title: Identifying Catchment-Scale Predictors of Coal Mining Impacts on New Zealand Stream Communities.
abstract: Coal mining activities can have severe and long-term impacts on freshwater ecosystems. At the individual stream scale, these impacts have been well studied; however, few attempts have been made to determine the predictors of mine impacts at a regional scale. We investigated whether catchment-scale measures of mining impacts could be used to predict biological responses. We collated data from multiple studies and analyzed algae, benthic invertebrate, and fish community data from 186 stream sites, including un-mined streams, and those associated with 620 mines on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Algal, invertebrate, and fish richness responded to mine impacts and were significantly higher in un-mined compared to mine-impacted streams. Changes in community composition toward more acid- and metal-tolerant species were evident for algae and invertebrates, whereas changes in fish communities were significant and driven by a loss of nonmigratory native species. Consistent catchment-scale predictors of mining activities affecting biota included the time post mining (years), mining density (the number of mines upstream per catchment area), and mining intensity (tons of coal production per catchment area). Mining was associated with a decline in stream biodiversity irrespective of catchment size, and recovery was not evident until at least 30 years after mining activities have ceased. These catchment-scale predictors can provide managers and regulators with practical metrics to focus on management and remediation decisions.
authors.affiliation: Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson, New Zealand. joanne.clapcott@cawthron.org.nz.
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Clapcott
authors.affiliation: Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Eric O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jon S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Harding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003032:Coal Mining; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D005544:Forecasting; D007448:Invertebrates; D009520:New Zealand; D010944:Plants; D011157:Population Dynamics; D045483:Rivers
keywords: Acid mine drainage (AMD); Algae; Benthic invertebrates; Conservation; Fish; GIS