Grud Conteot sree loz
45.3 Level of eaxonumie idenificarion w2
4 alalyts ef sediment ci eribunarses 102
25.) Measurement of emettemmentat wariablen rt
46 Conclusion Wa
List of Fignres
Figure 2.1. :.qeatinr ote proposed fubiZuks mince within Kakadu Nations)
Peels Nocthe=:‘Tesrtney, Ausualia
Figure 2.2 Map showing the locatiou of Ee sampling sites or Swill Creek
‘and the Contre} sean; Cazish Creek, 71 Creek cad Novth Magela,
Figure 2.3 Map of sizntares Nort, Cental and Soe, aalning Ce fabiluk
mine-aite
Higure 3. Plot of stage height ard rainfall at Switt Greek (SDI site),
1898-99 ovetnewsin
Figure 3.2 Switt Creek samp'ing sites, Sawing the Ratton rinutary: STE
ugg stations in Swit Cresk
‘Tt nibuary east
igure 3.3 fuubid-ty seve.s (NTU) thorn three
‘aver the wet seasan: Si3:, $l and STI
Figure 3.4 Meso cubicity:n Swift Creek: SDI - SUM
k: SDI - STE
-e 3.6 Taxa acerotion over six replicates for Swit Ceeele, SD site
SUM site
igure 3.5 Mlean tatbidity in Swift Cre
Figure 3.7 Taxa accretion sver six replicates for silt Cre
Figure 3.8 Dissirsilurity bebween SUM and STI over sie -eplicates coliecred
atthe sixth aaxping
Figure 3.9 Malivar.ate dissinilacty setween paired upssenca aad downstreum
ros in # Lares over the wet seas, Data has been laginixtl) transformed,
valucs plated aver time for each ofthe ot
Figure 3.11 Total tma abandance disfersncs dava fupstecuut - duwustieatn)
or all sucams plotted aves cime, Data has been log:so+1) transformed
plotted
oT
Figure 3.10 Paine
‘Figure 3.12 oom riclutess cifférene dats (upetzeam -dawnst
‘ver fim for all susans
Figure 3.13 Chironomise abundaco difference data upstream-dawnssrenm ses
Vor all streams aver time logis (xD) transformed
Figure 3.14 Leplophlebidae abundance difference deta (apstearn-ipemnsiream)
for zi stars over time degre fx) cansformed)
Simulldae abundance difference data {upsttean-downste
tes aver te logja(!1) teanslorme)
Figure 3.1
at all upstreaey aru Uowestream sites over
Ge U taesfonmncd
Figures 3.17 SSL-MDS Multiesrfate orcination ia3 dasensicus of ull wumpling
sites over the wel seusoa haved nn Tog, vt!) testi data (sees 0.18)
acroicvertebuare axe significantly sorrelaed (p=.01) are shown,
6
Figure 3.18 SSH-MDS Meltivarine ordiculion in 3 cimensious et ell sapling
snes over the wel sstson hase on logie(ct!) ttumsformed deta (stoes=0.18}
“abitul vases sigeiicandly cureiale| (p0.01) are shisean “4
Vigure 3.(9 SSH-MNS Multivariate srdination ic 3 diquensions pf uli sampling
‘he wet seein hased ox ag g(t) tanita Cat (stes9=0, 18)
Envireauemtl variebios sigeitoastly corsctated {p0.01) ure sheen 65
Figure 3.20 SS11-MIDS Multivariate ordinations ia 2 dimensions ofall sampling
sites over the ox seazan un separate samplng oveaniacs 1 ~ 7. Data has been
ug 1) uansfiomed 68169
Figure 3:21 Laxa faniles ercuped ine Oxters tou. 2och sires is Catfish Creek
‘ver the et scesou. a
Taxa families grouped into Orders ftom all sites in Sitt Creele
= sarapling gering
Figure 3.23 Texu Famiiey grouped inty Gres from otk sites in North Mugla
‘over the suenpiing perign n
Figure 3.24 Taxa families grouped as arden thom boch sites in TI Coeek ver time
met seunon
Figure 3.26 Tua richness in bou sites in Carfich Creek aver
(AtT yoaphs sow standard error bara}
Figure 3.26 Taxa siehness inal sites in Sek. C
over te sevapling peried
Figure 3.27 Inca richaess an bot: sios in J Crock ever the wer season
Figure 3.28 Toon sichness in both sives n North Megela over the wet scasen:
Figure 3.29 Taxa cbendanes al but sites i: Cacish Creek over ike wet seaset
ALE yrs is show standaré error) ”
Wigure 3.30 Tun ahordance ul ol stay in Swit Creek over the we. season n
Figure 3:31 Taxa ubvastsnce at blr sites ir TS uver the wet season 80
igure 3.32 Tux abundance at both sites in North Magela over he wecseason 80
Figure 2.33 iaxa aocurmulation at ll sites and ell streams over the wet seasots a1
Figure 3.34 SS(T-MDS vedi-utioy iu 3 dimensious of tintary sites aud asin
‘creek stuapting sites trons the sleeh sampling event. (Stress = 0.17) 82
igure 3.35, $SLLMDS ordi.utioa in 3 clmensions of tributary sites and main
k sampving siles tron: he sixth sarapling even, (Stress = (1
SigniBeant {pe0.C1) exviterinettal and habit variules cre sheen, except
For Course Sand (pe.02) and Alas (p-0.051 8
