Indicators of stream health: the use of benthic macroinvertebrates and amphibians in an agriculturally impacted area, southwest Georgia

Benthic macroinvertebrates and amphibians (frogs and salamanders) were used to assess differences amongst buffered (fenced from cattle over 20 years ago) and unbuffered streams within an agricultural landscape in southwest Georgia from 2002-2003. Water quality, physical and vegetative parameters as well as macroinvertebrate metrics (% Crustacea, % EPT, % Elmidae, and % Diptera) showed differences between treatments, suggesting that fenced sites are recovering from any cattle activity incurred and that conservation buffers are effective at mitigating these effects. However, only one amphibian survey method captured these differences, Eurycea cirrigera larvae captured within macroinvertebrate collections, of which highest captures were at the fenced sites. Feeding preference of E.cirrigera was also examined, and electivity indices suggest slight positive selection for a subfamily of the Chironomidae, the Tanypodinae. Certain amphibians are good candidates as ecological indicators, however more information is needed on responses and tolerances to disturbance from the microhabitat to landscape levels.