ABSTRACT

Forested riparian buffers are implemented by watershed managers to reduce pollutant runoff into waterbodies. They have been shown to accomplish this task in rivers and streams, but few studies have investigated their efficacy around lakes. Hemlock and Canadice are oligo-mesotrophic lakes with reforested watersheds, including a shoreline buffer strip. Immediately to the west and east of Hemlock and Canadice, Conesus and Honeoye lakes are unprotected, meso-eutrophic systems with mostly mixed, forested, agricultural, and developed land uses. This study explored whether having a shoreline forest buffer strip supports a macroinvertebrate community indicative of good water quality in lakes. In addition, this study examined relationships between individual subwatershed land use and biotic indicators of water quality, as determined by benthic macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate community composition showed some dissimilarity between lakes (R = 0.09, p = 0.04), with the largest dissimilarity between Conesus and Honeoye. Comparisons did not follow expected patterns based on land use, management protections, and presence of a shoreline forest buffer strip. No difference was found in a biotic index of water quality between the lakes. The benthic community of each lake was rated as moderately impacted by humans. Subwatershed land use generally did not correlate with biotic indices of water quality within lakes. This finding suggests that near-shore forest buffers had no measurable effect on benthic macroinvertebrate communities and their biotic indicators of water quality. Macroinvertebrate communities in these lakes are likely driven by within-lake habitat conditions and legacy effects of agricultural land.

抽象的

流域管理人员实施了森林河岸缓冲带，以减少进入水体的污染物径流。已经证明它们可以在河流和溪流中完成此任务，但是很少有研究调查它们在湖泊周围的功效。赫姆洛克（Hemlock）和卡纳迪斯（Canadice）是中度贫营养的湖泊，拥有重新造林的分水岭，包括海岸线缓冲带。紧靠Hemlock和Canadice的西部和东部，Conesus和Honeoye湖是未受保护的中富营养系统，主要是混合，森林，农业和发达的土地用途。这项研究探讨了海岸线森林缓冲带是否支持大型无脊椎动物群落，这些群落表明湖泊的水质良好。此外，这项研究考察了各个小流域土地利用与水质生物指标之间的关系，由底栖大型无脊椎动物确定。大型无脊椎动物群落组成在湖泊之间显示出一些差异（R  = 0.09，p  = 0.04），Conesus和Honeoye之间的差异最大。比较没有遵循基于土地使用，管理保护和海岸线森林缓冲带存在的预期模式。湖泊之间的水质生物指标没有发现差异。每个湖泊的底栖生物群落被评为受到人类的中度影响。小流域土地利用通常与湖泊内水质的生物指数无关。这一发现表明，近岸森林缓冲带对底栖大型无脊椎动物群落及其水质生物指标没有可测量的影响。这些湖泊中的大型无脊椎动物群落可能受湖内栖息地条件和耕地遗留影响的驱动。