Driftnet Project Abstract For Poster

The Alabama Academy of Science is having its annual meeting at the end of next week at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville. Brittany is putting together a poster of her work on the driftnet project at Estill Fork, July through January, to be shown at this meeting. I'm not even sure of the title of our project, but here's the abstract we're submitting for this poster:

Abstract
This study examines the community structure of drifting macroinvertebrates in a stream riffle system in pristine Estill Fork of the Paint Rock River in Jackson County, Alabama. Monthly samples were made within two days of the new moon using a drift net between July, 2009, and January, 2010. Living individuals and their exuviae were identified to Order. Measurements were made on-site of stream temperature, flow rate and total dissolved solids, and lab measurements were made of sampled stream water phosphates, ammonia, alkalinity and pH. Statistical analysis using chi-square tests showed that most months differed significantly from expectation in the number of invertebrates per water volume, and each month showed a deviant maximum or minimum from expected in one or more taxonomic Orders. Ordination analysis using Principle Components Analysis of number of individuals collected per Order and stream physical parameters for each month showed that each Order responds in a different way to changes in stream physical parameters. Monthly collections of drift net samples and water samples will continue through this June to complete a year’s observation of fluctuations in macroinvertebrate community structure at this site.