Can Bugs Live Anywhere? Habitat, Hydrology and the Health of Urban Creek Ecosystems in South East Queensland

Abstract

Changes in hydrology through increased imperviousness are seen as one of the major drivers of poor health in urban streams. Flow change can impact instream components directly or through associated changes in water quality and habitat availability. This study explored three sites across an urban gradient in detail to detect the mechanism for poor instream health, as measured by macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrate assemblages of pool habitats in urban streams were vastly different to those of predominately forested catchments, whereas the riffle assemblages were similar. This suggests that habitat availability, or quality, may be a mechanism for poor instream health in urban streams and restoration efforts focused on restoring instream habitat through either in-channel restoration or stormwater management may have positive outcomes.