Contaminant export from rivers regulated by riparian land cover and urban pollution

Check out our new article:

Alberts, J.M., and S.M.P. Sullivan. 2016. Factors influencing aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transport to terrestrial arthropod consumers in a mid-size river system. Environmental Pollution 213: 53-62

Research highlights:

  • River contamination decreased with downstream longitudinal distance from a large urban center (see Figure below).
  • Recipient consumer dynamics were influenced by riparian habitat complexity.
  • Contaminant flux via emergent insects was not a strong predictor of terrestrial arthropod body burdens.
  • Terrestrial consumer body burdens were best predicted by riparian land cover.
  • Riparian land cover regulated aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transport.

Figure 3b_Alberts and Sullivan_2016_STOTEN