Mary Kelly Quinn

The importance and vulnerability of our small

stream network

Mary Kelly-Quinn, UCD. Email: mary.kelly-quinn@ucd.ie

Almost 77% of the river network in Ireland comprises first and second order streams

Represented by just over 10% of sites in the EPA

monitoring programme

See: McGarrigle, M. (2014) Assessment of small water bodies in Ireland. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 114B, 119-128. Special Issue on Small Water Bodies.

Why consider small streams? Small stream capture considerable volume of water Influence water quality in downstream reaches Spawning and nursery area for salmonids

Important in terms of catchment biodiversity. Up to 29% of aquatic macroinvertebrate species are unique to headwaters – function of stream heterogeneity

Support species common to further downstream

Number of taxa unique (blue)to each distance and common to various distances (Rivers Bilboa, Mulkear & Tar)

For more detail see: Callanan, M., Baars, J-R. & Kelly-Quinn, M. (2014) Macroinvertebrates of Irish headwater streams: contribution of catchment biodiversity. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 114B, 143-162. Special Issue on Small Water Bodies

Some headwater areas are species-rich & may in the future be extremely important sink populations.

From: Feeley, H.B. & Kelly-Quinn, M. (2012) An evaluation of local and regional diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in two small regions of Ireland and their potential refugia for certain taxonomic groups. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 112B, 1, 43-54.

Stressors on small streams Particularly vulnerable to pollution Narrow channel – high land-water interface Low dilution capacity

Point & diffuse pollution Chronic & acute Multiple pressures

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Gortinlieve Catchment, Donegal Data from: Pathways Project 0.0

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Nitr

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Lowland streams

Spring Summer Autumn Winter Spring

GoodModeratePoor Glen Burn Stream – Pathways Project

Nutrient & Sediment Inputs

River Ow, Wicklow From: Hydrofor Report (J. Clarke)

Upland streams

Sites in west of Ireland – Hydrofor Project See: Feeley, H.B., Bruen, M., Blacklocke, S. Baars & Kelly-Quinn, M. (2013) Science of the Total Environment 443, 173-183.

Richness

Abundance

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l(cm

) 24th Oct. 2011

See: Feeley, H.B., Davis, Stephen, Bruen, M. Blacklocke, M. & Kelly-Quinn, M. (2012) Journal of Limnology, 71, 2, 309-318.

Editors: M. Kelly-Quinn & J-R Baars Thanks to EPA for sponsorship

Available online December 10th

• Increase awareness • ‘Boots on the ground’ • Target research to address

knowledge gaps

Extent of Small Streams Risk Score monitoring in support of Characterisation and development of the WFD monitoring programme during 2005–2006.

Action needed